Thursday, February 23, 2012

WORLD MATCH-PLAY SECOND-ROUND: WHO PLAYS WHOM

FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE

Times given are local Arizona time
Match Time (ET) Player Player Bracket
33 9:25 a.m. 2. Steve Stricker vs 7. Louis Oosthuizen Hogan
Match Play records: Stricker 11-8, Oosthuizen 1-2
Wednesday marked the first time Oosthuizen had got past the first round in three starts at the Accenture Match Play Championship. He faces an experienced -- and confident -- player in Stricker, who won the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Oosthuizen, though, also has a 2012 win under his belt at the Joberg Open.
34 9:37 a.m. 14. Y.E. Yang vs 6. Hunter Mahan Hogan
Match Play records: Yang 5-3, Mahan 5-4
The opportunistic Yang never trailed in beating Graeme McDowell in Wednesday's duel of former major champions. Mahan, on the other hand, was 2 down through 5 holes but eventually forced sudden death with Zach Johnson, winning the 17th to square the match. Both had good runs at Dove Mountain a year ago, Yang taking it to the quarterfinals while Mahan lasted three rounds.
35 9:49 a.m. 15. Matteo Manassero vs 10. Martin Laird Snead
Match Play records: Manassero 3-1, Laird 1-1
The 18-year-old from Italy has proven something of a giant-killer in his two appearances at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, beating Steve Stricker and Charl Schwartzel a year ago and taking down world No. 6 Webb Simpson, who finished second in the FedExCup in 2011, on Wednesday. Laird, meanwhile, won a close one with Alvaro Quiros with neither player leading more than 1 up and the Scotsman winning with a 3-footer on the 18th hole.
36 10:01 a.m. 14. Ryo Ishikawa vs 11. Paul Lawrie Snead
Match Play records: Ryo Ishikawa 3-2, Lawrie 5-4
Ishikawa had to gain confidence from the way he beat Bill Haas, the reigning FedExCup champion who won the Northern Trust Open in a playoff Sunday. Haas was 3 up at the 13th hole Wednesday but Ishikawa won four of the next five with three birdies and a par. Lawrie hasn't played in the Accenture Match Play Championship since 2003 but the Scotsman, who won in Qatar earlier this month, wasted little time getting his sea legs in a hard-fought battle with Justin Rose.
37 10:13 a.m. 15. Robert Rock vs 10. Mark Wilson Jones
Match Play records: Rock 1-1, Wilson 2-1
Rock made a name for himself playing with Tiger Woods in the final round and winning at Abu Dhabi. He has to be pleased with the way he won his opener on Wednesday, too, getting his first lead against Adam Scott with consecutive birdies at Nos. 15 and 16 on the way to victory. But Wilson, who won the Humana Challenge earlier this year, was 6 under through 16 holes in his bogey-free match so he'll take to the first tee with confidence.
38 10:25 a.m. 3. Dustin Johnson vs 11. Francesco Molinari Jones
Match Play records: Johnson 1-3, Molinari 1-2
Each of the two picked up their first career wins at the Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday. The big-hitting Johnson ended three years of futility when he rallied on the back nine to beat Jim Furyk with a par on the 20th hole. Molinari also needed extra holes against a veteran, beating Thomas Bjorn on the 20th hole when he holed a wedge for eagle from 79 feet.
39 10:37 a.m. 2. Jason Day vs 10. John Senden Player
Match Play records: Day 3-1, Senden 1-1
Day should have the momentum after winning his last three holes against Rafael Cabrera-Bello to force sudden death and taking the victory with a 4-footer for birdie at the 19th hole. The other Aussie is extremely steady tee-to-green, though, and he ranks third in scoring average on TOUR right now.
40 10:49 a.m. 3. Charl Schwartzel vs 11. Sang-moon Bae Player
Match Play records: Schwartzel 5-3, Bae 1-0
This is classic David vs. Goliath. Schwartzel is the defending Masters champ while Bae is a PGA TOUR rookie. That said, Bae proved himself on Wednesday as he never trailed in taking down the 2010 Accenture Match Play champion Ian Poulter. Schwartzel, though, had a similarly lopsided match against Gary Woodland.
