DD44BDA22: February 2014

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Day, Fowler, Els and Dubuisson into last four

February 23, 2014 2:13 AM

Feb 21, 2014; Marana, AZ, USA; Ernie Els putts on the fourth green during the third round of the World …

(Reuters) - Jason Day and Ernie Els advanced with relative ease while American Rickie Fowler and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson had to fight hard to reach the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship semi-finals in Marana, Arizona on Saturday.

Australian Day beat ailing South African Louis Oosthuizen2&1 to become the first player to make the last four at Dove Mountain while veteran Els progressed with a 4&2 win over an out-of-sorts Jordan Spieth in a match where he never trailed.

Fowler booked his place with a see-sawing, one-up victory over fellow American Jim Furyk, who came from three down after 12 holes to go one up through 16 before running out of steam, and Dubuisson edged Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell one up.

"Jim started to come on pretty hard there, I just had to stay patient," Fowler, the 53rd seed in a starting field of 64, told CBS Sports. "I forced him to make some birdies. I knew it was going to be tough for him to keep on doing that.

"I just made some good swings coming in. Obviously it's nice to get a win, no matter how it happens."

Day, beaten by eventual champion Matt Kuchar of the United States in last year's semi-finals, will next face fellow 25-year-old Fowler in a battle of 'young guns' while the 23-year-old Dubuisson will take on South African Els, aged 44.

Dubuisson, who had never previously played matchplay golf until his debut this week in a World Golf Championships (WGC) event, rallied from two down after three holes against McDowell with five birdies over the next 12 to wrest control.

"I played well today," said world number 30 Dubuisson, who burst into the limelight by winning his maiden European Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Open in November where Tiger Woods and U.S. Open champion Justin Rose were in the field.

"I knew Graeme was going to be a tough player to beat. I didn't watch him too much. I tried to just focus on my game and I try to make birdies."

McDowell, who had delivered Houdini-like escapes to win his first three matches, faced a 25-foot birdie putt at the 18th to force extra holes but his attempt slid past the left edge of the cup allowing the Frenchman to advance.

Day had trailed by one after Oosthuizen made a fast start with birdies at the second and third but then upped his game to take charge as his opponent had periodic back treatment from his physiotherapist out on the course.

"We both played well today ... it didn't seem like Louis had a sore back because the way he played was pretty good," Day said after finishing birdie-birdie-par-par.

"We both fought hard until the finish. Hopefully I can do a little better this year and press for that (Match Play title) win."

RED-HOT PUTTER

Fowler, wielding a red-hot putter, birdied three of the first four holes to go three up on Furyk before his opponent briefly cut the deficit to one by winning the sixth and seventh holes.

Birdies at the ninth and 11th got Fowler back to three up but Furyk again rallied, levelling the match with three consecutive birdies from the par-five 13th.

PGA Tour veteran Furyk briefly went one up with a par at the short 16th, where Fowler bogeyed, but then stumbled when he bogeyed the par-four 17th after being bunkered off the tee for the match to reach the 18th all square.

After Fowler had comfortably reached the green in two, Furyk duffed his chip from just short of the putting surface on the way to another bogey as his opponent wrapped up victory with a two-putt par.

Former world number one Els, bidding to become the oldest Match Play champion, produced his best golf of the week as he went one up at the second and never relinquished control to reach the semi-finals for the first time in 13 years.

"I played relatively solid golf," said Els, who won the first of his two U.S. Open titles in 1994 when Spieth was just 10 months old. "I had a pretty nice start, I made a couple of birdies early. I felt like I played OK.

"I got it up and down when I needed to. I am fortunate to go through. Jordan was a bit off."

The semi-finals will be played on Sunday morning with the 18-hole final scheduled to take place later in the day.

Day outlasts Dubuisson, wins thrilling Match Pla

February 23, 2014 8:34 PM

Feb 23, 2014; Marana, AZ, USA; Jason Day poses with the Walter Hagen Trophy after winning the final round …

(Reuters) - Jason Day fended off a stunning fightback by Frenchman Victor Dubuisson to clinch the biggest title of his career with a one-up victory after 23 holes in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship final in Marana, Arizona on Sunday.

