Matt Kuchar
Matt Kuchar wasn’t at his best in Saturday morning’s quarterfinal match against Y.E. Yang. But he didn’t need to be as Yang struggled on the front nine, allowing Kuchar to take control.
The American then held off a late rally to win 2 and 1, putting him in the Saturday afternoon semifinals against Luke Donald at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
“I’ve been improving every day,” Kuchar said. “I keep getting steadier and steadier.”
Kuchar had four birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey in a somewhat messy match for both players. Yang, who had three birdies, three bogeys and one double, said he didn’t get much sleep the night before.
“There was a party going on right in the back of my hotel, so I didn’t get to sleep until about 12,” Yang said. “But not to make any excuses. Kuchar played really well. I just think my game ended up being a bit shaky.”
Both players halved the par-5 second with birdies and the par-3 third with double bogeys after they each found the water protecting the green.
But Kuchar took the lead on the next hole with a well-struck approach shot to five feet for birdie. He won the next hole with another birdie, this time from inside 12 feet.
Starting at the seventh, Yang went through a stretch in which he bogeyed three consecutive holes, and by the turn Kuchar was 4 up and firmly in command.
Yang responded by winning the 10th with a birdie and then Kuchar gave away the par-5 13th with a three-putt bogey.
With his lead cut in half, though, Kuchar steadied the ship, ending the match with four consecutive pars that Yang could not beat.
“It got down to a 2‑up lead from a 4‑up lead,” Kuchar said. “I said that’s still a good place to be.”
Mike McAllister
