Els, Cabrera reach HSBC finals
BY iseekgolf.com | European PGA Tour | 2007 HSBC World Match Play Championship | Round Three | 14 Oct 2007
US Open champion Angel Cabrera produced a sublime putting performance to go through to the final of the £1million-pound HSBC World Match Play Championship with a 2 & 1 victory over debutant Hunter Mahan.
Despite a late rally from the valiant American, the 38-year-old Argentinian produced nine birdies and two eagles to set up a fascinating encounter with six-time champion Ernie Els.
Mahan, 25 and first-round victor over much-fancied Justin Rose, contained his opponent in the opening two holes, but Cabrera broke the deadlock with a par four at the third to go one up as the American took five, and then extended his lead to two with a birdie at the sixth.
Mahan won his first hole of the day at the seventh to lie just one down, but Cabrera immediately hit back, draining a 12-foot putt, then another birdie at the ninth to go three up. However, the American, showing the fighting qualities which gained him a last-four appearance at this event, pulled a hole back by taking the par-three tenth with a birdie two.
More clinical finishing by the Argentinian saw him go three up at the 12th. Mahan fought back to birdie the 15th, but Cabrera clinched the par-five 18th with an eagle to go in three up at lunch.
More excellent putting in the afternoon session saw Cabrera take the 19th, 21st and – with his 18-foot putt lingering on the edge of the hole before dropping in – the five-par 22nd with an eagle to go six up as Mahan looked doomed.
However, the 25-year-old American refused to roll over and began to stage an inspiring comeback, producing eight birdies in 14 second-round holes. He won only his fourth hole of the match at the three-par 23rd, then sealed the 25th, 26th, and – with a superb 30-foot putt – took the par-three 28th to reduce Cabrera’s once six-hole lead to just two.
The Argentinian halted the slide by taking the 29th to restore a three-hole lead – but two misses by Mahan were to prove crucial. The American’s 20-foot birdie putt skimmed round the hole to see the 31st halved, and he failed to sink a 21-foot birdie putt as the 33rd was also shared – and Cabrera’s three-hole lead remained intact.
On the nailbiting 34th, the Argentinian missed a 30-foot putt for victory but an under-pressure Mahan holed from the fringe to lie just two down with two to play – to the delight of the crowd. However, Cabrera’s consistency showed in the end as he putted from five feet to tie the 35th hole and win the match 2 & 1 to go through to the million-pound final and end the American’s plucky debut run.
Ernie Els’ dreams of a seventh title became one match away as the South African beat Henrik Stenson 3 & 2 to secure a place in Sunday’s final.
The Swede, who was wearing what appeared to be a body brace after revealing earlier this week that he had been struggling with his back, seemed to show no ill effects as he went one up at the second as Els’ putt fell two-and-a-half feet short.
The Swede remained resilient and maintained his one-hole advantage until the 12th. The second seed missed a putt at the ninth to halve the hole as Stenson took his lead into the turn, and Els failed to sink another putt at the par-three tenth. But the Big Easy finally eagled the par-five 12th to pull back to all square.
A cat-and-mouse contest then followed. Stenson drained a 30-foot birdie putt at the 13th to go back into the lead, though Els again levelled at the 15th after Stenson hit his second shot into the crowd. The Swede then took the 16th, but conceded as Els squared on the par-five 17th. However, Stenson birdied the par-five 18th to lead Els by one hole at lunch.
Els immediately levelled after the break, and there followed a stalemate until the 25th, when the South African finally went ahead for the first time – a lead he never lost. Stenson missed a 22-foot putt at the 26th before Els clinched it on a birdie to go two clear, then went three ahead with a birdie at the 27th.
The Swede took the short 28th with a birdie two to reduce the lead to two after Els shot waywardly. The next four holes were halved before the South African sank a curling 16-foot putt for par to win the 33rd to go three up with three to play. And he duly wrapped up victory after Stenson missed a birdie putt to halve the 34th – and ensure a final against the US Open champion.
