WORLD MATCH-PLAY QUARTER-FINALS IN ARIZONA
DUBUISSON BEATS McDOWELL TO JOIN
DAY, ELS AND FOWLER IN SEMI-FINALS
LATE NEWS: The remarkable cliff-hanging run of Graeme McDowell ended in the quarter-finals today. He was beaten by one hole by Frenchman Victor Dubuisson.
Sunday's Semi-finals ar: Jason Day (Australia) v Rick Fowler (USA) and Ernie Els (South Africa) v Victor Dubuisson (France.
========FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Australian Jason Day beat an ailing Louis Oosthuizen to move into the semi-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Saturday, as Graeme McDowell enjoyed a unique experience at Dove Mountain.
Oosthuizen received lengthy treatment for a long-standing back injury before play started and needed more out on the course before eventually losing 2 and 1 to Day, who reached the last four for the second year running.
Former Open Champion Oosthuizen looked to be in real trouble from the outset as he carved his opening tee shot into the desert. After attempting to hack clear from a bush, the South African quickly conceded the hole and seemed likely to fall two down after another errant drive on the second.
However, this time Oosthuizen took a penalty drop and then hit a superb third shot with a fairway wood on to the green, holing the putt from 20 feet for an unlikely winning birdie.
Another birdie on the third briefly took Oosthuizen one up, but he made a mess of the fourth with two bad pitches and went behind to a Day birdie on the fifth.
Day won the ninth and 11th to move three up, but Oosthuizen continued to battle hard, winning the 13th and halving the 14th and 15th with birdies, but Day held on to seal victory.
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had played 58 holes to reach the quarter-finals and had remarkably never stood on any tee with the lead, producing miraculous comebacks to edge past Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama and Hunter Mahan.
But the former US Open Champion needed just two holes to finally get his nose in front against Victor Dubuisson, a conceded eagle on the par five second taking him one up and also leaving the Frenchman facing a deficit for the first time this week.
McDowell went further ahead with a birdie on the third, but Dubuisson birdied the fourth and seventh to get back on level terms. They were still all square through 11 and again after 15.
McDowell was heading for another cliff-hanger finish. Could his luck - and his skill - get him through another nail-biter?
The answer is No. Dubuisson went one up after 17 and halved the 18th for a notable one-hole victory that could get him at least a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September.
Elsewhere, Rickie Fowler prevailed in a topsy-turvy encounter with USA compatriot Jim Furyk.
Furyk produced a brilliant turnaround after Fowler went three up on the 11th.
However, Furyk then birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th and won the 16th with a par to move one ahead with two to play.
But in a remarkable twist it was Fowler who won the 17th and 18th with pars to progress to face Day.
Ernie Els gave South Africa a semi-finalist by beating rising American star Jordan Spieth 4 and 2.
Els, conqueror earlier in the week of Scotland's Stephen Gallacher who was two up at one stage, was two up after 12 on Spieth and built on that for a 4 and 2 victory.
Els will play Dubuisson on Sunday for a place in the final.
QUARTER-FINAL resultsDOVE MOUNTAIN, ARIZONA
Jason Day (Australia) bt Louis Oosthuisen (S Africa) 2 and 1.
Ricky Fowler (USA) bt J Furyk (USA) 1 hole Ernie Els (S Africa) bt Jordan Spieth (US) 4 and 2.
Victor Dubuisson (France) bt Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 1 hole.
SUNDAY'S SEMI-FINALS
Day v Fowler
Els v Dubuisson
DAY, ELS AND FOWLER IN SEMI-FINALS
LATE NEWS: The remarkable cliff-hanging run of Graeme McDowell ended in the quarter-finals today. He was beaten by one hole by Frenchman Victor Dubuisson.
Sunday's Semi-finals ar: Jason Day (Australia) v Rick Fowler (USA) and Ernie Els (South Africa) v Victor Dubuisson (France.
========FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Australian Jason Day beat an ailing Louis Oosthuizen to move into the semi-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Saturday, as Graeme McDowell enjoyed a unique experience at Dove Mountain.
Oosthuizen received lengthy treatment for a long-standing back injury before play started and needed more out on the course before eventually losing 2 and 1 to Day, who reached the last four for the second year running.
Former Open Champion Oosthuizen looked to be in real trouble from the outset as he carved his opening tee shot into the desert. After attempting to hack clear from a bush, the South African quickly conceded the hole and seemed likely to fall two down after another errant drive on the second.
However, this time Oosthuizen took a penalty drop and then hit a superb third shot with a fairway wood on to the green, holing the putt from 20 feet for an unlikely winning birdie.
Another birdie on the third briefly took Oosthuizen one up, but he made a mess of the fourth with two bad pitches and went behind to a Day birdie on the fifth.
Day won the ninth and 11th to move three up, but Oosthuizen continued to battle hard, winning the 13th and halving the 14th and 15th with birdies, but Day held on to seal victory.
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had played 58 holes to reach the quarter-finals and had remarkably never stood on any tee with the lead, producing miraculous comebacks to edge past Gary Woodland, Hideki Matsuyama and Hunter Mahan.
But the former US Open Champion needed just two holes to finally get his nose in front against Victor Dubuisson, a conceded eagle on the par five second taking him one up and also leaving the Frenchman facing a deficit for the first time this week.
McDowell went further ahead with a birdie on the third, but Dubuisson birdied the fourth and seventh to get back on level terms. They were still all square through 11 and again after 15.
McDowell was heading for another cliff-hanger finish. Could his luck - and his skill - get him through another nail-biter?
The answer is No. Dubuisson went one up after 17 and halved the 18th for a notable one-hole victory that could get him at least a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September.
Elsewhere, Rickie Fowler prevailed in a topsy-turvy encounter with USA compatriot Jim Furyk.
Furyk produced a brilliant turnaround after Fowler went three up on the 11th.
However, Furyk then birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th and won the 16th with a par to move one ahead with two to play.
But in a remarkable twist it was Fowler who won the 17th and 18th with pars to progress to face Day.
Ernie Els gave South Africa a semi-finalist by beating rising American star Jordan Spieth 4 and 2.
Els, conqueror earlier in the week of Scotland's Stephen Gallacher who was two up at one stage, was two up after 12 on Spieth and built on that for a 4 and 2 victory.
Els will play Dubuisson on Sunday for a place in the final.
QUARTER-FINAL resultsDOVE MOUNTAIN, ARIZONA
Jason Day (Australia) bt Louis Oosthuisen (S Africa) 2 and 1.
Ricky Fowler (USA) bt J Furyk (USA) 1 hole Ernie Els (S Africa) bt Jordan Spieth (US) 4 and 2.
Victor Dubuisson (France) bt Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 1 hole.
SUNDAY'S SEMI-FINALS
Day v Fowler
Els v Dubuisson
Labels: PRO GOLF
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, February 22, 2014
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