Rory McIlroy finds trouble on Thursday at Accenture
RICKIE FOWLER (8) def. PHIL MICKELSON (1), 6 and 5
In his 11 years playing this event, Mickelson has never been beaten as badly as he was Thursday by Fowler, the 22-year-old who seems to be quite at home in this match play format. Mickelson's previous worst loss came in 2005 when he lost to David Toms, 4 and 2. While Fowler was near-flawless -- five birdies and one eagle (and another conceded eagle) to just one bogey -- Mickelson could not make anything happen Thursday. "I played great ... and Phil left a couple of doors open that I took advantage of." Noted Mickelson: "It was just one of those days. Certainly I got outplayed -- that's obvious." Mickelson actually led early, thanks to Fowler's lone bogey at the third. But then the youngster bounced back with birdies at the fourth and fifth, the latter coming when drained a putt from outside 16 feet. Now with the lead, Fowler stayed out of trouble. He went 2 up with a birdie at the par-5 8th when his third shot from 105 yards landed inside three feet. Mickelson then found trouble on the ninth hole when his approach shot landed in the desert next to a rock. His chip shot rolled into the rough on the far side of the green, and his chip back went back across the green into the rough -- hardly the kind of result you'd expect from the one of the game's top short players. After conceding the hole, Mickelson found himself 3 down. "I had a good handle on the match after 9," Fowler said. "That was the turning point there." Fowler won three more holes on the back side, including the par-5 11th with an eagle putt from 20 feet and that conceded eagle at the 13th when he stuck his approach to 2 feet. Both times he used his 4-iron. "I hit 'em both perfect," he said. "Really good golf swings."
Next opponent for Fowler: Matt Kuchar-Bo Van Pelt winner
GRAEME McDOWELL (2) def. ROSS FISHER (10), 4 and 2
Here's how Graeme McDowell greeted his followers on Twitter on Thursday morning: "Rolled out of bed. Coffee on the brew. Looking forward to a great game with the Fish. Have a great day Tweeps." And then McDowell, this year's affable assassin at Dove Mountain, marched his way into the third round by beating Fisher. Granted, finding the "killer instinct you need," McDowell said, was difficult against his good friend. But the world No. 5 persevered despite losing the first hole for the second straight day. That's been the only chink in the armor, though. McDowell birdied the second hole to square the match, then won the third with a par and the fourth with a 13-footer for birdie to go 2 up. Fisher fought back briefly, making birdie on No. 5 and seeing the match draw square when McDowell bogeyed the seventh. But the reigning U.S. Open champ won the eighth with a par and the ninth with a 5-foot birdie putt to take control, leading 2 up at the turn. "The front nine was reasonable quality golf," McDowell said. "The back nine disintegrated to a comedy of errors." Fisher twice cut the lead to 1 up before he began to struggle, conceding the 13th and 15th as McDowell made birdie at No. 14 on the way to the win. McDowell, who brought a 1-4 record into the week, will now play in the third round for the first time in his career. "It gets fun from here on," McDowell said. "... I'll be lying if I said I felt completely in control of my game this week. I've been a little frustrated. I haven't been playing my best. But I'll be feeling better as the days have gone on and hopefully my confidence will continue to grow."
Next opponent for McDowell: Y.E. Yang
Y.E. YANG (11) def. STEWART CINK (14), 4 and 3
According to the seedings, this wasn't an upset. But make no mistake, it was. Not to take anything away from Yang, the 2009 PGA champion, but Cink's record in this tournament is nothing if not stellar. The American was coming off an upset of defending champion Ian Poulter and brought a 22-11 overall record into this match. "I think Stewart hand an off-day today," Yang said, "so I just maintained my conservative play, and it faired quite well." Indeed, Cink's troubles began early when his tee shot at the first hole strayed right into the desert and he ended up conceding the hole. He lost the fifth hole with a double bogey after another errant drive into the native area that necessitated a drop, but he got that back with a birdie at the seventh. Yang then won the eighth hole with a 2-foot birdie putt and went 3 up at the ninth when Cink made bogey. Another Yang birdie at the par-5 11th, this time from 17 feet, coupled with Cink's bogey at the 12th hole gave the Korean a commanding lead at 5 up and it was just a matter of time. Until today, Yang had yet to reach the quarterfinals in two previous appearances at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Next opponent for Yang: Graeme McDowell
MATT KUCHAR (4) def. BO VAN PELT (12), 3 and 2
Kuchar needed 22 holes to reach the second round, so maybe it was only fitting that his match on Thursday ended early. The 1997 U.S. Amateur champ never trailed in this battle with Van Pelt, who was playing in his first Accenture Match Play Championship. The golf was a little scrappy, though. Kuchar made six birdies -- which came in three sets of two at a time -- and three bogeys while Van Pelt had four birdies, four bogeys and a double. The double bogey came at the first hole and gave Kuchar the early advantage. But Van Pelt bounced back with birdies on his next two holes to match Kuchar and even squared the match with a par at No. 4. From there, though, it was all Kuchar, who played on his first Ryder Cup team last year. He won the sixth hole with a par and the eighth and ninth with birdies to reach 3 up at the turn. Van Pelt made one last gasp at the 13th hole where he made a 6-footer but Kuchar's birdie at the 14th got him back to 3 up and the one at No. 15 kept him there. When both players parred the 16th, Kuchar was on to the third round.
