Poulter defeats Garcia in playoff

Britain's Ian Poulter beat his Ryder Cup team mate Sergio Garcia of Spain at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Volvo Masters on Sunday.

Both players shot one-under-par 70 final rounds to total seven-under-par 277, a stroke better than overnight leader Alastair Forsyth of Britain.

Garcia, who missed a seven-foot birdie putt on the last which subsequently made the playoff necessary, bogeyed the first extra hole.

It was a timely win worth $790,000 for Poulter who left it until the last event of the season to pull off his sixth tour victory.

"I refused to lose," said the 28-year-old Englishman. "I have to win every year.

"It's a nice way to end what had been a disappointing year, the Ryder Cup excepted, of course.

"Now it's turned out to be a great one."

The playoff pair began the final round three strokes behind Forsyth but the Scot's bogey-bogey start put him on the back foot.

Three birdies around the turn put Poulter in charge but his bogey on the 13th dropped him back into a three-way tie on top of the leaderboard with Garcia and Forsyth.

Forsyth's bogey on 16 then eventually left him a stroke shy of the shootout as he carded a 74.

At the first extra hole, Garcia blocked himself out in the right trees and then could not find the green in three, while Poulter, who had given himself a tough shot in, ran his ball to the fringe and got up and down for his par.

While it was Poulter's first success of the year, Garcia missed out on a chance of back-to-back victories on home soil, having clinched the Mallorca Classic title two weeks ago.

Garcia had already won twice on the US Tour in shootouts and said: "I've been fortunate this year and won two playoffs in the States but unfortunately I didn't do it this time.

"I could have won without needing the playoff but I just didn't hit the best of putts on 17 or 18."

Poulter was three-over-par after playing eight holes of the first round alongside Garcia and the Spaniard added: "All credit to him. He was struggling but got himself back."

Poulter extended his record of winning at least one title every year to five since he joined the tour in 2000.

His victory could now elevate him into the world's top 50 from his 55th place at the start of the tournament.

Poulter believes his experience of playing at Oakland Hills was useful in the playoff. "The Ryder Cup definitely helps with the nerves, it helps to keep you cool," he said.

The Briton plans to rise up the rankings by playing in the U.S. next year, where he will take aprt in his mandatory 15 events, while also completing "at least" the 11 he has to play in Europe.

"I feel I have to play a few events in America that have more world ranking points than you can get in Europe because that's the key for me," said Poulter.

"And I think I can win over there."

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