Sergio Garcia broke out of his 0-for-53 drought on the PGA Tour in a big way. The talented Spaniard managed to tame his often streaky putter on a blustery Sunday at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and win the Players Championship by beating Paul Goydos on the first playoff hole - the fabled island-green 17th - with a par. The victory was worth a staggering $1.71 million.  

Paul Goydos was a breath of fresh air during the tight, angst-filled Players Championship completed yesterday at the very difficult, wind-blown TPC Sawgrass. Despite the brutal conditions the 43-year-old self-avowed journeyman from Long Beach, Calif., sustained his easygoing charm, quick wit and comical repartee with his caddie throughout the final round of the tournament.  

Annika Sorenstam has officially returned to her winning ways. The Swede, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, notched her third victory of the year in the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. She cruised to a seven-shot victory at the event in Williamsburg, Va., after firing a closing 5-under 66 for a record-setting four-round total of 19-under 265. She earned $330,000.  

Even though she finished in a tie for second in the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill with Allison Fouch, Karen Stupples and Jeong Jang at 12-under 272, seven shots behind winner Annika Sorenstam, Christina Kim, who closed with a 69, still had a blast during the LPGA Tour event in Williamsburg, Va. Sporting her usual outlandish outfit topped by a Kangol beret, the likeable and charismatic touring pro from San Jose, Calif., had a load of fun. Here's what the 24-year-old Kim said after yesterday's round.  

by Steve Habel

No golfer is more beloved than Tom Kite in Austin, the Texas capitol where he grew up and made his home for the entirety of a Hall of Fame career in golf. Many of the 50,000 fans that ventured to the Hills Golf Course at the Lakeway Resort last week for the FedEx Kinko's Classic, a Champions Tour event, came to follow their local hero. Everyone in the gallery on the sun-baked track seemed to have their own personal story about the man, his feats on the course, hard work on the range and kindness outside the ropes and within the community.  

Ashleigh Simon of South Africa has accepted a sponsor's exemption to the second annual Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika. The $2.6 million event will again be played at RiverTowne Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., May 26 through June 1.  

by Joel Zuckerman

Since this is the week of the Players Championship, the PGA Tour's so-called "fifth major" that starts Thursday at TPC Sawgrass, it's appropriate that we get a glimpse of Pete Dye and his family, the folks responsible for this cutting-edge course that set the world of golf architecture on its ear. Writer Joel Zuckerman, an expert on the Dyes after writing "Pete Dye: Golf Courses - 50 Years of Visionary Design," gives us some perspective on the amazingly productive family.  

By the way she's regained her winning touch Annika Sorenstam is as good as ever after encountering health problems in 2007. The 37-year-old from Sweden beat a high-quality field in the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Va., over the weekend by a whopping seven shots.  

Annika Sorenstam shocked the sports world yesterday when she announced she will retire from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season to devote more time to her business interests and to start a family. The Swedish star gave the news came from Clifton, N.J., and this week's stop on the LPGA Tour, the Sybase Classic. Here's the full transcript of Sorenstam's announcement.  

Annika Sorenstam's announcement that she'll be retiring at the end of the 2008 season came out of the blue to many of her fellow players and friends. After all, this is a golfer in the prime of her competitive life and well on her way to setting such indelible lifetime marks as most career wins.  

The PGA of America has announced that this year's PGA Championship and Ryder Cup will require players to abide by the Performance Enhancement Substance Policy and the Prohibited Substance List developed last year with other members of the World Golf Foundation.  

Even though Annika Sorenstam announced she'll be retiring from competitive golf at the end of the year, she continues to play great. The 37-year-old Swede opened with a 5-under 67 to share the opening-round lead in the Sybase Classic in Clifton, N.J. Two-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa is a stroke back with five others.  

Lorena Ochoa is in Clifton, N.J., for the LPGA Tour's Sybase Classic. After one round of the 72-hole event, she shot a 4-under 68, trailing Annika Sorenstam and two others by a stroke. The Mexican star, who has won five times this year compared to Sorenstam's three victories, has been relatively quiet about the retirement by her Swedish rival at the end of the year. In this interview session Ochoa reveals some of her thoughts about what it's like to compete against Sorenstam.