Garcia on top in Thailand

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Sergio Garcia claimed his first of 2013 just in time for the new year as he shot a final round 68 to win the Thailand Golf Championship.

The Spaniard broke a year-long winless streak to beat Henrik Stenson by four shots in Chonburi as his girlfriend Katharina Boehm helped him out on the bag.

Garcia had led from the second round, and hit six birdies and two bogeys to match the Swede’s round of 68 and win by four shots.

“I pretty much knew that finishing par, par, the tournament was pretty much mine” – Sergio Garcia

It was a positive end to the year for US Open champion Justin Rose, too. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominee ended the week in a tie for fourth place as he rounded off his maiden major championship winning year.

The win was Garcia‘s first since he won the Johor Open in Malaysia last December and he was delighted to end the year on a high.

“I knew Henrik was going to make it difficult for me,” said Garcia. “He’s been playing so amazingly great, and he did.

“I made three very important birdies on the first three on the back nine and gave myself a little but of a cushion.”

Garcia managed to hit the floating island green on par-3 17^th and once he found the fairway on the 18^th, he knew he was home safely.

“I pretty much knew that finishing par, par, the tournament was pretty much mine, and then just making sure I kept the tee shot dry on 18 and I hit a great second shot with a six iron, and once the ball came out of the clubface, I knew that I was pretty much done.”

Garcia just too much for Stenson

Runner-up Stenson, who has won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup this season, tried to keep the pressure on Garcia but his great run of form throughout 2013 had taken its toll.

“I’ve had a great year but coming here, really on the fumes left in the tank, not too much was going for me to perform in that sense,” said Stenson. “But I played really nicely yesterday and I was hanging in there today and I was just coming up a couple short. Congratulations to Sergio on a great week. He played really well.”