41 11:01 a.m. 1. Martin Kaymer vs 8. David Toms Hogan
Match Play records: Kaymer 8-4, Toms 24-9
Will this be a birdie fest? These two combined for 13 birdies in their first-round wins. Kaymer has won six of his last seven matches at the Ritz-Carlton course, but the German knows who the crowd favorite will be in his match. "I won't have a lot of friends here tomorrow," he said after Wednesday's first-round win. "But we'll be fine."
42 11:13 a.m. 4. Matt Kuchar vs 5. Bubba Watson Hogan
Match Play records: Kuchar 7-2, Watson 5-2
Both players lost in the semi-finals last year, so it's a rematch of their consolation final, when Kuchar beat Watson 2 and 1. The big-hitting Watson was very pleased with his ball striking in the first round. "Bubba is a fantastic player and if he's on, he's going to be tough to beat," Kuchar said. "... I'm just going to plug along. I have got a steady game plan to try and hit fairways and greens."
43 11:25 a.m. 1. Lee Westwood vs 8. Robert Karlsson Snead
Match Play records: Westwood 8-11, Karlsson 3-6
It's the moment of Match Play truth for Westwood. Will he finally get past the second round in this event? He's never done so in 11 previous appearances, surprising for one of the world's best players. If Karlsson plays like he did in the first round, Westwood may not have much say in the matter. The Swede hit every green in regulation, the only player to do that Wednesday.
44 11:37 a.m. 4. Nick Watney vs 5. Tiger Woods Snead
Match Play records: Watney 5-2, Woods 33-8
Woods said he was having a tough time judging distances, something he will need to correct against his fellow American. Woods, a three-time winner of this event, obviously has a better track record, but Watney has more wins on this particular course (five to Tiger's two since 2009). Does that mean anything? Maybe not, but Watney must feel comfortable here.
45 11:49 a.m. 16. Ernie Els vs 9. Peter Hanson Jones
Match Play records: Els 11-11, Hanson 3-4
The Big Easy pulled off the biggest upset on Wednesday, knocking off defending champ Luke Donald. Now he'll go against Hanson, who is in the second round for just the second time in five Match Play starts. Both players were solid in the first round, but if Els can avoid the kind of putter issues that have plagued him recently, he'll be a tough out.
46 12:01 p.m. 13. Kyle Stanley vs 5. Brandt Snedeker Jones
Match Play records: Stanley 1-0, Snedeker 1-1
Ah, the drama these two cooked up at Torrey Pines, with Snedeker winning in a playoff against Stanley, who blew a three-shot lead on the 72nd hole. Of course, Stanley bounced back quickly the next week, winning at TPC Scottsdale. Obviously, the Arizona desert is his friend. While the Torrey Pines storyline is intriguing, it may not have much bearing on Thursday's match.
47 12:13 p.m. 1. Rory McIlroy vs 9. Anders Hansen Player
Match Play records: McIlroy 6-3, Hansen 2-5
McIlroy has been stopped the last two years in the second round, losing to Oliver Wilson in 2010 and Ben Crane last year. Can he avoid another Thursday takedown? He was shaky at the end in his first-round win, while Hansen finished up strong. With Luke Donald out of the equation, McIlroy could rise to world No. 1 by the end of the week.
48 12:25 p.m. 13. Miguel Angel Jimenez vs 5. Keegan Bradley Player
Match Play records: Jimenez 10-10, Bradley 1-0
Bradley's confidence is soaring right now. He had six birdies and an eagle on a bogey-free Wednesday, and that comes off a dramatic effort at Riviera. And his game and demeanor just seems primed for match play success. Jimenez hasn't fared all that well in this event, although he did reach the quarter-finals last year.

FOR A RECAP ON HOW THE FIRST-ROUND MATCHES WENT

CLICK HERE

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