David Grant
WGC Tournaments
Without the excitement of a Ryder Cup this year, (but the President’s Cup for you true golf aficionados out there) The Accenture World Matchplay Championships offer fans the rare opportunity to witness the best players go head to head in match play duels with the loser being knocked out and going home.
Set at Dove Mountain Golf Club in the Arizona desert, 64 golfers clashed over the first WGC event of the year against the stunning backdrop of the course, carved into the desert and surrounded by mountains and thousands of cacti.
Britain has enjoyed a fruitful period of World Golf Championship tournaments in recent years with Justin Rose and Ian Poulter claiming two of the four tournaments in 2012 and Luke Donald’s victory during his 2011 visit to the Arizona desert.
Matchplay format, whilst exciting, can produce the most surprising of results and, due to unseasonable snow encountered on the first day, by Thursday Rory McIlroy was quickly defeated by bottom seed, Shane Lowry. Ongoing suspicions still remain surrounding McIlroy’s frailty with his new Nike equipment with which he is yet to replicate the form which won him the 2012 USPGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Tiger Woods, home favourite and world number two also went home early as Charles Howell disposed of him. Luke Donald progressed serenely through round two but was then hammered 7 and 6 by lowly American Scott Piercy.
The English charge was led by Ian Poulter, guru of the matchplay format. His numerous virtuouso displays in the Ryder Cup alongside victories in this tournament in 2010 and the European Tour version in 2011 make him a feared competitor in this format and he breezed into the semi-finals.
Unfortunately, Poulter met his match in the form of Hunter Mahan. The American was imperious against Poulter who played scrappy golf in gusty conditions rendering Poulter to a third place playoff with Jason Day, probably the least desired match in golf. Meanwhile Hunter Mahan’s run to the final did not result in a second straight success as Matt Kuchar added a WGC event victory to his impressive résumé which was bolstered by his win at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass last year.
The golf season is now in full swing, with the second WGC event taking place in two weeks. Then golf gears up for the Masters in April, arguably the most prized and illustrious golfing tournament of them all.