By David Ferguson
China.org.cn staff reporter

Sergio Garcia holds the HSBC Champions Trophy aloft, having beaten Oliver Wilson in a dramatic two-hole playoff for the title. [China.org.cn]

Spain's Sergio Garcia can now lay claim to being the best golfer currently playing anywhere in the world. With Tiger Woods out injured for an unspecified length of time, Garcia's victory on Monday in the HSBC Champions Tournament at the Sheshan International golf Club in Shanghai saw the Spaniard leapfrog Phil Mickelson for second place in the World Rankings. Depending on the length of time that Woods is sidelined, Garcia may go on to take the official No 1 spot, but he will not feel he has earned it until he has taken it from Woods on the golf course rather than by default.

"Right after I won The Players' I thought I could get to No 3," he said. "I thought No 2 was still quite difficult, and it's awesome. It's great. I've never achieved that before. You've got to realize that when we talk about Tiger we're looking at the kind of player that you don't see very often in history. I think he's driven everybody else to a high level and hopefully that will help take me to the highest it can take me."

Garcia beat England's Oliver Wilson on the second playoff hole after the two had tied at 14-under for the scheduled 72 holes, leaving the Englishman once more destined to take second place, and wondering what he has to do to secure that elusive first tournament win on the full tour. Wilson had shot 67, 68, 69, in the first three rounds - I said after Sunday's third round that I did not think a 70 in the last round would be enough to win it, and so it proved. That was indeed Wilson's score, and it did indeed prove one shot short of what he needed.

It is to the Organisers' credit that they managed to ensure that the event was played over the full 72 holes. HSBC intends to make this China and Asia's premier competition, and one of the best in the world. They resolved that the inclement weather would not rob Asia's 'Major' of its proper place, and the final round was duly completed through Monday morning.

Garcia jokingly denied having a girlfriend in the post-victory conference, but here she enjoys the win together with his coach and his manager. [China.org.cn]

The Monday extension did create some noteworthy anomalies. With all the players already out on course for the 7.30 tee-off, the two leading groups started on holes 3 and 4. At the farthest corner of the front nine at about 8.30 in the morning, the group of Garcia, Henrik Stenson of Sweden, and Australia's Adam Scott – ranked at 2, 10 and 17 in the World – was playing for a US $5 million dollar purse in front of a gallery of not more than 50 people. There were perhaps a hundred following the leading group of Wilson, Mickelson, and Ogilvy a hole behind them – I doubt if Mickelson has ever played for a bigger purse in front of a smaller crowd in his entire professional career.