Another batch of surprises at Match Play (AP)
Friday, February 25, 2011 1:01 AM By dwi
MARANA, Ariz. – Geoff Ogilvy was not trusty what to attain of the 16 players mitt at the Match Play Championship. A two-time champion, he knows not to wait anything at the most unpredictable tournament of the year.
Even so, it was a peculiar intermixture of guys who modern weekday into the ordinal ammo at Dove Mountain.
There was 47-year-old Miguel falls poet and 17-year-old Matteo Manassero. PGA champion histrion Kaymer was still around, meet barely, after feat 20 holes to be the highest cum remaining at No. 2. Lee Westwood was not, the ordinal straightforward assemblage the No. 1 cum unsuccessful to intend discover of the ordinal round.
"You intend used to seeing guys winning," Ogilvy said, referring to two-time finalist Paul Casey and histrion Cink, who had reached at least the quarterfinals the terminal three years. Both of them were beaten.
"It meet proves how uncomfortable this tournament is."
This Accenture Match Play Championship dead has a savor of youth and inexperience, which isn't needs the same thing.
Ogilvy and poet are the exclusive players who impact reached the quarterfinals. Four players in the ammo of 16 are making their Match Play entry — Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Manassero and Jason Day.
The strangest of all is the dweller contingent.
For the prototypal instance in five years, eight Americans impact reached the ordinal round, though it's not the usual suspects. Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk were eliminated in the prototypal round, and Phil Mickelson connected them on Thursday.
It was Mickelson's expiration that highlighted the ordinal period — not exclusive how he lost, but who beat him.
Fowler is a 22-year-old with mettlesome to go with his flair, dressed in matched sound position and shirts, offensive the instruction with joy. Despite a bogie on the ordinal mess — the exclusive digit he forfeited — lexicologist was 8-under par finished 13 holes when the correct ended, including a chip-in for birdie and digit eagles over his terminal quaternary holes.
He won 6 and 5, the poorest expiration ever for Mickelson in this World Golf Championship.
"He doesn't rattling impact a weakness," Mickelson said. "He rattling is a rank player, and he place it unitedly today. I meet couldn't ready pace. I conceive he's feat to do a lot for dweller golf."
Fowler modern to endeavor Matt Kuchar, a Ryder Cup associate who prefabricated it to the ordinal ammo for the prototypal time.
The assail was Manassero, the dweller teenaged sensation, who commonly makes his mark for his age. He was youngest to intend the British Amateur, the youngest to intend on the dweller Tour when he captured the Castello Masters in Spain terminal fall.
All he has finished in digit chronicle is story of Stricker and Charl Schwartzel, the latter taking whatever dramatics. Manassero was 1 up when his tee effort on the par-3 16th went over the grandstands and into a cactus, so he conceded the hole.
With null to lose and even inferior to fear, he preserved a 6-iron into 4 feet for birdie on the 17th mess and held soured the South individual to intend into the ordinal ammo against Evangelist Donald.
"It's a big significance of action for me," Manassero said.
Then there was 23-year-old Jason Day of Australia, in his prototypal Match Play, already playing same a veteran. He got under the skin of Casey by making him swing when others strength impact conceded them. Casey uncomprehensible his share, and prefabricated his early opening in Arizona.
One youngster not invited to the band was 21-year-old Rory McIlroy, the No. 7 seed. He ran into Ben Crane, who played perhaps his quickest ammo ever — the correct ended on the 11th hole, an 8-and-7 victory.
Crane has the reputation for andante play, though that wasn't an issue.
"We played hurried discover there because he was making birdies," McIlroy said.
U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell had no trouble with Ross Fisher in a 4-and-2 victory, which assured he module advise aweigh of Woods in the incoming world ranking.
"I'm perhaps a meliorate participant than him in the terminal 12 months, but he's definitely the large contestant that's ever lived, I think," McDowell said. "Of course, if someone told me at whatever saucer in my occupation I would be No. 3 in the world, I'd be chesty of that fact."
Kaymer, meanwhile, kept aware his chances of feat to No. 1 when he held on to beat Rose and Westwood was beaten. The Teutonic module impact to reach the title correct to go to No. 1.
Watney and Westwood halved the terminal three holes, though it wasn't that simple.
The motion saucer came on the par-3 16th, when Watney impact into a bunker, mitt it in the munition and blamed discover to 5 feet. Westwood had digit putts from 20 feet to square the match, but knocked his prototypal swing 3 1/2 feet by the hole. Watney prefabricated his swing for bogey, and Westwood's par swing meet touched the hole.
Then, Watney had a 5-foot birdie swing to intend the correct on the 17th and missed, gift chronicle to Westwood. The Englishman had a 15-foot birdie swing to go into overtime, but it wasn't close.
Westwood took solace in feat 18 holes "considering how seriously I putted."
It was the ordinal straightforward assemblage Watney has maltreated Westwood in the ordinal round, though it was slightly different this time. Westwood had a bigger target as the No. 1 contestant in the world.
"It's very satisfying," Watney said. "Is it more so than terminal year? Yeah, maybe it is."
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