JAMIESON MAKES PROGRESS BUT GALLACHER TAKES THE COUNT

EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE

Defending champion Nicolas Colsaerts is hoping for some Volvo World Match Play Championship déjà vu after sneaking into the knock-out stages in the same fashion as he did 12 months ago, when he proceeded to dominate the weekend action and defeat Graeme McDowell in the final.

Colsaerts, or ‘the Dude’ to his friends, was beaten by Branden Grace on Thursday but won his second group match on Friday morning against Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat. 

The Belgian then waited for the result of the match between Grace and Aphibarnrat to see if he would need to go into a play-off to book a place in the quarter-finals. A halved match meant Grace won the group, with Colsaerts joining him in the last 16.

Colsaerts and McDowell could meet in this year’s quarter final if they win their respective matches against Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Bo Van Pelt on Saturday morning. 

“I played a little better today,” said Colsaerts. “I kept the ball in play a bit more than yesterday, which was the plan so it is mission accomplished.

“Hopefully I can have a little bit of déjà vu this year and repeat what I did last year when I won this tournament. I kind of sneaked through the group stages last year and then just got better as the tournament progressed, so that would be pretty cool if I can repeat that, but there is a long way to go.”

After Ian Poulter’s shock exit following defeats to Thongchai Jaidee and Thomas Aiken, McDowell is now the favourite to take home the title, and the Northern Irishman is feeling good about his chances at the stunning Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort.

“These group stages can be kind of a banana skins and you have to knuckle down and get through and get into the real stuff this weekend,” said McDowell, a 2 and 1 winner over Stephen Gallacher. 

“This course really suits my ball shape; it suits the fade and suits my ball flight so it is my kind of golf course. Hopefully I can keep doing what I'm doing and give myself a chance this weekend.”

McDowell’s great friend Shane Lowry produced one of the most exciting moments of the championship thus far by winning a three way play-off over Peter Hanson and George Coetzee at the second extra hole after the three had tied the group with one win apiece.

After three pars at the first extra hole, Lowry produced a stunning five iron approach to seven feet at the par three second to set up a wining birdie, while Hanson’s par was good enough to knock-out Coetzee after the South African made bogey.

DAY TWO RESULTS

Brett RUMFORD bt Jamie DONALDSON 5 and 3.
Scott JAMIESON bt Carl PETTERSSON 1 hole.
Francesco MOLINARI bt Felipe AGUILAR 4 and 3.
Nicolas COLSAERTS bt Kiradech APHIBARNRAT 3 and 2.
Richard STERNE bt Geoff OGILVY 5 and 4.
George COETZEE bt Shane LOWRY 3 and 2.
Thongchai JAIDEE bt Thomas AIKEN 1 hole.
Chris WOOD bt Stephen GALLACHER 2 and 1.
Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO bt Brett RUMFORD 3 and 2.
JAMIESON bt Thorbjorn OLESEN 5 and 3.
AGUILAR bt Henrik STENSON 3 and 1.

Branden GRACE halved with APHIBARNRAT

Bo VAN PELT halved with OGILVY.

LOWRY bt Peter HANSON 5 and 4.

AIKEN bt Ian POULTER 1 hole.

Graeme McDOWELL bt GALLACHER 4 and 2.

 

Quarter-final matches to be played on Saturday:

Branden GRACE v Brett RUMFORD

Richard STERNE v Chris WOOD

Francesco MOLINARI v Carl PETTERSSON

Shane LOWRY v Thomas AIKEN

Scott JAMIESON v Felipe AGUILAR

Thongchai JAIDEE v Peter HANSON

Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO v Nicolas COLSAERTS

Graeme McDOWELL v Bo VAN PELT

 

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