Day 3 Notes – WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship
With his 1-up victory over Jonathan Byrd, defending champion Henrik Stenson has now won nine consecutive matches (10-1 record) at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. By winning both his first and second-round matches 6 and 5, Byrd had yet to reach the 15th hole in a match. Stenson, on the other hand, has taken at least 18 holes to win all three matches this week. (Allenby 1-up, Immelman 25 holes, Byrd 1-up). Tomorrow's quarterfinal match between Henrik Stenson and Woody Austin is a rematch of sorts from the 2007 HSBC World Match Play Championship Wentworth Club. Stenson and Austin squared off against each other in the first round. Their match was suspended at all square due to darkness, but Stenson closed it out the following morning with a birdie on the 18th hole.
Stenson is attempting to become the second player in tournament history to defend his title (Tiger Woods 2003-2004) and the third player to win multiple World Golf Championships events. (Tiger Woods 14, Darren Clarke 2). Last year Geoff Ogilvy, who won the 2006 edition of the Accenture Match Play Championship, managed to get to the finals but lost to Stenson 2 and 1.
Stewart Cink (11-8) advances to the quarterfinals for the second time in eight appearances at this event. Cink defeated Colin Montgomerie 4 and 2. In 2004, Montgomerie sent Cink home in the second round with a 5 and 4 win.
It has been a nice Ryder Cup-prep week for Stewart Cink with victories over Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie.
Tiger Woods, who defeated Aaron Baddeley in 20 holes in the third round, improves his record to 28-6 in his ninth year playing this event. Woods is 18-4 against the international players and 10-2 against his fellow Americans. Woods’ two losses against his countrymen were against Jeff Maggert in the quarterfinals of the inaugural event in 1999 and Chad Campbell in the third round in 2006. Woods has four losses against International players in this event, three times to an Australian - to Peter O’Malley in the first round in 2002 and twice to Nick O’Hern (2005, 2007) -- and then Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke in the finals of 2000, 4 and 3.
With his victory on Friday, Tiger Woods has won 20 of his last 23 matches.
Most appearances in the quarterfinals
Tiger Woods (5) 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008
David Toms (3) 2002, 2003, 2005
Davis Love III (3) 2000, 2004, 2006
Nick O’Hern (3) 2001, 2005, 2007
Darren Clarke (3) 2000, 2003, 2004
Five out of the eight remaining players are advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time at the Accenture Match Play Championship: Woody Austin, Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi, Justin Leonard, Vijay Singh
Upsets (yearly, by round):
Year Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 QF SF Final
2008 13 8 2
2007 11 7 3 0 0 0
2006 13 6 7 4 1 1
2005 13 7 4 3 1 0
2004 12 7 3 0 0 0
2003 13 9 4 1 0 1
2002 13 11 3 4 2 2
2001 12 10 6 1 2 2
2000 11 7 1 1 1 1
1999 18 9 4 3 1 0
Totals 129 81 37 17 8 7
Updated all-time Accenture Match Play Championship Records for 8 remaining players:
Player W-L Years entered
Tiger Woods 28-6 9 (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Vijay Singh 11-8 9 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Stewart Cink 11-8 9 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Justin Leonard 8-8 9 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008)
Angel Cabrera 6-6 7 (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
K.J. Choi 5-5 6 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Henrik Stenson 10-1 3 (2006, 2007, 2008)
Woody Austin 3-0 1 (2008)
First-time Participants:
Of the 17 first-time participants at the 2008 Accenture Match Play Championship, only Woody Austin has moved on to the quarterfinals round.
USA’s Woody Austin (No. 37) defeated Boo Weekley, 3 and 2
Two matches went to extra holes during Friday’s third round. Since the tournament moved to The Gallery at Dove Mountain (South Course) in 2007, there have been 17 matches that ended to extra holes. Vijay Singh’s victory over Rod Pampling through 25 holes tied the longest match at The Gallery and sets the record for the longest third-round match. Yesterday, Henrik Stenson defeated Trevor Immelman in 25 holes as well–the longest second-round match in tournament history. The longest match in the 10 year history of the event was 26 holes, twice.
Friday’s matches that went extra holes:
Tiger Woods defeated Aaron Baddeley, 20 holes
Vijay Singh defeated Rod Pampling, 25 holes
Longest match (non-championship):
26 holes, Scott Verplank def. Lee Westwood, first round, 2006
26 holes, Mike Weir def. Loren Roberts, first round, 2003
25 holes, Henrik Stenson def. Trevor Immelman, second round, 2008
25 holes, Vijay Singh def. Rod Pampling, third round, 2008
25 holes, Darren Clarke def. Eduardo Romero, first round, 2004
In the rules sheet at the beginning of the 2008 event, it was decided that once the third round begins, extra holes would go by the following sequence – Holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 16, 17 and 18. Therefore, Vijay Singh’s victory after 25 holes came on the course’s 17th Hole.
Updated all-time Accenture Match Play Championship win leaders:
No. Player W-L 2008
1 Tiger Woods 28-6 3-0
2 David Toms 23-8 1-1
3 Davis Love III 18-8
4 Darren Clarke 14-7
5 Adam Scott 13-7 1-1
Phil Mickelson 13-9 1-1
7 Chris DiMarco 12-7
Retief Goosen 12-9 0-1
Breakdown of the field after the third round:
International players: 4 of the 9 remaining won their second round match
United States players: 4 of the 7 remaining won their second round match
Countries represented: 5 of the original 17 are still in the field
Largest contingent following third round: USA (4),
Winners of the eight matches by Country
USA (4)
Stewart Cink
Woody Austin
Justin Leonard
Tiger Woods
South Korea
K.J. Choi
Sweden
Henrik Stenson
Fiji
Vijay Singh
Argentina
Angel Cabrera
Most Consecutive Matches won at the Accenture Match Play Championship
Player consecutive years
Tiger Woods 13 2003-05
Geoff Ogilvy 11 2006-07
Henrik Stenson 9 2007-08* (current)
David Toms 8 2005-06
Kevin Sutherland 8 2002-03
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