HARRISON, N.Y. - Sergio Garcia headed for Shinnecock Hills in a much better mood than the last time he teed it up on Long Island.

Two years removed from an emotional meltdown at Bethpage Black that featured an obscene gesture and countless waggles, the temperamental 24-year-old Spanish star warmed up for the U.S. Open with a playoff victory Sunday in the Buick Classic.

"I'm really looking forward to next week," Garcia said. "I just hope to ride that momentum to next week and hopefully get it going there and give myself a chance on the back nine on Sunday. That's all you can ask for."

The five-time PGA Tour champion won for the second time in a month, showing the form and poise that he will need to win his first major championship.

"I've just got to keep doing the things I've been doing and hopefully I will win one soon," he said. "I think it's just a matter of time."

Garcia beat South Africa's Rory Sabbatini with a 7-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole after Irish star Padraig Harrington dropped out on the second.

"I've been fortunate enough to do pretty well in playoffs, not only here but also around the world," said Garcia, 3-1 in overtime in his PGA Tour career. "I feel pretty comfortable in them."

Garcia, also a playoff winner last month in the Byron Nelson Championship, earned $945,000 for his second victory in four years on the Westchester Country Club course.

He set up his winning putt on the par-5 18th with a 90-yard wedge shot, while Sabbatini's third shot ended up 21 feet below the hole.

"I thought, `Oh, man, this is going to be perfect, it's going to get over the crest of the hill, and it's going to trickle over the other side,'" Sabbatini said. "When I saw it go down, it was a bit of a surprise and a bit of a disappointment."

Sabbatini's long birdie try finished 3 feet from the hole, giving Garcia his second chance in two holes to win. On the par-4 17th, the Spaniard had a 141/2-foot birdie putt to win, but ran it 3 feet past the hole.

Harrington, an eight-time winner on the European tour who is winless on the PGA Tour, dropped out with a bogey on 17 after missing a 71/2-foot birdie putt to win on the first playoff hole - the 18th.

"It just straightened out a little bit at the hole and just missed on the high side," he said. "It was a pity."

All three players birdied the 18th in regulation to finish at 12-under 272, setting up the fifth playoff in seven years on the Westchester course.

Garcia was the first to finish, making a 41/2-footer for his second straight 4-under 67. Harrington, playing directly behind Garcia in the second-to-last group, holed a 16-foot chip from the fringe for his fourth 68, and Sabbatini, in the final threesome, followed with a 7-foot putt for his second consecutive 70.

Bogeys on the second and third holes dropped Garcia to 6 under, but he climbed the leaderboard with four straight birdies on Nos. 7-10. He countered a three-putt bogey on 12 with a birdie on 13 and reached 11 under on the long, par-3 16th.

"I felt like if I was patient and I just kept playing my game, I could make some birdies because I've done well on this course and feel comfortable on it," he said.

"Thanks to a couple of tips that Brad Faxon gave me earlier in the week, my putting has been coming around nicely."

Harrington scored well despite weeklong swing problems.

"I haven't got the ball under any control," he said. "It was one of those weeks you knuckle down. ... The last thing you want to do before a U.S. Open is try to find a golf swing and I seem to have lost mine."

Fred Couples (68), Vijay Singh (70) and Tom Byrum (71) tied for fourth, two strokes back. Luke Donald (72) was another stroke back, and Fredrik Jacobson (69) followed at 8 under. Kenny Perry had the best round of the day, a 66 to top a five-player group at 7 under. He began the day tied for 46th at 2 under.

Divots: Garcia has 19 straight rounds of par or

better in the tournament and has earned a record $2,042,375 in five Westchester appearances. ... Garcia also beat Harrington in a playoff in the 1999 German Masters. ... Loren Roberts, the third-round leader after a 64, shot a 78 to tie for 16th at 5 under. ... Ernie Els, the Memorial winner last week, and Masters champion Phil Mickelson also finished at 5 under. Els shot a 70, and Mickelson had a 73.