Goydos applauds triumphant Garcia after playoff loss

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - American journeyman Paul Goydos paid tribute to Sergio Garcia after being edged out by the Spaniard in a playoff for the Players Championship on Sunday.

"Sergio played like a champion," Goydos, 43, told reporters after being pipped at the first extra hole in strong gusting winds at Sawgrass.

"He played great golf today, one under par. Sergio is a potential top two or three player in the world. He's still a kid.

"He's got a long way to go in his career and he's going to win a lot of tournaments and he's going to win major championships."

The 28-year-old Garcia, ranked 18th in the world at the start of the week, closed with a four-birdie 71 on a day when the average score was 75.16 on the par-72 Stadium Course.

Although Goydos missed a nine-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation that would have earned him his third PGA Tour title, he proudly reflected on his form.

"It's been an exciting time and I played good," the world number 169 said. "I also learned something maybe, and I stress the word maybe, about myself and how I handle situations. You've got to move on from that.

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