Ogilvy defeats Love for Accenture Match Play title

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 Accenture Match Play Championship | Wrap | 27 Feb 2006

Geoff Ogilvy’s 3 & 2 victory over Davis Love III at the Accenture Match Play Championship in California today, further emphasises just how talented a golfer the Victorian is.

His wife Juli summed it up in an on course interview with the ABC during today’s coverage when she said that his effort this week will make people realise just how good a player he is. She can rest assured that those of us in this part of the world who have watched his progress over the years have always appreciated just how good he is.

In the past twelve months, however, Ogilvy has come of age. Ogilvy moved his game and his status in world golf to a new level in 2005 and now in 2006 it has reached another and all time high. Previous to his victory in 2005 he was without a win in any professional event in six years on tour.

Given the quality of this field he will make a significant jump from his current 53rd in the world rankings. He was already guaranteed a start at Augusta as a result of finishing inside the top 40 on the PGA Tour money list in 2005 but he will now be afforded the further benefits of a high ranking in the game.

In addition to his win in Tucson last year, an event which ran opposite the Accenture in 2005, Ogilvy very importantly showed a capacity to play the big events well in 2005 with a 5th place at the Open Championship and a 6th placing at the PGA.

Perhaps maligned earlier in his career for inconsistency, Ogilvy highlighted how his game has changed in that regard with a run at one stage in this event where he would go 41 holes with dropping a shot. It is that sort of consistency that often wins Match Play matches and this week was clearly no exception.

In this week’s event at La Costa and in his first time here, Ogilvy had a fight on his hands in the early rounds, none more so than the 21 holes it took to shake off his fellow countryman, Nick O’Hern in round two and then in round three when he overcame a four hole deficit on the 15th tee to win his last four holes and go on to win in extra time. He also defeated Howell at the 19th.

Ogilvy did not encounter an American until Tom Lehman in the semi-finals, having beaten Michael Campbell, O’Hern, Mike Weir and David Howell on the way.

In today’s final it took eleven holes of the morning round before the deadlock was broken when Love was first to move ahead with a birdie. That lead, which was the only time that Love would be in front all day, lasted just three holes before Ogilvy squared the match at the 15th. The match went to lunch with the Australian one ahead.

When Ogilvy birdied the 21st and 22nd hole he had stolen what appeared to be a telling break although Love bounced back with three consecutive birdies to reduce the deficit to one once again. The 29th and 30th holes would prove crucial in the outcome. At the par five 29th, Ogilvy hit a magnificent second to eight feet and when Love’s approach found the edge of the back left bunker leaving himself with an awkward stance, the American was two down.

At the 30th, Ogilvy was first to play and hit his tee shot to 12 feet. Love made it to the front of the green 35 feet from the hole and settled for par before Ogilvy knocked his putt in to move to three up. They both parred the 31st hole but at the 32nd hole Ogilvy, after missing the green a long way right, holed a lengthy par putt to move four up with four to play.

Love showed a little resistance when he holed a 15 foot putt for birdie at the 33rd to extend the match but when both parred the 17th it was all over at 3 & 2.

For Ogilvy, the US$1.3 million has him in third place on the 2006 US money list behind Rory Sabbatini and Chad Campbell but importantly a place in golf that could well see him improving on his fine 2005 performances in majors as the year progresses.

Of the other Australasians only four of eleven (Ogilvy, Adam Scott, Nick O’Hern and Robert Allenby) made it past round one with Ogilvy the only one advancing past round two.

In what was a lacklustre affair for third and fourth place, Zach Johnson outlasted a tired and cranky Tom Lehman to claim the third prize of more than US$500,000.

Photo – Anthony Powter