Augusta is calling for Fisher after a win over Watson
WHAT a way to win a match. What a way to secure a lastminute invitation to the Masters.
One of the great passages of play in Ross Fisher’s career drew to a spectacular conclusion yesterday when he holed a bunker shot to close out his tie against two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson and book a place in the last eight of the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship. All week the statisticians had been moving the goal posts as to what Fisher needed to do to move up three spots into the world’s top 50 when the rankings are updated tomorrow, and earn a trip to Augusta.
They moved so often it was tempting to wonder if he’d also have to overcome Chelsea and win the Premier League to make it.
The 36-year-old from Ascot was not to be denied. When the bunker shot dropped below ground the stats nerds were all in agreement: he’d made it. Not surprisingly, Fisher was still hedging his bets.
‘Over the past couple of days I’ve seen people on Twitter saying: “Congrats Ross, you’re going to the Masters,” and then other people are not so sure,’ he said. ‘I think the best thing for me is forget about it and keep winning, and hopefully that will be enough.’
As it turned out, there was no time anyway to celebrate a first appearance at Augusta for five years — and being the 11th Englishman to make it.
After lunch, there was a quarter-final against Japanese surprise packet Hideto Tanihara, a 2&1 winner over Paul Casey in their last-16 encounter at Austin Country Club.
Fisher was one down after seven against Watson but then put together a dazzling sequence which saw him take five of the next eight holes to win 4&3.
Over the last five holes, Fisher had just four putts. Not only did he end the sequence by chipping in, he began it at the 11th by holing from off the green to go two up.
At the par five 12th he holed a magnificent 12ft putt for a half after Watson had applied pressure with a gorgeous 80yard pitch to concession range.
At the 13th Fisher holed from 6ft to go 3 up and then holed again from 12ft at the 14th for another matching birdie. If Watson was beginning to think it just wasn’t his day, that was confirmed when Fisher applied the coup de grace with that bunker shot. ‘It was a great way to finish a tough match,’ said Fisher. ‘Bubba showed what a great champion he is, throwing everything at me, but fortunately I played really solid.’
After a flat three days when the group stages seemed to go on interminably, the glory of headto-head golf was on display in the sunshine in Austin, Texas.
There was the seemingly ageless Phil Mickelson, now 46 but winning his match against Marc Leishman with plenty to spare. Ditto the brilliant young Spaniard, Jon Rahm, over American Charles Howell. There were victories for the gritty Scandinavians, Soren Kjeldsen from Denmark and Alex Noren from Sweden.
There was also another demolition job from the best player in the world right now — Dustin Johnson, beating namesake Zach, fairly comfortably 5&4.
The only fear for the American after the run he is on is whether he will have enough inspired golf left by the time he gets to the Masters in 10 days’ time.