JAMIESON OUT, McDOWELL AVENGES 2012 DEFEAT BY COLSAERTS

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Graeme McDowell went some way to avenging his Volvo World Match Play Championship final defeat bu Nicolas Colsaerts of 12 months ago by despatching the Belgian in the quarter-finals at this year's championship at the Thracian Cliffs and Beach Resort in Bulgaria.

The Northern Irishman, pictured, who was also beaten by Colsaerts in the same event in 2011, vanquished his Ryder Cup team mate on the 17^th hole to record a 2 and 1 victory and book a semi-final date with South African Branden Grace, who defeated Englishman Chris Wood by the same score.

McDowell’s match with Colsaerts was a classic match play affair with the Ulsterman going one down after three holes but fighting back brilliantly to establish a three-hole lead at the turn.

Colsaerts then produced one of the tournament’s lighter moments on the tenth hole as he pulled his drive left of the green into a lateral hazard. His ball entered the hazard by flying over an on-course toilet, meaning the Belgian had to go through the process of literally dropping his ball on the toilet floor in order to adhere to the rules of golf.

From there, Colsaerts was given ‘relief’ from the immovable obstruction, allowing him to drop his ball outside the hazard, from which point he made a sublime up and down for the unlikeliest of par fours. 

“It certainly gave a new meaning to the phrase ‘nearest point of relief,” laughed McDowell after the match. “Nicolas actually made an unbelievable up and down there and then he started to come back at me strong.

“It was classic match play where I was the guy in the lead and went a little tentative while he had nothing to lose and could afford to be aggressive. But I got the job done and I suppose there was a little element of revenge in there after him beating me twice in the last two years in this tournament.” 

McDowell would love to add his name to the Volvo World Match Play trophy.

“It's a trophy with so many legendary names on it,” he said. “I think back to the golden years around Wentworth, watching a lot of my heroes winning this great, great tournament, and I'd dearly love to add my name to that list.” 

The other semi-final match will see Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, conqueror of Scott Jamieson by 4 and 3, go head-to-head with South African Thomas Aiken after their respective semi-final wins over Peter Hanson and Shane Lowry.

 

Volvo World Match Play Championship

 Day 3 results:

Branden GRACE	4 and 3	v	Brett RUMFORD
Richard STERNE		v	Chris WOOD	5 and 3
Francesco MOLINARI	6 and 4	v	Carl PETTERSSON
Shane LOWRY		v	Thomas AIKEN	19th hole
Scott JAMIESON	1 hole	v	Felipe AGUILAR
Thongchai JAIDEE	21st hole	v	Peter HANSON
Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO		v	Nicolas COLSAERTS	2 holes
Graeme McDOWELL	1 hole	v	Bo VAN PELT
Branden GRACE	2 and 1	v	Chris WOOD
Francesco MOLINARI		v	Thomas AIKEN	3 and 2
Nicolas COLSAERTS		v	Graeme McDOWELL	2 and 1
Scott JAMIESON		v	Thongchai JAIDEE	4 and 3

 

Semi-Finals to be played on Sunday:

Thomas AIKEN		v	Thongchai JAIDEE
Branden GRACE		v	Graeme McDOWELL

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Wentworth Drive | Virginia Water | Surrey | GU25 4LX | UNITED KINGDOM

Tel :  +44 (0)1344 840400

Email : media@europeantour.com