Next up for Kuchar: Rickie Fowler
BEN CRANE (10) def. RORY McILROY (2), 8 and 7
Crane handed the Northern Ireland star was one of the worst beatings in Accenture Match Play history. The 8 and 7 result ties for the second-largest margin of victory in this event; only Tiger Woods' 9 and 8 win over Stephen Ames in 2006 was larger. Crane won the first hole thanks to McIlroy's bogey -- he was short of the green with his approach shot and couldn't drain his 8-foot par putt. After the second half was halved with birdies, McIlroy then conceded the third hole when his tee shot at the par-3 hole found the water. From there, Crane started pouring in birdies. He won the fourth hole with a birdie putt of 8 feet, 7 inches; won the sixth with a birdie putt outside 15 feet; won the par-5 eighth when he got up-and-down for birdie; and won the ninth when he rolled in a putt of nearly 34 feet. At the turn, Crane was 5 under on his round and 6 up. Two holes later, at the par-5 11th, McIlroy's tee shot found the native area and he was forced to take a penalty stroke. After failing to get out of trouble, he conceded the hole and the match. It's a shocking result for McIlroy, who just two years ago reached the quarterfinals as a 19-year-old and had high hopes coming into this year. But Crane, making his fourth start in this event, dealt him a harsh lesson Thursday.
Next opponent for Crane: Miguel A. Jimenez
MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ (6) def. RYAN PALMER (14), 4 and 2
By the time Jimenez rolled in his first birdie putt, he was already 4 up and in firm control of the match on the back nine. Palmer simply had little to offer on this day. The American did take the lead with a par at the first hole, but he quickly gave it up, conceding a birdie to Jimenez on the second hole, then making double bogey on the third. Palmer continued to self-destruct with bogeys at the fifth and sixth holes, yet he was still only 2 down at that point. It stayed that way until the 11th when an errant approach shot found that native area and forced Palmer to take a penalty stroke. He conceded that hole, then followed with another bogey at the 12th. Even his first birdie of the day at the 13th netted him only a halve. Jimenez wasn't particularly sharp and his double bogey at the 14th gave Palmer one last flicker of hope. But Palmer's struggles at the par-3 16th and Jimenez' tee shot inside nine feet ended the sloppy match.
Next opponent for Jimenez: Ben Crane
HUNTER MAHAN (5) def. ROBERT KARLSSON (4), 2 up
Karlsson was in control most of this match. In fact, after he and Mahan halved the first two holes, the Swede led from hole Nos. 3-15. But he couldn't deliver the knockout blow. During that stretch while he was leading, Karlsson managed just two birdies against two bogeys. He then blew up, giving away the 16th hole with a bogey when he missed a six-footer to save par, then the 17th hole when he missed a seven-footer to save par. Having received a couple of late gifts, Mahan -- now 1 up going into the 18th hole -- finally sealed the deal on his own, sinking a 24-foot, 2-inch birdie putt. Mahan didn't make a lot of noise, but he did remain bogey-free in the last seven holes, and that was enough to advance to the third round for the first time in four Match Play appearances.
