The fratricidal duel ended in favor of the player from Malaga and Miguel Ángel Jiménez has remained as the only Spanish representative in the WGC Accenture Match-Play Championship, held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana (Arizona), after an opening day in which he eliminated Sergio García and in which the other three compatriots in play said goodbye to the tournament. Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño came close to surprising Tiger Woods, Rafael Cabrera Bello lost to Jason Day and Álvaro Quirós was unable to beat Martin Laird. Jiménez was in control of the match throughout the opening day, which he closed even on the 17th hole. Once the first three holes were saved as a warm-up, Miguel Ángel Jiménez achieved his first advantage on holes 4 and 5, with birdies. Although the Borriol native came closer in the second round, the a piori favorite between the two did not play his best game. On the other hand, a serious and concentrated Jimenez remained one stroke ahead to take the match after a new mistake by Sergio. Now, in the next round, ‘Pisha’ will face the American Keegan Bradley.
In the Tiger-Gonzalo duel, the American golfer was too irregular, and the Spaniard paid dearly for not sentencing him in time. In the first five holes, the Tiger desperately saw how his putts danced to spit out his options to cut a firm and faultless Fernandez-Castaño. In this way, the Spanish golfer took the lead in the duel until the seventh hole. Up to two strokes ahead of the Spaniard, who saw how Woods got desperate sending his ball to the Marana cactus. However, on the seventh hole things started to work out for the former number one and, with two splendid birdies on holes 7 and 8, he turned the score around to take a one-stroke lead. Despite improving, Tiger was still determined to bombard the desert flora of Arizona with bad tee shots. Thus, he had to improve on each hole until he finally could not prevent the Spaniard from taking the lead on the eleventh, with a one-stroke advantage. Fernandez-Castaño kept the advantage but forgave Tiger who finally won. Nerves took their toll on the Spaniard who lost the lead on the 15th hole and was overtaken on the 16th, after having forgiven one of the best players in history, something he usually regrets. “I had my chances and I didn’t take advantage of them,” said the Spaniard after Woods won the duel on the eighteenth hole where he masterfully got out of the bunker, and where the Spaniard again came close to a tie.
Things were also bad for Alvaro Quiros who lived a fierce battle with the Scotsman Martin Laird. A great start by the player from Cadiz with a birdie on the first hole allowed him to lead the duel until his rival tied the score on the fifth after returning the minus one. Both golfers minimized errors, more the Scotsman who took a minimal advantage on the eleventh hole, and remained tied until the end. On the 16th hole a centimeter prevented Quirós from taking the lead, after having managed to tie the match, but luck was not on the Spaniard’s side. As if that were not enough, the Scotsman subdued the player from San Roque on the last hole with a victorious birdie.
The Canary Islander Rafael Cabrera-Bello was very close to eliminating one of the promises of golf, the young Jason Day. Although he is not going through his best moment, his performances in the ‘big ones’ of 2011 keep the Australian a place in the elite. Even so, an inspired Cabera-Bello, who won two weeks ago in the Dubai Desert Classic, played at a high level to have options until the end. By the fifth hole, the golfer from the Canary Islands had a three-stroke lead over his dangerous rival. Day tried to turn the scoreboard but it was impossible, Cabera-Bello kept the line he has been following lately and was able to keep his advantage. On the penultimate hole, the Spaniard spared the life of his rival and did not settle a duel that ended up being won by Day on the nineteenth shot.
Thus, Spain remains alone with Jiménez in a Match-Play Championship in which Ernie Els, who beat Luke Donald (5 and 4), Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson, Y. Yang, Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Kuchar, Francesco Molinari, Manassero, Robert Rock, Martin Kaymer, Manassero and Oosthuizen have also sealed their pass.
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