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WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS | Unbelievable turn of events sends Stenson to semis PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents MARANA, Ariz. -- Unbelievable. That's the word Henrik Stenson used to describe his 1-up victory against Nick O'Hern in Saturday's quarterfinal round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. ![]() Henrik Stenson is the highest-ranked player left in the field. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage) The Swede might also have been talking about the shot he hit at the 18th hole, though, that put him in position for the hard-fought win and sent him into the afternoon semifinals against Trevor Immelman. Stenson's drive had landed in a bush on the left side of the fairway and he'd had to take a drop. His third shot headed for the green like it was launched by a laser, though, and settled just 2 feet from the pin. O'Hern's second shot landed just off the putting surface and he was 51 feet from the pin. The Aussie left his chip 4 feet short of the hole -- the same distance Tiger Woods had, and also missed, when he had a chance to beat O'Hern on the 19th hole Friday. This time, O'Hern came up short, and Stenson made his putt to seal the win. "It just shows you, you never give up," Stenson said. "It's a funny game, this," agreed O'Hern, who had let the Swede back into the match when he made bogey the par-5 17th. "I really don't know what to say, to be honest. It's just very disappointing at the moment. I felt I've played really good golf over yesterday and today." Immelman had a little easier time of things in his match with Justin Rose, which the South African won 5 and 4. The 2006 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year played extremely well -- making eight birdies in 14 holes, including four in a row beginning at No. 7.
Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy ran his Accenture Match Play Championship record to 10-0 when he beat his good friend and neighbor Paul Casey 5 and 4. He will play Chad Campbell, who beat Stephen Ames 1 up, in the afternoon semifinals. Immelman said he went back to an old swing thought on the range Friday afternoon after battling his swing during the cold, windy third round. Turns out, though, he won the match with his flat stick. "The thing that happened today that hasn't been happening over the last three or four months is I holed some putts," Immelman said. "You know, it's all very well and good hitting good shots, but if you don't hole a putt it doesn't mean anything. That was nice for me today to convert those opportunities." Rose, who upset Phil Mickelson, top-seeded in the Ben Hogan bracket, was disappointed to have lost. At the same time, though, he was pleased by his performance overall. "It's been a great week on many levels," Rose said. "I played some good golf. But yeah, today that's what match play is all about. That's what this tournament is all about, really: One match at a time and (you) ever quite know what to expect. "Trevor played very, very well today. He changed his putter and obviously it was a good decision. Yeah, birdies are tough to beat any day." Rose said he felt that Immelman might have the advantage in his afternoon date with Stenson since the South African had only played 14 holes. Immelman made short work of things when he won the final three holes with a pair of birdies and a par. "Obviously I wanted to push him a little bit further there," Rose said. "But two quick losses at the end kind of finished the match sooner than I was anticipating. "But yeah, he's playing very, very well. He seemed to drive yeah, everything was pretty solid today. I think any time Trevor makes a few putts he's going to shoot pretty well." Ogilvy made six birdies and a lone bogey in his quarterfinal. He trailed just once, when Casey made birdie on the second hole, but promptly won the next three holes with two birdies and a par. "It wasn't easy, but I definitely got fortunate that he wasn't at his best," Ogilvy said. "He's obviously a great player, (HSBC) World Match Play champion, ... so it was obviously going to be a really tough match. "I was lucky he hit a couple of loose tee shots there, and every time I had a key putt I made it. It would have been frustrating for him to watch. He wasn't at his best and I putted well was the story, I thought." Campbell took the lead for good in his tight match with Ames when he holed a 26-footer at the 14th hole. He had just drawn even in the match when the Canadian failed to get up and down from the bunker on the previous hole. "We kind of went back and forth for a while and I was able to make a few putts on the last few holes and hold on," the big-hitting Texan said. "He's steady," Ames said. "He's steady off the tee. I think he hit one bad tee shot today. He's got his irons under control. He's probably going to be the pick to beat there (in the semifinals)." Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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