European/International Players Dominate Match Play Tournament
February 24, 2007 by admin
It’s not a surprise to me (except for the fact that Tiger’s out), but the European/International players have dominated this year’s Accenture Match Play Championship in Tuscon. Chad Campbell was the lone American left in the semi-finals but he choked his way out of the tourament and lost to defending U.S. Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy. In the other semi-final, Henrik Stenson buried Trevor Immelman 3 & 2, but the match wasn’t really that close.
This could have been the Ryder Cup matches because the International players seem to just pull out all the stops when it comes to match play, and they leave nothing in the bag. It’s not that the American players aren’t trying, or don’t care, they just don’t pull off that clutch putt or chip when they really need it. Stenson made a couple of bombs today and while the odds were against him making them, it just wasn’t all that surprising that he did. Chad Campbell actually had the tournament in his grasp at one point, but Ogilvy is like a bulldog and just keeps coming and doesn’t get all out of sorts when he’s behind.
It’s pretty much anyone’s match tomorrow and I have no idea who the favorite might be. Both Stenson and Ogilvy are putting extremely well and you need to do that in match play. I’d probably give the edge to Ogilvy simply because he’s the defending champion.