Garcia makes perfect start to Ryder Cup race with Masters victory

SERGIO GARCIA put a smile on the face of Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam yesterday by winning the first qualifying event for next year’s match.

The 25-year-old Spaniard, who has lost only three of 15 games against the Americans since his debut in 1999, chipped in at the short 16th and parred the last two holes for a one-stroke victory over Swede Peter Gustafsson at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

However, a week that earned Garcia £193,277 has also landed him back in trouble with the European Tour. Not for the first time, he faces a possible fine for a show of temper.

After three-putting the 17th for a double bogey six in his third round the world number six kicked an advertising sign as he went to the next tee.

Tournament director David Probyn said: "Any breach of normal golfing etiquette is frowned upon and not acceptable. When incidents are reported to us, as this has been, we look into them and deal with them."

At the World Match Play at Wentworth in 1999 the year he turned professional Garcia was reprimanded and warned about his future conduct after slipping on a tee, taking off the offending shoe and kicking it, almost hitting referee John Grant. In the British Open championship at St Andrews the following summer he was reported for slamming a club into the turf after his ball finished in a divot.

But worst of all was the 2001 Greg Norman International in Sydney. He was penalised for taking a wrong drop when leading the event and in his fury hit a golf buggy and a tree with his sand wedge before criticising chief referee John Paramor. The European Tour has a policy of not announcing the size of fines, but Garcia was thought to have been fined £5,000.

Nevertheless, as far as Woosnam is concerned, this was the perfect start to the 12-month race for places in his team.

Garcia is one of the players who makes more appearances in America than in Europe and it would be a real bonus for the side if he can qualify rather than need one of the Welshman's two wild cards.

He dedicated the 15th win of his professional career to a 24-year-old friend in Tenerife who died of lung cancer on Friday night.

Gustafsson, who lost a play-off for the Spanish Open in April but had not had a top 30 finish since, threatened to spring a surprise when he closed with a joint best-of-the-week 64. But last year's qualifying school winner was forced to settle for second place again when Garcia safely parred the 17th and 18th after his chip-in birdie on the previous hole.

Paul Casey, his nightmare summer slump behind him, had also caught Garcia with a back nine run, but he bogeyed the 16th and in the end finished third, one ahead of defending champion Luke Donald and also Welshman Garry Houston.