Paul Casey reached the Elite Eight in the 2007 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Feb. 27, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM Staff
ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY ELITE EIGHT: Casey | Cink | Els | Fisher | Leonard | McIlroy | Ogilvy | O'Hair
When Paul Casey, who lives in nearby Scottsdale, played a practice round at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club a couple of weeks ago, let's just say his opinion of the course wasn't quite the same as it is now. Which is to say that it's grown on him.
"Certainly the green complexes, they're complex," Casey said. "I think what's changed this week is that the TOUR has moved a lot of the tees around and it gives us more options with club selection."
As a result, Casey, who has the experience of being a member of three European Ryder Cup teams, has seemed to play better as the week has worn on. He's led for all but one hole all week and two of his matches didn't make it past the 16th hole. He's also hit 73 percent of his fairways and 62.5 percent of his greens in regulation this week.
Not bad for someone who just two weeks ago admitted to being intimidated by the greens.
CASEY QUOTE: "I think this format has a lot to do with liking this golf course because you have to be aggressive."
KEY STAT: Casey won his last two matches 4 and 2 and 6 and 4. Casey had just one bogey , compared to eight birdies and one eagle.
QUARTERFINAL OPPONENT: Sean O'Hair (Saturday tee time: 9:44 a.m. ET)
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| How Casey Reached the Quarterfinals |
| Round 1: Defeated Aaron Baddeley |
1 up |
| A pair of 3s -- one for birdie and one for eagle -- on the first two holes gave Casey an advantage he never relinquished in this match between two friends and fellow Whisper Rock members. Casey made the turn 1 up and then padded his lead with a concession at the 11th hole and a birdie at No. 13. But Baddeley didn't give up, winning the 14th and 17th with birdies before Casey closed it out with a par on the last. "It got a bit shaky at the end," Casey said. "Maybe the jet lag coming from Australia kicked in as I hit a couple of loose shots. But through to the next round so happy about that." |
| Round 2: Defeated Mathew Goggin |
6 and 4 |
| Casey won for the seventh time in his last nine matches at the Accenture Match Play Championship when he made short work of the man from Tasmania. The Englishman, who maintains a home in Scottsdale, Ariz., won the second hole with a birdie, the fifth with a concession and the sixth and ninth with pars to turn 4 up. Birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 then sealed the victory for Casey, who reached the quarterfinals in 2007 and the third round last year. "It didn't seem that easy," Casey said. "I think the score lies a little bit. ... But I played very solid golf, which I was happy with because yesterday I felt like I played very weak for the 16 holes." Goggin, who upset FedExCup leader Kenny Perry in the opener, was making his World Golf Championships debut. |
| Round 3: Defeated Peter Hanson |
4 and 2 |
| Through the first 11 holes Friday, Casey was a bogey-free 4 under, allowing him to go 5 up on Hanson, who bogeyed two of his first three holes. Hanson didn't get back on track until the 13th when he began a string of three straight birdies, but any miracle rally was cut short when he bogeyed the 16th to lose the hole and the match. "That was really good golf today," Casey said. "I want to say I'm just very, very happy with that. It seems to be getting better as the week has progressed. ... Made quite a few birdies, even popped in an eagle and didn't really make any mistakes." |
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| Previous Accenture Match Play results |
| 2003 |
0 |
1 |
T33 |
| Matches: Lost to Love III, 5 and 4 |
| 2004 |
0 |
1 |
T33 |
| Matches: Lost to Micheel, 21 holes |
| 2005 |
0 |
1 |
T33 |
| Matches: Lost to Cabrera,, 4 and 2 |
| 2006 |
0 |
1 |
T33 |
| Matches: Lost to Stenson, 1 down |
| 2007 |
3 |
1 |
T5 |
| Matches: Beat Weir, 1 up; Montgomerie, 4 and 3; Micheel, 1 up; lost to Ogilvy, 5 and 4 |
| 2008 |
2 |
1 |
T9 |
| Matches: Beat Karlsson, 1 up; Dredge, 2 and 1; lost to Choi, 1 down |
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