Next opponent for Mahan: Martin Kaymer
MARTIN KAYMER (1) def. JUSTIN ROSE (9), 20 holes
Say hello to the last No. 1 seed remaining. But staying alive wasn't that easy for Kaymer, who needed 20 holes to dispose of the gutsy Rose, who had been battling the flu for several days. The victory -- coupled with Lee Westwood's loss to Nick Watney -- keeps Kaymer's hopes of taking over the No. 1 spot in the world alive. The 25-year-old German can leapfrog Westwood with a win or a second-place finish on Sunday. "It would be nice if it happens this week," Kaymer said. "Hopefully I will get more opportunities in the future. But we will see. I still have three matches to go." Thursday's was a doozie, too. Kaymer never trailed in the match but only once did he own more than a 1-up advantage. An 11-foot eagle putt at the second hole was Kaymer's first win. Rose squared the match with a birdie at the fourth but Kaymer answered two holes later, then went 2 up with a par at the 10th. The Englishman rolled in an 18-footer to win the 11th hole, though, and the two halved the next four holes with two pars and two birdies. Rose squared the match with a 10-foot birdie putt at the drivable par-4 15th and the next five holes were halved before Kaymer got up and down from the greenside bunker at the second, the 20th of the match, for the clinching birdie. "I was playing good golf," Kaynmer said. "I shot 5 under in 20 holes, which was not bad. It would have been tough if I lost it. I played solid golf. But he came back really strong on the back nine. He made a lot of good putts. It was a good fight."
Next opponent for Kaymer: Hunter Mahan
JASON DAY (10) def. PAUL CASEY (2), 4 and 2
Casey has reached the finals the last two years, and was one of the heavy favorites coming in this year. But the 23-year-old Day, making his first Accenture Match Play debut, played near-flawless golf in upsetting the Englishman. For Casey, the loss marks the first time since 2006 that he has not advanced to at least the third round. In terms of match flow, Day produced a string of pars midway through the front nine while Casey stumbled with bogeys at the fourth (when he went bunker-to-bunker) and the seventh (when his approach shot sailed into native area past the green). Now 2 up, Day put the hammer down. His birdie at the eight won the hole, while birdies at the ninth and 11th halved holes. His iron play was excellent during that stretch; in fact, he was on fire the entire round, hitting 14 of 16 greens in regulation. When he rolled in a birdie putt just inside 12 feet at the 14th hole, he was 4 up. He bounced back from a brief stumble at the 15th by winning the 16th when his tee shot landed inside seven feet. In all, Day carded six birdies and never allowed Casey to rebound from his early struggles.
Next opponent for Day: J.B. Holmes
J.B. HOLMES (6) def. ERNIE ELS (3), 1 up
J.B. Holmes didn't arrive in Tucson until late Tuesday night but he's spent the first two rounds of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship making up for lost time. The big-bomber from Kentucky has yet to trail in winning two matches, most recently knocking off the veteran Els. In each of his two matches this week, Holmes has drawn first-blood with a birdie on the par-5 second hole. Thursday's match was a tester, though, as Holmes never led more than 1 up. The two opponents even halved the par-5 11th with eagles after Holmes went 1 up after a tap-in birdie from 13 inches at the previous hole. A Holmes bogey at the 12th hole squared the match but he got the edge he would not relinquish with a par on the 16th hole. "It was close all day," Holmes said. "Towards the end we both left a few putts out there. But overall it felt like it was a pretty well-played match. I think he was under par and I was under par, too. It was fun."
Next opponent for Holmes: Jason Day
BUBBA WATSON (5) def. MARK WILSON (13), 6 and 5
This match figured to be an interesting one. Both Watson and Wilson came to Dove Mountain playing well, having combined to win three of the seven events played this year on the PGA TOUR. As an added attraction, there was the contrast in style. Watson leads the PGA TOUR in driving distance while Wilson ranks 128th and gives up 33 yards in length to his opponent. But Wilson, who has won twice in 2011 and leads the FedExCup, can wear a player down, hitting greens and making putts. Until Thursday, that is. Wilson didn't make a single birdie in the 13 holes the two played. Still, Watson didn't start pulling away until the eighth hole. He two-putted from 54 feet for birdie there, then added another from 6 feet at the 10th. After he missed his own birdie putt, Wilson conceded the 11th hole with Watson looking at a 3-footer for eagle and the 4-up lead. Watson went 5 up when Wilson bogeyed the 12th hole, then polished off the victory with a another two-putt birdie at the 13th hole.
Next opponent for Watson: Geoff Ogilvy
GEOFF OGILVY (8) def. THOMAS BJORN (16), 1 up
Bjorn eliminated Tiger Woods in the first round, but there were no surprises this time against the two-time Accenture Match Play champion. Ogilvy had a rollercoaster start -- he won two holes with birdies but gave them both back with bogeys. But he finally steadied himself. When his approach shot at the ninth landed five feet from the pin, he rolled in the birdie putt to take the lead. He would never trail again. But Bjorn found his own rhythm and hung tough. A birdie at the 11th squared the match before Ogilvy answered by dropping a 14-footer for birdie to win the 12th. After 10 bogey-free holes, Ogilvy finally coughed up a bogey at the 17th when he missed the green with his approach shot. With the match all square going into the last hole, though, it was Bjorn who flinched. Facing a par putt inside five feet, Bjorn missed to give Ogilvy the match.
