MACINTYRE RUN COMES TO AN END IN TEXAS
SCOTLAND’S Robert MacIntyre saw his bright debut effort in the WGC-Match Play Championship come to an end at the last-16 stage yesterday in Texas.
MacIntyre, who came through a group that included Masters champion Dustin Johnson, faced a barrage of brilliance from Frenchman Victor Perez.
Perez, who will surely make his Ryder Cup debut in September, was an impressive six under par when the match ended at the 14th. Most of the damage was done early, with Perez four under after five holes and three up.
The Frenchman was unrelenting and eased to a 5&4 success. However, MacIntyre can take solace in the fact he has qualified for next month’s Masters after securing a place in the world’s top 50 when the world rankings update tomorrow.
He will join 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open winner Martin Laird as one of the three Scots to tee it up at Augusta National in April.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Dylan Frittelli were the first golfers to reach the par-three fourth at Austin Country Club yesterday since Sergio Garcia ended his epic play-off against Lee Westwood the previous evening with a spectacular hole in one.
The hour was early, just a handful of people were present and it appeared for all the world like a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ in the initial stages of their last-16 encounter in the WGC-Match Play Championship.
Fleetwood rather changed that. After Frittelli had played, the 30-year-old emulated Garcia’s perfect stroke in every regard, his ball pitching just past the flag and spinning back into the hole.
The odds on any ace are long enough but what must they be for two holes in one in the space of three tee shots?
The reaction was pure Fleetwood. He ran all the way to the green, screaming with delight. He didn’t, of course. There was a hint of a smile but only a hint. He really is the golfer who treats Kipling’s twin imposters the same. ‘It was a great shot,’ he grudgingly conceded, but only following persistent questioning from the man from the Golf Channel.
But both hole-in-one-heroes saw their bids end in the quarter-final stage. Fleetwood lost a ding-dong battle to American Billy Horschel and Garcia, who defeated Canadian Mackenzie Hughes in the last 16, was downed 4&3 by MacIntyre’s conqueror Perez.
As for the other two Brits to make it through the group stages, they had one of those mornings where there’s really not much you can do but admire the play of your opponent. Scottie Scheffler did to Ian Poulter what the Englishman has done to so many over the years, firing seven birdies in 14 holes to win 5&4.
The 11th was a typical example, as Poulter rolled in a birdie putt from 40ft, only for Scheffler to chip in from about half that length. Scheffler moved on to a match against Jon Rahm, who beat South African Erik van Rooyen 3&2.
Scheffler deposed of the highest ranked player left in the tournament with a 3&1 success over the Spaniard.
Bubba Watson was four up after five but still lost to Brian Harman, who put together a run of eight birdies in a row.
His 2&1 win earned him a lasteight tie against Matt Kuchar, who beat local favourite Jordan Spieth at the 18th.
Kuchar prevailed over Harman, winning 2&1.