A commanding three up lead after 12 holes on an afternoon of light breezes at Dove Mountain, Australian Day was caught by the Frenchman, who recorded clutch birdies at the 13th and 17th, followed by an amazing par from a greenside bunker at the 18th.

Dubuisson then conjured two miraculous up-and-downs from desert scrub at the 19th and 20th holes to keep the match alive before Day sealed the win by sinking a four-footer for birdie at the 23rd, the driveable par-four 15th.

The Frenchman, who had missed the green to the right off the tee, hit a high lob wedge 20 feet past the cup and missed the birdie putt coming back before the Australian made his to secure the title.

"I've never wanted something so bad in my life," an emotional Day, 26, told CBS Sports after clinching the winner's check for $1.53 million.

"Obviously I didn't want it to go this long but Victor, he has a lot of guts and he has got a great short game. He got it straight out of a cactus twice.

"The biggest thing was just how much do I want it, how much do I want to win? I kept saying that to myself last night, kept visualizing myself with the trophy. I am just glad that I could finish it off, but it was a close one."

It was Day's second triumph on the PGA Tour, following the 2010 Byron Nelson Championship, and his first success in one of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) events which bring together the game's leading players.

Dubuisson, who had never previously played matchplay golf until his WGC debut this week, appeared to be on the way to a heavy defeat after he recorded five bogeys in the first seven holes to reach the turn three down.

However, the 23-year-old Frenchman raised his game on the back nine and trimmed the deficit to two with a birdie at the par-five 13th where he was just off the edge of the green in two shots.

Both players parred the short 16th before Dubuisson won the par-four 17th with a magical birdie to trail by just one.

STUNNING APPROACH

The Frenchman, who booked his place in the final with a one-up victory over veteran South African Ernie Els earlier on Sunday, had ended up in a fairway bunker off the 17th tee, but struck a stunning approach to 12 feet above the hole.

Day, in the right rough off the tee, hit his second shot to 20 feet and narrowly missed his birdie attempt before watching steely-eyed as Dubuisson coolly sank his putt for a three.

The Frenchman's late bid for the title looked decidedly shaky at the par-four 18th when he pulled his approach well left into a greenside bunker.

Day, who beat American Rickie Fowler 3&2 in his Sunday semi-final, was on the back fringe of the two-tiered green in two, 70 feet above the hole, from where he ran a very slick first putt 10 feet past the cup.

Dubuisson conjured a miraculous shot from the sand for his ball to end up five feet away and the Australian, with the title on the line, left his par putt inches short of the cup.

Ice-cool, the Frenchman knocked in his par putt to level the match and force extra holes.

ASTONISHING MOMENTS

Two astonishing moments were produced by Dubuisson before Day finally clinched the title.

At the 19th, the par-four first, the Frenchman ended up in desert scrub over the back right of the green with his approach.

Day then struck a wedge into the left greenside bunker before Dubuisson, using soft hands, somehow hit his third shot from behind a cactus, through sand, rocks and a television cable strung in front of him, to four feet.

After the Australian had splashed out to six feet, he sank the par putt before Dubuisson followed suit to remain all square.

One hole later, at the par-four ninth, the Frenchman missed the green badly to the left with his approach, his ball ending up in a bush from where he amazingly hit his third to seven feet, prompting a wry smile from Day.

The Australian was on the back fringe in two from where he cozied his approach putt to within two feet of the cup. Dubuisson, non-plussed, duly sank his par putt to keep the match alive.

"I know he was the (world's) number one amateur back in 2009," said Day about the gutsy Frenchman. "He has got a lot of game and you're going to see a lot of him for years to come."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry Fine)

Sweden's Anna Nordqvist wins LPGA Thailand

February 23, 2014 2:39 PM

CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — Anna Nordqvist won the LPGA Thailand on Sunday to end a five-year victory drought, holding off top-ranked Inbee Park at Siam County Club.

Nordqvist, the LPGA Championship and LPGA Tour Championship winner in 2009, led wire-to-wire. The 26-year-old Swede closed with a 4-under 68 to beat defending champion Park by two strokes.

