McIlroy, Woods sent packing at Match Play
Source: Agencies |
February 23, 2013, Saturday
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RORY McIlroy and Tiger Woods were both eliminated from the Match Play Championship in Marana, Arizona, on Thursday - the first time in 11 years the top two seeds were knocked out on the first day.
Ireland's Shane Lowry made a 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole to eliminate McIlroy 1-up, making it three years out of four that the top seed went home after day one.
"It's definitely a day I'm going to remember," said Lowry, the third player in the last four years to beat the No. 1 seed in the opening round.
Moments later, Charles Howell III beat American compatriot and second seed Woods on the 17th hole. Howell nearly holed a wedge for birdie on the 16th and made a 25-foot birdie on the 17th to seize control, winning the match 2&1.
"I had nothing to lose," said Howell, who started the year outside the top 100 in the world and hasn't qualified for this World Golf Championship in five years. "In this format, match play is crazy. He's Tiger Woods. I was lucky to hang in there."
The final matches were played in near darkness, and they could have stopped after 15 holes. Three-time winner Woods wanted to play on, even though Howell had the momentum. Woods was 2 under for the day, and neither of them made a bogey.
"We both played well," Woods said. "He made a couple of more birdies than I did. He played well, and he's advancing."
McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, built a 2-up lead early in the match until Lowry rallied and grabbed the moment by chipping in for birdie on the par-3 12th and then ripping a fairway metal to within a few feet for a conceded eagle on the 13th.
Lowry missed a short par putt on the 14th, only for McIlroy to give away the next hole with a tee shot into the desert and a bunker shot that flew over the 15th green and into a cactus. But the two-time major champion hung tough, coming up with a clutch birdie on the 16th to stay in the game.
McIlroy nearly holed his bunker on the 18th, and Lowry followed with a steady shot out to 4 feet and calmly sank the putt.
No. 3 Luke Donald nearly joined them except for a clutch performance. He holed a 10-foot birdie putt to halve the 17th hole and stay tied with Marcel Siem of Germany. The Briton then birdied the 18th to win.
South African Louis Oosthuizen, the No. 4 seed, beat Richie Ramsay of Scotland 2&1.
Ireland's Shane Lowry made a 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole to eliminate McIlroy 1-up, making it three years out of four that the top seed went home after day one.
"It's definitely a day I'm going to remember," said Lowry, the third player in the last four years to beat the No. 1 seed in the opening round.
Moments later, Charles Howell III beat American compatriot and second seed Woods on the 17th hole. Howell nearly holed a wedge for birdie on the 16th and made a 25-foot birdie on the 17th to seize control, winning the match 2&1.
"I had nothing to lose," said Howell, who started the year outside the top 100 in the world and hasn't qualified for this World Golf Championship in five years. "In this format, match play is crazy. He's Tiger Woods. I was lucky to hang in there."
The final matches were played in near darkness, and they could have stopped after 15 holes. Three-time winner Woods wanted to play on, even though Howell had the momentum. Woods was 2 under for the day, and neither of them made a bogey.
"We both played well," Woods said. "He made a couple of more birdies than I did. He played well, and he's advancing."
McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, built a 2-up lead early in the match until Lowry rallied and grabbed the moment by chipping in for birdie on the par-3 12th and then ripping a fairway metal to within a few feet for a conceded eagle on the 13th.
Lowry missed a short par putt on the 14th, only for McIlroy to give away the next hole with a tee shot into the desert and a bunker shot that flew over the 15th green and into a cactus. But the two-time major champion hung tough, coming up with a clutch birdie on the 16th to stay in the game.
McIlroy nearly holed his bunker on the 18th, and Lowry followed with a steady shot out to 4 feet and calmly sank the putt.
No. 3 Luke Donald nearly joined them except for a clutch performance. He holed a 10-foot birdie putt to halve the 17th hole and stay tied with Marcel Siem of Germany. The Briton then birdied the 18th to win.
South African Louis Oosthuizen, the No. 4 seed, beat Richie Ramsay of Scotland 2&1.
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