Ogilvy ‘loses the plot’
GEOFF Ogilvy stumbled down the stretch as Henrik Stenson earned a well-earned victory at the $US8 million ($10.13 million) Accenture Match Play Championship today (AEDT).
Sweden’s Stenson swooped in for the kill, posting a 2 and 1 win in ideal conditions at Dove Mountain, becoming just the second European to win the World Golf Championship event.
In a rollercoaster 36-hole final, Ogilvy went from 2-down after 18 holes to 2-up after 26 holes, seemingly on his way to successfully defending his title, only for the wheels to suddenly fall off at the very worst time.
“I
didn’t bring the game to the course I wanted this morning,” said 11th seed Ogilvy, who earned a consolation prize of $US800,000 ($1.01 million).
“I started out fine and then lost the plot. My golf swing was probably deteriorating all week but I can’t explain missing short putts.
“If I’d putted well, I don’t think I would have lost. I can think of three this morning that were disappointing and two or three this afternoon that were embarrassing.”
Stenson made a sizzling start on a chilly morning, winning the par-five 1st hole with an eagle, and the next with a par to go 2-up.
That was enough to wake up Ogilvy, who fought back to win the next four holes in a rollercoaster change of fortunes.
But Stenson stemmed the bleeding by winning the par-four 7th and did not lose another hole the remainder of the round, also winning the 10th, 12th and 15th.
“I just tried to stay focused on my game,” said a beaming Stenson.
“Luckily enough, I was able to finish off with two birdies to close out the match.”
The 30-year-old will climb to a career-high fifth when the world rankings are issued tomorrow (AEDT). Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the morning came at the par-four 12th, which Stenson won with an unlikely birdie.
Hard up against the collar of the fringe, he bladed a wedge into the hole from six metres and Ogilvy subsequently missed a 1.5 metre birdie chance to lose the hole, when moments earlier he had seemed all set to win it.
The lunch break was unkind to Stenson, who really struggled in the outward nine of the second round. He had four bogeys in eight holes to hand the lead back to Ogilvy.
But momentum shifted again when Ogilvy missed a short putt to hand Stenson the 27th, and Ogilvy hardly hit a good shot after that.
In the play-off for third place, South Africa’s Trevor Immelman beat American Chad Campbell 4 and 2.
Defending champion Ogilvy lost 2 and 1 to Sweden’s Henrik Stenson at Dove Mountain.
South Africa’s Trevor Immelman beat American Chad Campbell 4 and 2 to finish third.
Stenson became just the second European to win the elite event, and denied Ogilvy’s bid to join Tiger Woods as a back-to-back champion of the tournament, which moved to the Arizona desert this year after being played seven of the past eight years at La Costa near San Diego, California.
AAP