Charlotte, N.C. ? Vijay Singh took advantage of a record-tying collapse by Sergio Garcia and an untimely mistake by Jim Furyk, rallying from six shots behind with a 6-under 66 and winning the Wachovia Championship on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday.

Singh only needed a par on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow to win for the third time this year after Furyk’s tee shot skipped over a creek and rolled down into the water.

Garcia twice had the tournament in his hands — at the start of the day with a six-shot lead, then recovering from his meltdown to take a one-shot lead with two holes to play.

But he pulled his tee shot on the par-3 17th into the water and scrambled for bogey and missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to fall into a three-man playoff.

It matched the largest final-round collapse in PGA Tour history, last accomplished by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters. Garcia was eliminated in fitting fashion, three-putting from 45 feet and missing a six-footer for par on the first extra hole.

“They say you learn more from your losses than your wins,” Garcia said after closing with a 72. “And I’ve got a lot from this week to learn.”

Singh, Garcia and Furyk all finished at 12-under 276, four shots better than anyone else.

Singh’s victory overshadowed a gritty performance by Furyk, who birdied two of his last three holes to get into the playoff, including a seven-footer on the 18th.

He had a 12-foot birdie putt to win on the second extra hole, No. 16, that grazed the left side of the lip. And he twice made nervy four-footers for par to stay in the game.

But it ended on the 18th, when his tee shot skipped over the creek along the left side of the fairway and down into the water. He took a drop, played short of the green, then hit the flag with his fourth shot and watched helplessly as it rolled into the rough.

Singh played away from the flag and into the bunker, but blasted out to a foot and tapped in.