Sergio Garcia almost stole one from Tiger Woods in a stirring final round at the PGA Championship. There was his "Take That, Tiger!" birdie at the 13th, his closed-eye shot around the tree at the 16th, his sprint and leap in the fairway moments later.

	Sergio Garcia watches his birdie drop before staring down Tiger Woods on the 13th hole.

Woods had just enough fortitude to hold on Sunday, making a clutch par putt at the 17th that preserved his one-shot lead and eventual victory. But Garcia came close. Very close.

"I'm a little unhappy I didn't win, but inside of me I feel like I won," Garcia said. "Being 19 years old, three months since I turned pro, you can't ask for any more."

Amazingly, Garcia received the kind of support typically reserved for Woods.

Players often complain about being paired with Woods, who since turning professional in 1996 has been the biggest draw in golf. Security guards follow him, and crowds swarm him. Playing partners are often left in the dust.

But on Sunday, the crowd changed allegiances, pushing Garcia to greatness while a few said some not-so kind words to Woods. "They were saying some pretty tough things," Woods said. "You just had to block them out and execute."

Garcia, who turned pro three months ago and won the Irish Open in just his sixth professional start, was clearly buoyed by the support.

"The crowds were amazing," said Garcia, who shot a final-round 71 to become the youngest runner-up in PGA Championship history. "I have no words to say what they did for me. It looked like I was an American. I couldn't hear at the beginning or the end of the round. They were incredible, and I'd like to thank them."

Woods appeared headed to an easy victory until the momentum clearly changed at the 13th hole. Garcia, playing in the group in front of Woods, dropped an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th hole. As he did, he pumped his fist and made sure Woods noticed.

"I wanted him to know that I was still there and to show him that he had to finish well to win," Garcia said. "It wasn't a bad thing. I did it with good feelings. I was telling him: 'If you want to win, you have to play well.' "

Although he said otherwise, Woods appeared flustered. He hit his 6-iron approach over the green, knocked his chip shot past the pin and into the rough, then hit another poor chip and missed the putt. Double-bogey. All of a sudden, the once cushy lead was down to one shot.

Garcia barely missed a birdie putt at the par-5 14th, then fell two shots back with a bogey at the 15th hole. At the 16th, his tee shot came to rest behind a tree, but swinging with his eyes closed, he somehow sliced the ball around the tree and 189 yards onto the green.

All the while, Garcia sprinted toward the green and jumped to see where the ball came to rest. The crowd loved it.

"I was very excited," he said. He made par, and followed with another at the 17th. His birdie try at No. 18 slid beneath the cup.

Garcia finished second, but you get the feeling he'll be around for awhile. Much like Woods, Garcia is hardly green when it comes to golf. As an amateur, he played in 15 different countries and won more than 70 tournaments. Although he didn't turn pro until finishing as the low amateur at the Masters in April, he's played in tour events for five years.

"I turned pro three months ago, but I've probably been playing as a pro for three years," he said. "I played in so many pro events as an amateur. I just didn't get paid.

"I've been dreaming about this, but not expecting it. This is probably a little over my expectations, but I really love it.

"I've played well in some tournaments, but I haven't done anything yet to be considered incredible or over some other players. I still have a long career to come and that's when I have to prove that I'm something else."

"Sergio played a wonderful round of golf," Woods said. "He did what he needed to do, and he needs to be commended for not only the way he played but the way he conducted himself. He was emotional, yes. But he was fiery. He was trying. He never dogged it, and it was wonderful to see."

Woods apparently should get used to it.

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.