Rafael Cabrera-Bello has started the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Finca Cortesín in style, defeating Martin Kaymer, world number nine and best player in the draw, by 3&2. The Canary Islander continues to show signs of the great confidence he has in his possibilities. On the other hand, Sergio García beat Álvaro Quirós 2&1 in the Spanish duel. In addition, the defending champion Ian Poulter, Brandt Snedeker, Paul Lawrie, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell achieved their first victory, while Nicolas Colsaerts and Charl Schwartzel tied. Rafa Cabrera-Bello’s feelings could not be better at the start of the Volvo World Match Play, which he is playing for the first time. Today he had every reason to be satisfied and confident after defeating one of the “bones” of the tournament, his great friend Martin Kaymer. For the Gran Canarian, there is a lot at stake this week, as he could get into the US Open if he finishes in the top 60 of the world ranking. He is currently ranked 61st.
The match of the Spaniards has not offered the expected show. Neither Sergio García nor Álvaro Quirós played at a high level. The Spaniard took the lead in the first round by one up, but Quirós reacted in the second with birdies on 10 and 11. On 12 he missed a birdie putt followed by two bogeys on 13 and 14. Sergio took the lead again with a birdie on 14 and finished with another on 17.
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: “I am very happy to play Match-Play, I love this modality but there are few tournaments like this. Beating Martin Kaymer playing well gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournament. Today I started off nervous, maybe because of the ghosts of my last Match-Play match (against Jason Day at the Accenture, where he lost), but then I calmed down.
I started off strong. It’s not that I’m aiming to take the lead on the first few holes, but if that happens, all the better. It’s easier to make a committed putt if you’re ahead than if you’re tied. In any case, starting ahead doesn’t guarantee victory.
Beating Kaymer has been important, but if we played 100 times, he would beat me most of them; in one match anything can happen. That’s why tomorrow, even if I play a theoretically weaker opponent, I can’t be confident.
I haven’t made the exact count of the position I have to finish in to get into the US Open. There are more players in the same situation and it also depends on what they do. I know that if I get to the final, I’m in for sure.
The course is great and today the wind blew a little bit like yesterday, so it is more complicated. The greens are very good, fast. What can I say about the Finca Cortesín hotel, it is spectacular and the treatment is excellent from everyone.
Sergio Garcia: “The one who had the most merits today was the public, I don’t know how they didn’t leave on hole 9 because neither Alvaro nor I were doing anything. We tried, but things didn’t work out.
In the second 9 we had some better shots, he had a good run on holes 10 and 11. The key was on the 12th, Alvaro hit a very good tee shot, a hierrazo, and had a birdie chance that didn’t go in.
If he had made that birdie putt on the 12th, the situation would have changed completely because he would have been two up. From then on, he was a little bit crestfallen. The worst thing about not putting well is that it affects your whole game. If he made that putt he would have grown up a little bit.
The truth is that with the irons I haven’t hit bad at all, in fact I’ve played some pretty good ones, but the Drive is costing me a lot lately. I have to keep working and find the solution”.
Other results
Ian Poulter beats John Senden 3&2
Brandt Snedeker beats Thomas Björn 5&4
Paul Lawrie beats Peter Hanson 2&1
Graeme McDowell beats Robert Karlsson 1 up
Charl Schwartzel ties with Nicolas Colsaerts
Justin Rose beats Robert Rock 7&6
Ian Poulter: “As I expected, John played a very solid first nine holes with nine straight pars. In the second round, there were a lot of fun match-play situations where we tied holes thanks to very long putts. For me, the real meaning of match play is to think that your opponent is going to make a long putt or a putt from the outside, and that he is not going to give you anything.
Golf is basically a matter of confidence. It doesn’t matter if you’re hitting bad shots if you believe you can hit the next one right and make the next putt. That’s the only important thing, and that’s what made Seve different.”
Justin Rose: “Robert Rock is a great player, but it’s hard to fight off five birdies in a row. I still think the key is to play stroke for stroke in both Match and Medal Play.”
Graeme McDowell: “I had a very bad start, with three putts on 2 and 4. Thank God I made birdies on 9, 10 and 11 to get back into the match. I made a great birdie on 16 and another on 18 hitting one of the best three-woods of my life”.
Brandt Snedeker’s clubs, the anecdote of the day
The American Brandt Snedeker has starred in the anecdote of the day at Finca Cortesin. He didn’t get his clubs in time and had to make an improvised set that included a borrowed driver, a putt, a 3-wood, a hybrid and a lob from the Finca Cortesín store.
He went out with 10 clubs in the bag until the fourth hole when his own came when he was 3 up with two birdies, so he decided to keep using the driver and putter on loan. “The driver worked so well that I don’t plan to return it, and the rest of the clubs I don’t know how much they’re going to cost me, but it’s made up for it. I told my caddie this morning that it felt like I was playing a club tournament, but things have worked out because I’ve made less demands on myself by not having the right club.
If I win here, Davis Love III will have no excuse for not including me in the Ryder Cup team, because a World Match-Play Championship like this one where you face so many good European players is a guarantee”.
Tomorrow’s Spanish matches on Friday
8:15 a.m.: Álvaro Quirós and Tetsuji Hiratsuka.
8.55 a.m.: Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Richard Finch.
1:10 p.m.: Sergio Garcia and Tetsuji Hiratsuka.
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