POULTER’S HEIST
Two-birdie finish tops early wins for Europe
Europe’s run of dominance in America continued on a remarkable first day at the WGC-Match play Championship in Texas yesterday.
The winners of the last three events on the PGA Tour — Frankie Molinari, rory McIlroy and paul Casey — led the way with comprehensive victories, but they were hardly alone in claiming their opening group matches.
Justin rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Ian poulter, Tyrrell Hatton, Jon rahm, Henrik stenson … the list of impressive wins went on and on as the ryder Cup team picked up from where they left off in paris last september. Ten, would you believe, had claimed wins, with Alex Noren losing 5&4 to China’s Li Haotong.
By contrast, about the only good news for the Americans was a victory for Tiger Woods, who could meet McIlroy in the last 16 on saturday morning.
Not that Tiger’s 3&1 victory over fellow American Aaron Wise was anything to boast about. ‘It’s a good job it wasn’t strokeplay, or we’d have both been well down the field,’ said Tiger, grinning.
The pick of the wins? With McIlroy among those who barely had to get out of third gear — he never lost a hole in overwhelming young American Luke List 5&4 — it had to be the win for poulter.
We’ve long since ceased to be amazed by anything he ever does at matchplay, but it never does any harm to enjoy another choice example. up against a doughty American in Kevin Kisner, who beat him 8&6 in the quarter-finals last year, poulter relished the chance to settle a score. It looked as if he might struggle to do so at the par-five 16th, mind, when Kisner holed his 80-yard pitch shot on the fly for an improbable eagle three. All square, and Kisner with the momentum.
At the par-three 17th he hit a good tee shot to 12 feet, only for poulter to strike his riposte inside him. When Kisner missed his birdie effort, you can guess what happened next. The 18th was predictable as well. A bold poulter drive, a pitch to 12 feet and he rolled in the birdie putt.
‘I think Kevin could sense that he was playing a different man this year,’ said poulter. It was just the start he needed in a tough group that includes Tony Finau, with only the winner moving on.
Casey could have been forgiven a reaction following his successful defence of the Valspar Championship just 72 hours earlier, but he demolished Mexican Abraham Ancer 5&3. only Woods and poulter have won more matches in the 20-year history of this event than Casey. ‘over the years you learn little tricks in matchplay and you never lose them,’ he said. ‘There was a little fatigue in there but I’m on a high after the win.’
Fleetwood recovered from some early mistakes to beat Ben An 3&2, while elsewhere among the record 10-strong english contingent, there was a 1-up win for Matt Wallace over Keegan Bradley. Tom Lewis is making his matchplay debut and rendered it memorable with a wonderful pitch at the 18th to three feet for a birdie and a half against current double major champion Brooks Koepka. rose beat emiliano Grillo 2&1 but there was a 2&1 defeat in the same group for eddie pepperell against Gary Woodland. rose plays pepperell today.