Accenture Match Play Elite Eight: England's Ross Fisher

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Ross Fisher has been one of the tournament surprises with his run to the quarterfinals this week in Marana, Ariz.

Feb. 27, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM Staff

When he finished tied for 13th at the Dubai Desert Classic a few weeks ago, Ross Fisher thought his game was rounding into form. Then ... he was snowed under. Literally. For the better part of a week in his home in England, Fisher couldn't even get his car out of the driveway. So much for practice.

A Valentine's trip with his wife (not that he's complaining!) also limited his practice schedule. So, with his lack of practice and the fact he had never participated in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, it's a bit surprising to see him in the final eight his week in Arizona.

But those who see him play on a regular basis knows he has the game. He almost made the European Ryder Cup team last year, and he's making a bold statement this week for the 2010 squad.

FISHER QUOTE: "If I'm being honest, I wasn't 100 percent prepared, but I felt like my game was in reasonable shape, and fortunately coming here, it just seems like it's getting better and better every day. I feel very comfortable and confident on the golf course and I feel like I'm swinging it really, really well. I'm finally starting to hole a few putts, which obviously in match play is crucial."

KEY STAT: Since posting back-to-back bogeys early in his first-round match, Fisher is 15 under in his last 41 holes, with 15 birdies and 1 eagle.

QUARTERFINAL OPPONENT: Justin Leonard (Saturday tee time: 9:56 a.m. ET)

How Fisher Reached the Quarterfinals

Round 1: Defeated Robert Allenby	1 up
Fisher, playing in his first Accenture Match Play, got off to a shaky start with consecutive bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes. But he calmed down with four birdies in a nine-hole stretch. His birdie at the 15th put him 2 up and despite a bogey on the 17th, he maintained the lead.
Round 2: Defeated Pat Perez	6 and 5
Fisher needed just 13 holes to knock off Perez, winner of the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer earlier this year. Fisher birdied four of the first eight holes to go up 4 up, then closed out the match with an eagle. For the day he was 6 under for 13 holes. Meanwhile, Perez, after an early birdie, double bogeyed the 5th and could never get back on track. "Fortunately for me, (Perez) was a little bit off today and I was bang on form," Fisher said. "It was quite a sweet victory."
Round 3: Defeated Jim Furyk	5 and 4
Fisher, a two-time winner on the European Tour, continued his somewhat surprising roll. The 28-year-old Brit applied the pressure from the outset and Furyk won only two holes all day. Fisher, meanwhile, made seven birdies and just one bogey in the decisive win that saw him make the turn 3 up. Furyk's two wins came at the two back-nine par 5s, each time to narrow the gap to 2 down. But Fisher closed out the match out with two 5-footers for birdie at Nos. 14 and 15. "My game's been in really, really good shape this week," Fisher said. "I feel like the course suits me very, very well. I just knew I had to come out and play some solid golf."