Next opponent for Ogilvy: Bubba Watson
NICK WATNEY (8) def. LEE WESTWOOD (1), 1 up
Watney made it two straight against Westwood, never trailing in eliminating the world No. 1 for the second straight year. "It's very satisfying," the softspoken Watney said. "... Is it more so than last year? Yeah, maybe it is." The tight match was well-played, with the American shooting 5 under and the Englishman 4 under -- making five birdies, one eagle and three bogeys. The tone for the day was set early as Watney won the first hole with a birdie, Westwood answered at No. 2 and Watney rolled in a 9-footer at No. 3 to grab a lead he would not relinquish. Watney went 2 up at the sixth hole as Westwood three-putted but lost part of that advantage at No. 8 to the Englishman's 7-footer for eagle. Another par at the 10th hole put Watney back to 2 up before Westwood's 6-foot birdie putt at No. 14 narrowed the margin again. What happened at the 16th hole was pivotal. With Watney unable to get out of the greenside bunker at the par 3, the Westwood appeared in prime position to even the match. But he three-putted for bogey, missing a 4-footer to save par. "I didn't put particularly well, certainly not well enough," Westwood said. "16 was poor." Noted Watney: "I really did not expect that. I think that's probably a one in 20 or a one in 30 for that to happen. I was lucky, very lucky, to get away with a draw on that hole." Two clutch pars later, Watney had the win.
Next opponent for Watney: Ryan Moore
MATTEO MANASSERO (15) def. CHARL SCHWARTZEL (7), 1 up
Matteo Manassero said his expectations were "none" when he came to Tucson to play in his first World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. The 17-year-old Italian may have to reassess those goals if he continues to play the way he has in the first two rounds, though. Manassero, who knocked off world No. 8 Steve Stricker in the opening round, proved that victory was no fluke with a gritty 1-up defeat of Charl Schwartzel on Thursday. The teenager struggled early, making bogey on two of his first three holes to fall 2 down but bounced back on with a birdie at the fourth and squared the match with a par at No. 9. Manassero gained the lead for the first time with a par at the 10th hole and went 2 up when he made a 15-footer for birdie at the 12th. But Schwartzel won the 15th when he drove the green at the par 4 and made a 44-footer for eagle and the match drew even when Manassero's tee shot at the par-3 16th tangled with the grandstand and eventually lodged in a cactus. Manassero, who idolized Seve Ballesteros when he was growing up, wasn't rattled, though -- staking a 6-iron to 4 feet at No. 17 for what proved to be the winning margin. "I tried to stay focused and keep playing as I was playing, and I did it well," Manassero said.
Next opponent for Manassero: Luke Donald
LUKE DONALD (3) def. EDOARDO MOLINARI (6), 2 and 1
Want a good way to start a match? Roll in a birdie putt just inside 40 feet to win the opening hole. Then come back with another birdie putt inside eight feet to win the second hole. That's what happened to Donald, and he never trailed in eliminating the Italian. There were some anxious moment for Donald, who gave away three holes with bogeys. But with the match all square at the turn, Donald was the steadier of the two. He went 2 up by making birdie at the short par-4 15th, dropped a hole with a three-putt bogey at the 16th, but then bounced back at the 17th when he drained another long birdie putt, this one from 20 feet to close out the match. "I played decent," said Donald, who advances to the third round for the third consecutive year. "I gave him a couple of holes. I three-putted 16 and the 9th. Other than that, it was really steady. I still got five or six birdies and made him work for it."
Next opponent for Donald: Matteo Manassero
RYAN MOORE (12) def. K.J. CHOI (13), 5 and 4
Moore produced five birdies in his first 13 holes ... and against Choi, who struggled to find anything in red numbers, that was plenty. After losing the opening hole with a bogey, Moore bounced back with two birdies, the second one coming at the par-3 third when his tee shot landed within six feet. Having won the hole and squaring the match, Moore stayed steady before producing another great approach at the par-5 eighth when his second shot landed just outside eight feet. Moore missed the eagle putt but it didn't matter - he won the hole and was now 2 up. Choi then bogeyed the ninth after finding the greenside bunker. He made two more bogeys on the back nine while Moore won two holes with birdies. Going back to his first round, Choi managed just one birdie in his last 21 holes. Simply not good enough.
Next opponent for Moore: Nick Watney
