FOCUS ON Noren has Swede dreams of pulling off a double Scotch
ALEX NOREN will today face England’s Anthony Wall in the final of the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play as the Swede looks to win his second title on Scottish soil in as many months.
The two in-form players this week will face a battle with the elements as well as each other, with strong winds set to blow across the whole of Scotland.
Noren, winner of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart in July, overcame compatriot Johan Carlsson 4&2 in the morning’s quarterfinals at Archerfield before seeing off England’s James Morrison 3&2 in the afternoon.
Wall, who has played 431 European Tour events since collecting the only win of his career in South Africa 16 years ago, chipped in for eagle to beat Haydn Porteous in the morning and edged out compatriot Oliver Fisher at the fourth extra hole in the afternoon.
Five successive birdies from the second had sent Noren four clear in his last-eight match and Carlsson never threatened to draw level.
The 33 year old, a five-time winner on the European Tour, made a similarly hot start after lunch as an opening hat-trick of gains put him three up on Morrison.
A 10-footer for birdie at the seventh sent Noren four clear, and although Morrison won the ninth and tenth to halve the deficit, he failed to get-up-and-down from a bunker at the 11th.
A birdie from 15 feet at the 12th kept Morrison interested, but Noren holed a 10-footer at the next to restore a three-up lead that he refused to relinquish on the way in.
Noren is currently 14th on The Race to Dubai – which matches his career-high finish from 2011 – and admits this may be the best golf he has ever produced.
He said: “It feels amazing. I’ve never even been close in a match play event before, and it’s pretty hard mentally playing these matches, but I like it.
“I think this is the best period of consistency I have had in my career. It’s not been super golf all the time, but it’s pretty consistent.
“It would be pretty special to win again in Scotland. I don’t know what it is about the place – I love playing links courses and this week we have had great weather so far.
“I know the forecast is for the wind to really blow tomorrow but that doesn’t bother me – I would rather it was really windy than really wet.”
Wall was never behind against Fisher, taking the seventh only to see his opponent level with a birdie from 20 feet on the next.
The 41-year-old immediately regained his advantage as Fisher paid for a wayward drive at the ninth, but Wall bogeyed the 17th and it was not until the fourth extra hole that he got up-and-down from the rough to settle the tie.
Wall said: “I really enjoyed it. Obviously sorry for Oli, because it was a good game so it’s a shame someone had to lose because we’re good pals and we played well.
“We both played well. I was four or fiveunder I think, so I was impressed with Oli today because he stuck with me.It was a great game. I loved every minute of it.
“Alex is the man in form, so it will be a great game. I like the wind.
“Alex won in Sweden a couple of years ago and almost lapped the field in the high wind. Clearly he likes the wind. He hits it low. I’m sure it will be a great game.”