Sergio Garcia overtakes Phil Mickelson in world rankings with victory in Shanghai

The 28-year-old Spaniard overtook Phil Mickelson at Sheshan earlier this morning when he made a 12-foot birdie putt to defeat England's Oliver Wilson at the second extra hole in a play-off at the HSBC Champions.

Wilson, also 28, was on his own at 14 under par after 17 holes when Garcia, in the party in front, holed from six feet for a birdie at the par-five 18th to join him at the top of the leader board.

At that, the Englishman needed a closing birdie of his own if he were to win. He was on course after his first two shots but, when he left his approach 25 yards short of the flag, thoughts turned to how he needed to get down in two not to lose.

To his credit, he holed a second putt of 10 feet to stay alive, only to lose out to his more experienced opponent two holes later.

Woods, as he continues to recuperate, would have noticed at once that he now has Garcia at his heels. The American has always enjoyed keeping this once somewhat cocky Spaniard in his place and he will be itching to do the same again on his return.

"We don't need to be close," Garcia said of his relationship with Woods in Golf Digest recently.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to be buddies. But not being close friends doesn't mean you are enemies. You have friends and then you have 'friends', people who are like family."

However, Garcia could not have been more respectful towards Woods when he was asked today if he thought he might now reach the No 1 spot.

"It probably depends on how much time Tiger takes off and if I keep playing well," he began.

"It's possible, mainly because he is injured, but we know that as soon as he comes out, he's going to play well again and be tough. He has what it takes to get away from us a little bit."

Garcia added: "When we talk about Tiger, we are looking at the kind of player that you don't see very often in history, if there's ever been one like him at all. But it's exciting to be in the same area. You know when you play with him that you will beat him sometimes but most of the time you're going to get beat.

"It will be good learning experience to be close to a player who has driven everyone to a new high level. The only thing I can do is to keep doing what I'm doing."

Improving his putting is what made the main difference to Garcia's play in the last 12 months. Woods is justly famed for making the putts that matter and today Garcia made two of them – the one which lifted him into the play-off and the other his winning 12-footer.

Garcia felt for Wilson, who was understandably flat after what was his fifth second place this year and his eighth all told. "Oliver's playing great and it's going to happen soon," he said.

Though Wilson knows all about the 30 and more second places which helped to make Harrington the great champion he is today, he was not ready to enjoy the positives from a week in which he looked the part among the world's best.

"I used to be pleased to finish second but it's just getting to the stage where second is not good enough," he said. "It's about time I took my chance."

By now, though, he will surely be priding himself on the way he did not let Garcia take the title at the 72nd. Also, his thoughts will surely turn to his cheque for £338,275 and his great start to the £20 million Race to Dubai.