Happily, by the time the competition came to its dramatic conclusion in the early afternoon, not only had the wind died and the sun begun to shine for the best weather of the week, but the stands were full and the 18th hole was lined with spectators to enjoy an enthralling finish to the first stage in the European Tour 2008-09 season 'Race to Dubai'.
Garcia ultimately deserved his victory – he shot a final round of 68 against Wilson's 70, and his game stood up better to the strain of the final few holes and those two testing playoffs along the 18th. After an early bogey on 5 while the players were still trying to warm themselves in the cold air of a November morning, he put together a run of three birdies through 7, 8 and 9. He hit another on the par-5 14th and then, crucially, one on the par-5 18th to force the playoff.
|
![Garcia lines up what would prove to be the title-winning birdie putt on the second playoff hole. [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20081111/000802c98ccc0a8374ce58.jpg "Garcia lines up what would prove to be the title-winning birdie putt on the second playoff hole. [China.org.cn]")
|
|
Garcia lines up what would prove to be the title-winning birdie putt on the second playoff hole. [China.org.cn]
|
In the Press conference following his victory he revealed that 14-under had been his target for the day: "That was the number I wanted to get. I thought if I could get to at least 14, I should have a great chance. Oliver Wilson was fighting hard. He made a couple of nice birdies on 14 and 16 and got ahead of me, and we just tried to stay patient, stay positive."
Wilson was obviously desperately disappointed, and with good reason. Despite an early setback when, like Garcia, he bogeyed the fifth, he was playing magnificently on the front nine. An uninformed observer watching the 8th hole might easily have concluded that he was the man in the group ranking No 2 in the world. A perfect drive, a perfect second, and a peach of a pitch left him with a four or five-footer to roll in for birdie. Mickelson, meanwhile, pushed his drive into the rough on the side of a bunker, hacked a 3-wood along the fairway, gave himself a chance with his third onto the green, and then missed the putt. On the ninth, Wilson's drive and iron were again perfectly played, leaving him with a similar length putt for another birdie, but this time, crucially, he missed.
![Wilson rolls in his final birdie on 16 – it would prove to be one fewer than he needed to claim victory. [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20081111/000802c98ccc0a83752007.jpg "Wilson rolls in his final birdie on 16 – it would prove to be one fewer than he needed to claim victory. [China.org.cn]") |
|
Wilson rolls in his final birdie on 16 – it would prove to be one fewer than he needed to claim victory. [China.org.cn]
|
He was harsh on himself in the post-match press conference: "I didn't play great today. I played all right. Made some good clutch putts on the back nine but didn't really have a lot of confidence in my swing. Which is my own fault. It's just getting to the stage where second is not good enough any more. There was a time when I was pleased to be finishing there, and it's gone. It's about time I took my chance."
To be honest, I didn't see it that way. It's true that Wilson lost his rhythm in the final holes. But the fact is that any player on the Tour, no matter how far down the rankings, can score well when he's playing well. The true test of a great player is to be able to score well when you're playing badly. From 14 through 18, and including the two playoff holes, Wilson only hit the target once with his tee-shot from seven attempts, including driver, utility on 16, and iron on 17. He missed the green badly on 15, having for once hit the fairway with his drive, and hit it, but only just, with his wedge on 18 at the end of his round.
