David Law loses in first round at Andalucia match-play

Top qualifier Charlie Ford is still motoring


 EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Top seed Charlie Ford carried on his hot streak in the Spanish sun, winning both his matches to progress to the quarter-finals of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9.

The Englishman cruised into the weekend after opening rounds of 63 and 67 took him to the top of the leaderboard, but with the top 32 players making it to the match-play stage of the innovative event, it was back to square one for Ford.

First out this morning against fellow countryman Sam Hutsby, the 32 year old had to muster something special to prevent an early exit.

After being all square after eight holes, it was all to play for in the nine-hole contest, with Ford making an eagle at the last to finish  one up against Hutsby.

Ford, who became a European Challenge Tour champion after triumphing at the Turkish Airlines Challenge in 2011, found the going easier in his last 16 tie against Ireland’s Ruaidhri McGee – which he won 2 and 1.
McGee had won his opening match with two late birdies for a one hole win over Aberdeen's David Law.
Law was one up after five holes but McGee birdied the sixth and the ninth to win the nine-hole match by one hole.

Now with work to do again in the final day of match play on the Spanish coast, Ford is determined not to be complacent despite his match-winning form.

“I felt very good coming into today as the top seed,” he said. “But when you are starting afresh each day you try not to get carried away as you know it’s a clean slate the following day.

“I know Sam really well from amateur and junior golf and we had an unbelievable match. I always felt pretty confident in myself with how I’m playing, so it was good to get through that and back it up with another good performance this afternoon.

“With Sam it was a really up and down match. I started with an eagle and finished with an eagle, and we traded birdies quite a lot all the way round.

“It really could have gone either way on the last. I hit a four iron to about five feet, and after holing that I was extremely relieved to get in with a win this morning.

“This afternoon with Ruaidhri we had a good game – I managed to get my nose in front early and didn’t make many mistakes after that.

“It has been ages since I’ve had to play competitive match play – but I’ve really enjoyed it so far this weekend. It’s over so quickly and everyone here is so good that you can’t give any holes away.”

Joining Ford in the last eight are his fellow countrymen Aaron Rai, Tom Murray and Matthew Baldwin plus Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, Finland’s Oliver Lindell, France’s Robin Sciot-Siegrist and Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan, who prevailed after an epic last 16 encounter with home favourite Pablo Martin Benavides.

The pair could not be separated after nine holes, and after three further play-off holes, Moynihan and Benavides faced off on the par four fourth.

Moynihan, who became the youngest Irish Amateur champion in history when he won as a 17 year old in 2012, hit a stunning second shot to within one foot which he confidently tapped in to guarantee his place in the Sunday fixtures.  

“It was an incredible match,” said Moynihan, who represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 2013 and 2015. “I found myself one down after one as Pablo hit an incredible driver off the deck to birdie the first.

“We were trading blows right throughout and we both holed some amazing putts – I holed a great 20-footer on the sixth and then he holed a 45-footer on the next.

“I missed a putt to win on the ninth and I was slightly mad after that but I just re-grouped ahead of the play-off.

“It was really close until the fourth when I hit a wedge to about six or seven inches. I was just really delighted to get the win.

“Since Thursday I have been striking the ball as well as I ever have. I won recently on the EuroPro Tour, and I feel as though I have been playing really well since February. Hopefully I’ll be up there again tomorrow." 
 

Match play scores from Day Three: 

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Match Play Bracket after Day Three.pdf

 

FIRST ROUND RESULTS

Paul HOWARD  bt Robin SCIOT-SIEGRIST  2 and 1  
Julian KUNZENBACHER  bt Aaron RAI  2 and 1  
Oliver LINDELL  lost to Ben ECCLES  1 hole.   
Joel GIRRBACH  bt Tom MURRAY 3 and 2.   

Pablo MARTIN  bt Gavin MOYNIHAN 1 hole  
Rasmus HJELM  bt Marcus KINHULT  2 and 1  
Matthew BALDWIN  lost to Victor PEREZ  2 holes  
Charlie FORD  lost to Ruaidhri McGEE 2 and 1

 Robin SCIOT-SIEGRIST  lost to Clément SORDET    2 and 1.
 Paul HOWARD  lost to Toby TREE  1 hole. 
 Jaakko MAKITALO  bt Aaron RAI  1 hole
 Julian KUNZENBACHER  lost to Billy HEMSTOCK   3 and 2. 

 Ben ECCLES  lost to Mark TULLO  1 hole.   
 Jordan ZUNIC  bt Oliver LINDELL  2 and 1.  
 Tom MURRAY  lost to  Ryan McCARTHY  1 hole 
 Julien BRUN  bt Joel GIRRBACH 1 hole. 

 Gavin MOYNIHAN  lost to Scott FERNANDEZ  3 and 1.
 Maarten LAFEBER  bt Pablo MARTIN BENAVIDES   3 and 2.
 Kalle SAMOOJA  bt Marcus KINHULT   2 holes
 Victor RIU  bt Rasmus HJELM  1 hole. 

 Carlos DEL MORAL  bt  Victor PEREZ 1 hole  
 Manuel TRAPPEL  bt Matthew BALDWIN  1 hole. 
 David LAW  lost to Ruaidhri McGEE   1 hole.
 Charlie FORD  bt Sam HUTSBY 1 hole.