"I'm speechless to be honest," Nordqvist said. "It's been a couple years since I won. I've been working very hard. Had my ups and downs. Just couldn't be happier to be here. It was such a hard push on the back nine."

Nordqvist finished at 15-under 273 on the Pattaya Old Course. Park, making her first start of the year, had a bogey-free 66. The South Korean player won six times last year.

"I feel good," Park said. "Today, my ball-striking wasn't as good as yesterday. I putted better than yesterday. So I feel like my putter is coming back. I played one shot better than last year and didn't win. Still a very good result. Tells me I improved a little."

Scotland's Catriona Matthew was third at 11 under after a 65, and Michelle Wie was 10 under after a 69.

"Inbee kept making birdies and Michelle was playing great," said Nordqvist, four strokes ahead of Park and Wie entering the round. "I couldn't really breathe until the last putt, so obviously I could just let go on the last putt."

Wie cut the lead to one with a three-stroke swing on the par-4 fifth hole. Nordqvist had a double bogey on the hole and Wie made a birdie.

Nordqvist rebounded with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 7 to extend her lead two shots. She birdied five of the first seven holes on the back nine to open a three-stroke lead and closed with a bogey on the par-5 18th.

"I just really had to stay strong," Nordqvist said.

Projected to jump to 14th in the world ranking, Nordqvist changed equipment and started working with instructor Jorje Parada during the offseason after considering leaving the tour.

"I surround myself with great people and friends and family," Nordqvist said. "I have a great coach that really inspired me the last couple months, couple weeks, just to believe in myself and keep going no matter what. It was a grind this offseason, but sitting here with the trophy it was well worth it."

Yani Tseng, the winner in 2011 and 2012, had a 66 to tie for fifth at 9 under with Stacy Lewis (66), Lexi Thompson (68), Gerina Piller (66) and Julieta Granada (69). Lewis has 13 straight top-10 finishes, three off the LPGA Tour record set by Karrie Webb in 2000.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Ailing Oosthuizen goes out in last eight at Dove Mountain

(Reuters) - South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen had been one of the standout players at this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship but was ousted in the quarter-finals on Saturday after struggling with an ailing back.

Oosthuizen, who was sidelined for almost three months last year with a lingering neck and back injury, lost 2&1 to Australian Jason Day after receiving periodic treatment from his physiotherapist out on the course.

"I was a bit disappointed to start this morning on the range not feeling too good," former British Open champion Oosthuizen told reporters. "It got better the last four or five holes and I felt a lot better.

"It's just a bit painful that it always happens when I'm playing well. I need to address it big time now and get it sorted."

Oosthuizen, who clinched his only major title with a commanding seven-stroke victory at the 2010 British Open, had upset top-seeded Swede Henrik Stenson 4&3 in the second round before crushing American Webb Simpson 5&4 on Friday.

"I felt I played really well (today) but you can't give away holes to a guy like Jason, you're not going to get them back," said the 31-year-old South African. "I had a tough start and it was really tough to get back. He played really well."

Asked how much back pain he had suffered during his quarter-final match, Oosthuizen replied: "The walking was quite affecting it today. If I can commit myself to hit the shot it's not that bad, but I can't commit.

"My body is restricting me to go through the shot. So I just hit a few iron shots that I really stuck down and committed, and hit great shots - the third shot on 11 and things like that.

"It's irritating to play something like that in the back of your head. But I'm not making any excuses. Jason played really well."

Oosthuizen, who won his seventh European Tour title at the Volvo Golf Champions in his native South Africa in January, endured a frustrating 2013 campaign because of his persistent back and neck problems.

He had to withdraw after three rounds of the Byron Nelson Championship in May, pulled out of the U.S. Open the following month after opening with a 75 and lasted just six holes at the British Open in July before calling it quits.

Oosthuizen only returned to competitive golf at the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in late September after being sidelined with injury since July.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Day, Fowler, Els and Dubuisson into last four

Related Stories

Day outlasts Dubuisson, wins thrilling Match Pla

Related Stories

Sweden's Anna Nordqvist wins LPGA Thailand

Related Stories

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Ailing Oosthuizen goes out in last eight at Dove Mountain

Related Stories