Member Center

Z-AP-STATE-SPORTS

Casey cruising through Match Play competition

Posted: Feb 19, 2010 4:21 PM
Updated: Feb 19, 2010 4:21 PM

Bookmark and Share
Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

MARANA, Ariz. (AP) Paul Casey has yet to play the final four holes at Dove Mountain after three days of the Match Play Championship.

That's because the Englishman has won all three of his matches 5 and 4, the latest over Brian Gay in the third round Friday. Casey lost to Geoff Ogilvy in the final last year and won the European World Match Play Championship in 2006.

"I don't think there's any one particular part of my game that's jumping out that is fantastic right now," he said. "It's just all very, very solid."

Casey, the highest remaining seed at No. 6 and one of three English players still in it, advanced to a Saturday morning quarterfinal against Stewart Cink, the lone surviving American and a semifinalist for the third year in a row.

Cink beat South African Charl Schwartzel in 19 holes, rolling in a 29-foot putt on the 16th and an 18-footer on the 18th to avoid elimination.

"To be able to win against a guy like that today was really special," Cink said, "and especially the way I did it."

Spain's Sergio Garcia advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in nine appearances in the tournament, beating Tim Clark of South Africa 2 and 1. Garcia will play Oliver Wilson, who beat fellow Englishman Luke Donald in 20 holes in a match that exceeded even Cink's in drama.

Donald rolled in a 50-foot putt over several slopes on No. 18 to stay alive.

"A bit harsh, I thought," Wilson said.

Wilson made a nearly-as-difficult putt from 38 feet two holes later, then won the match when Donald missed a 12-footer.

"If I'd have missed (the 38-footer) I think he would have holed that," Wilson said, "so it needed to get done, and it was nice to get it over with."

The other two quarterfinal matches have South African Retief Goosen against Colombian Camilo Villegas, and Ian Poulter of England against Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand. Goosen beat Nick Watney 1-up, Villegas defeated Ben Crane 3 and 2, Poulter beat Jeev Milkha Singh 5 and 4, and Jaidee defeated Ryo Ishikawa 5 and 4.

Morning winners go on to play the semifinals Saturday afternoon on the course carved out of a desert hillside near Tucson.

The tournament seemed to become an afterthought to the golf world in the glare of Tiger Woods' public apology Friday, except for the competitors.

"I'm glad he came out and said something but, you know, I just think everyone should go on with their own lives now and let him get on with his," Wilson said. "I just want him back on the course."

Topics: Match Play

Comments

KVOA.com is Social!

Most Popular

DON'T MISS THESE!

Thumbnail
FC TUCSON

Check out the latest events FC Tucson has scheduled.

Thumbnail
SUBMIT NEWS TIP

Click here to submit a news tip to us!

Thumbnail
NEWS 4 TUCSON ON FACEBOOK

Become a Facebook Fan!

Thumbnail
@KVOA ON TWITTER

Follow us!

Thumbnail
BECOME A MEMBER

Sign up on KVOA.com for newsletters, exclusive deals, and more!

Thumbnail
KVOA.COM LATEST CONTESTS

Win! Win! Win!

Thumbnail
KVOA MOBILE APPS

Get news, weather and more on your smartphone and tablet!

Thumbnail
TEXT ALERTS

Get texts for news, traffic, deals and more!

Thumbnail
KRISTI'S KIDS

Stories and videos with Kristi's Kids

Thumbnail
NEWS 4 TUCSON @ 4

What's happening on News 4 @ 4

Thumbnail
ADVERTISE WITH KVOA.COM

Let us help grow your business

Thumbnail
COMMUNITY CALENDAR

What's happening?

Thumbnail
KVOA PROGRAM SCHEDULE

What's on KVOA and when!

Thumbnail
CONTACT US

Contact info for our department heads

Thumbnail
FCC ONLINE PUBLIC FILE

FCC Public File of Records, Reports, and More

Thumbnail
MEET US!

KVOA's on air personalities!

Thumbnail
KVOA CAREERS

Work at News 4 Tucson

Thumbnail
RSS FEEDS

Complete feeds of all KVOA.com stories