The Spanish team is going strong in the international concert, and this is being demonstrated in the Volvo World Match Play Championship that is being played with great excitement and sporting level on the manicured greens and fairways of the splendid Finca Cortesin course. Our three representatives in the tournament have reached the round of 16, and tomorrow morning they have the challenge of reaching the quarterfinals, which will be played in the afternoon. To do so, Sergio García will have to overcome the Englishman Tom Lewis, Álvaro Quirós will have to do the same with the defending champion, the Englishman Ian Poulter, and Rafael Cabrera-Bello will have to defeat the Swede Robert Karlsson. The three duels are expected to be highly tense, especially the one between the player from Cadiz, the local hero, and Poulter, always fearsome in match play.
Quirós and García easily beat Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka (the former by 5&4, and the latter by 4&2), and Cabrera-Bello defeated England’s Richard Finch in sixteen holes (4&2). The three compatriots have shown their power.
Also in today’s round of 16 were England’s Justin Rose, who defeated Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke by 6&4, the Colombian Camilo Villegas, the Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, the South African Retief Goosen, the American Brandt Snedeker, the Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the Scotsman Paul Lawrie and the Englishmen Robert Rock and Finch, who, in a very close duel, defeated the German Martin Kaymer on the last hole.
Three of the sixteen places in the round of 16 had to be decided by play-offs, as there were several ties in the group stage. The losers of the tournament were South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Jbe Kruger and Branden Grace, who will no longer be able to win the three Volvo tournaments this season (he had won the Volvo China Open and the Volvo Golf Champions).
Sergio will hit his first shot tomorrow at 7:45 a.m., Alvaro at 8:45 a.m., and Rafael ten minutes later. Spanish fans are spoilt for choice: three true champions in a world-class championship.
GROUP STAGE (MAY 17 and 18)
Match Result Players
1 3&2 Ian POULTER v John SENDEN
2 5&4 Brandt SNEDEKER v Thomas BJÖRN
3 2&1 Peter HANSON v Paul LAWRIE
4 2&1 Sergio GARCÍA v Álvaro QUIRÓS
5 1 up Graeme McDOWELL v Robert KARLSSON
6 All Square Charl SCHWARTZEL v Nicolas COLSAERTS
7 7&6 Justin ROSE v Robert ROCK
8 3&2 Martin KAYMER v Rafael CABRERA-BELLO
9 1 up John SENDEN v Tom LEWIS
10 2&1 Thomas BJÖRN v Branden GRACE
11 All Square Paul LAWRIE v Camilo VILLEGAS
12 5&4 Álvaro QUIRÓS v Tetsuji HIRATSUKA
13 All Square Robert KARLSSON v Jbe KRUGER
14 1 up Nicolas COLSAERTS v Retief GOOSEN
15 2 up Robert ROCK v Darren CLARKE
16 4&2 Rafael CABRERA-BELLO v Richard FINCH
17 4&3 Ian POULTER v Tom LEWIS
18 4&3 Brandt SNEDEKER v Branden GRACE
19 6&4 Peter HANSON v Camilo VILLEGAS
20 4&2 Sergio GARCÍA v Tetsuji HIRATSUKA
21 4&3 Graeme McDOWELL v Jbe KRUGER
22 4&3 Charl SCHWARTZEL v Retief GOOSEN
23 6&4 Justin ROSE v Darren CLARKE
24 1 up Martin KAYMER v Richard FINCH
FINAL EIGHTH FINALS (MAY 19)
25 07:45 Sergio GARCÍA v Tom LEWIS
26 07:55 Graeme MCDOWELL v Richard FINCH
27 08:05 Paul LAWRIE v Thomas BJÖRN
28 08:15 Retief GOOSEN v Robert ROCK
29 08:25 Brandt SNEDEKER v Camilo VILLEGAS
30 08:35 Justin ROSE v Nicolas COLSAERTS
31 08:45 Ian POULTER v Álvaro QUIRÓS
32 08:55 Rafael CABRERA-BELLO v Robert KARLSSON
QUARTER FINALS (MAY 19)
33 13:20 Winners of games 25 and 26
34 13:30 Winners of games 27 and 28
35 13:40 Winners of games 29 and 30
36 13:50 Winners of games 31 and 32
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