Poulter and who at Accenture?
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Accenture Match Play Championship | Semi-Finals | 21 Feb 2010
The Accenture Match Play Championship near Tucson is still to have its finalists decided after darkness brought a halt to the second semi final with Camilo Villegas and Paul Casey deadlocked through 23 holes of their afternoon encounter.
The pair will return on Sunday morning at 7.00am to decide just who will advance to the final to play Ian Poulter who made sure he was in bed early with a 7 & 6 drubbing of his semi final opponent Sergio Garcia.
The monetary difference between just making the finals and the beaten semi-finalist is a minimum of US$360,000 but clearly there stands a chance for it to be far greater should the winner tomorrow morning go on to win the final. The winner this week earns US$1.4 million
Villegas missed a golden opportunity to end the match at the 23rd when a putt of less than three feet went begging and so, although crucially important, they may well play only one hole tomorrow for the remaining finalist to be decided.
Coming off a convincing 4 & 3 win over Retief Goosen in the morning quarter final, Villegas was quickly 2 up in his match against Casey in the semi before the Englishman fought back as he sought his second final in succession.
Casey went ahead for the fits time at the 15th but a blunder at the 18th cost him the chance to end it in regulation and before a playoff became necessary.
In the other semi final it was over almost before it had started in the freezing cold, windy and wet weather. Poulter won eight of the first ten holes and by the 10th he was 6 up. It finished soon after when Poulter was conceded the 12th and the 7 & 6 victory.
In the morning quarter finals Poulter narrowly survived against a spirited challenge from Thongchai Jaidee in conditions that must have been totally foreign to the Thai champion. Victory went to Poulter after he had edged ahead with a birdie at the 17th in what had been a see sawing match.
Garcia was never behind in his quarter final match against Oliver Wilson eventually finishing the match at the 15th 4 & 3 before taking on Poulter.
Casey controlled his match against Stewart Cink from the outset eventually winning 5 & 4 against the American who has done so well in this event in recent years.
The other quarter final between Retief Goosen and Villegas saw the Colombian birdie the first and never look back. He eventually won 4 & 3 after producing some good golf in the conditions and headed into his yet to be completed match against Casey.
The final is to be played over 36 holes while the consolation final to decide third and fourth is played over 18 holes.
