VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY Championship AT FINCA CORTESIN, CASARES – DAY 2
Top players march through to last 16
Casares (Malaga), Friday 20 May 2011
Sixteen of the world’s best players, including five of the top six, have made it through to the third day of the Volvo World Match Championship.
World number one, Lee Westwood, was in devastating form yesterday as he defeated Australia’s Aaron Baddeley by 4&3 on an afternoon when he notched as many as eight birdies. Now he takes on Ian Poulter who squeaked through after lunch following his halved game with Paul Lawrie yesterday morning. Westwood and Poulter are great friends and Ryder Cup team-mates and their match, the last off the tee in the morning session, is sure to attract a healthy crowd.
World number two, Luke Donald, was in the same relentless form as he reached the last 16 with a convincing 3&1 victory over the defending Champion Ross Fisher after being down at the start. He faces the colourful Swede, Johan Edfors, at 8.15.
While Jiménez lost out in a nail-biting play-off to 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel and Johan Edfors, Spain’s Álvaro Quirós continues to fly the flag for the host nation storming through in his group after a 5&4 win over Søren Kjeldsen in his final group match. He now takes on the talented young Korean Seung-yul Noh in the first match of the morning at 7.45.
Martin Kaymer, the world number three and 2010 US PGA Champion, tees off in the second pair at 7.55 against Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen , while defending Champion Ross Fisher and 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel will be right behind.
A feature match of the morning will most certainly be 2010 US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell against his Ryder Cup team-mate and close friend Rory McIlroy at 8.35. McIlroy lost to the in-form Nicolas Colsaerts, the Volvo China Open champion, and also finished second to the player in his group. Colsaerts, who could not believe that he had beaten Retief Goosen and McIlroy when he has played no match play golf since 1999, now takes on Jhonattan Vegas.
Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Aaron Baddeley are playing against each other in the penultimate morning group as the tournament is reduced to eight for the start of the afternoon session.
Spectators should note that they will need to enjoy a quick lunch in the public village as the first group of the quarter finals tees off at 1.20.
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