Lee Westwood lost to Nick Watney
Nick Watney is a quiet sort, so when he was asked whether it felt better to have beaten Lee Westwood this year, now that he is the world No. 1, than when Watney eliminated the Englishman a year ago, the American looked slightly uncomfortable. But the truth finally won out.
"I know Lee’s record," Watney said. "He’s not the No. 1 player in the world for nothing. There’s definitely no easy matches, but I knew that he was going to be tough. It’s very satisfying.
"Is it more so than last year? Yeah, maybe it is."
And why not? Watney never trailed against Westwood as he won 1 up on Thursday. That means Westwood, who was making his 11th appearance at the Accenture Match Play Championship, has still never advanced past the second round.
A year ago, the American had taken him down by a 2-and-1 score.
"I didn’t putt particularly well, certainly not well enough," Westwood said. "… I think we were pretty even tee to green, Nick just holed a few more putts than me. But that’s the way match play goes, you have to take chances."
Watney, who now plays Ryan Moore in the third round, shot 5 under while Westwood made five birdies, an eagle and three bogeys. The two battled like heavyweights, there was that much give-and-take in the second round match
The tone for the day was set early as Watney won the first hole with a birdie but lost the second to Westwood’s two-putt at the par 5. That 9-footer at the third hole, though, gave Watney a lead he would not relinquish.
Westwood then three-putted the sixth to put Watney 2 up but the American lost part of that advantage two holes later as the Englishman made a 7-footer for eagle. There was one more ride on the roller-coaster as Watney’s par at No. 10 reinstated the 2-up lead before Westwood’s 6-foot birdie putt at No. 14 narrowed the margin again.
The 16th, though, proved to be the decisive hole. Watney found the greenside bunker on the par 3 and couldn’t get out so Westwood — safely on the green, 20 feet from the pin — appeared primed to even the match. But he three-putted for bogey, eventually missing a 4-footer for the save, and the two halved the hole.
"I really did not expect that," Watney said. "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 pars later, Watney had the win. He had a chance to close the match out on the 17th but the lanky Californian couldn’t convert a 5-footer for birdie and Westwood’s last ditch birdie attempt from 15 feet at No. 18 wouldn’t fall.
"I was lucky on 16," Watney said. "And then on 17, I hated having a chance to close it out, and especially against Lee Westwood, you know? If you have a chance like that, you need to take advantage.
"As good or as lucky as I was on 16, I was that angry walking to 18. But you’ve got to control your emotions and you’ve got to play a solid hole on 18. It’s a bit like a tennis match, I guess, how it’s just up and down. You need to remain as focused as possible."
Watney gave credit to his caddy, Chad Reynolds, for knowing the right things to say.
"He can kind of sense if I’m going too fast or getting a little too down on myself," Watney said. "He did a good job when we were walking to 18 of just kind of slowing me down and reminding me, we are still 1 up with one to go. … There’s going to be up and downs in golf, and in match play, especially.
“The key for me is to not get too high or too low on any shot. “
So Watney took a few deep breaths before he hit his drive on the final hole right down the middle of the fairway. He knew he had to put the 17th hole behind him, and he did. Still, he was watching Westwood’s birdie attempt at the 18th hole intently.
"I would not have been surprised at all if he holed that," Watney said. "But I was watching it. I figured there’s nothing to be afraid of, you know? And if we do go to extra holes, I don’t want to be rattled or surprised. So I was preparing myself to go extra holes and preparing myself for him to make it."
Helen Ross
