Singh stops surging Garcia

Vijay Singh has handed Sergio Garcia a sudden-death play-off defeat at The Barclays as the first FedEx Cup tournament of the year came to an exciting climax at Ridgewood Country Club.

Singh had forced a three-way play-off with Garcia and Kevin Sutherland as all three finished on eight-under-par 276 in regulation at the par-71 New Jersey course.

Sutherland was the first to drop out on the first extra hole, the 18th, and a wayward drive from Garcia at the second, the 17th, gave the Spaniard too much to do to as Singh claimed his second victory in four weeks having won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the start of August, and his fourth victory in this event.

Australian Matthew Goggin just missed the chance to join the trio in the extra holes after his impressive final-round 67 left him one shot off the leaders.

Jason Day was next best of the Australians at two-under-par, six strokes from the top of the head of the field.

The win sends Singh to the top of the FedEx Cup points standings.

Singh, playing in the last group of the day alongside overnight leader Kevin Streelman, had a chance to win the tournament in regulation but missed a 17-foot putt to tie with Garcia and Sutherland.

Streelman, Paul Casey, Ben Curtis and Mike Weir had also had at least a share of the lead at one or more points on a tense last day.

Garcia, Casey, Weir and Singh had begun one stroke behind PGA Tour rookie Kevin Streelman at eight-under-par.

Two weeks after his bid for a maiden major victory at the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills was thwarted over the final round by Padraig Harrington, the Spaniard birdied the third hole as Streelman bogeyed his opener to take the lead.

With 22 players starting the day within four shots of the lead, however, the tournament was wide open.

Fourth Round scores from The Barclays, New Jersey
-8: Vijay Singh 70 70 66 70 (won by playoff), Sergio Garcia 70 67 69 70, Kevin Sutherland 70 69 69 68
-7: Ben Curtis 71 68 70 68, Matthew Goggin (Australia) 67 74 69 67, Kevin Streelman 67 70 68 72
-6: Paul Casey 66 71 69 72, Martin Laird 70 69 72 67, Justin Leonard 70 70 71 67, Nicholas Thompson 75 68 68 67, Mike Weir 72 67 67 72
-5: K.J Choi 74 69 68 68, Ken Duke 72 71 67 69, Jim Furyk 70 71 68 70, Dudley Hart 67 69 73 70, Anthony Kim 70 67 72 70, Scott Verplank 73 70 67 69, Bubba Watson 68 70 71 70
Also:
-4: Stuart Appleby (Australia) 71 70 68 71
-2: Jason Day (Australia) 74 68 66 74, John Senden (Australia) 71 70 72 69
-1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 69 73 66 75
+1: Steve Elkington (Australia) 71 71 71 72