First here is the big weather news
With high winds expected Saturday afternoon and the threat of rain and snow at Dove Mountain on Sunday morning yes, you read that right, snow the schedule for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship has been altered.
The quarterfinals and semifinals will now both be played on Saturday. The quarterfinals will begin at 7:10 a.m. MT (9:10 a.m. ET) with the semifinals set to start at 11:45 a.m. MT (1:45 p.m. ET).
The 18-hole championship match will be played on Sunday beginning at 12:15 p.m. MT (2:15 p.m. ET) with the consolation match starting 15 minutes earlier. Originally both the semifinals and championship were slated for Sunday.
With all the other big boys gone the stage is set for Martin Kaymer to take over the world's #1 spot. First he has to get to the final and that road starts today with his friend and Ryder Cup colleague Miguel Angel Jimenez.
I was out all day yesterday so missed all the action Here are the match reports if you did as well courtesy pgatour.com
Sam Snead bracket results
BUBBA WATSON (5) def. GEOFF OGILVY (8), 6 and 4
In a surprising rout, Watson eliminated the two-time Accenture Match Play champion with a terrific display of golf, essentially shooting 9 under in 14 holes. "Went good out there today," Watson said. Indeed, he had five birdies, one eagle and one bogey on his scorecard but was also conceded another birdie and another eagle to beat the Australian, who played admirably himself in losing for just the fourth time in 24 career matches in this event. "He played very well," Ogilvy said. "It's hard to play a guy that plays that well." Watson, one of the longest drivers on TOUR, used that advantage in winning three of the four par-5 holes Friday. He birdied two of them (holes 2 and 8), eagled another (the 13th) and was conceded the 11th before he could attempt an eagle putt from inside 15 feet. But his iron play was just as impressive. Having won the first two holes, Ogilvy struck his approach shot at the par-4 third to inside 10 feet for birdie. He drained the putt, putting him 3 up and putting Ogilvy back on his heels. The Aussie answered with a birdie at the 5th, but he failed to win the 7th despite making a 22-foot birdie putt. That's because Watson struck his approach to five feet for an easy birdie to halve the hole. On the next hole, Watson hit a tremendous approach shot from the native area, finding the green for a two-putt birdie to again deny Ogilvy the hole. Watson's lone bogey of the day dropped his lead to 1 up at the turn, but on the 10th, he won the hole with a 12-1/2 foot birdie putt. Ogilvy then conceded the 11th to Watson, whose second shot on the par-5 hole landed inside 15 feet. Ogilvy, 4 down, then bogeyed the par-3 12th when he found the rough with his tee shot. At the 13th, Watson rolled in an eagle putt just inside 17 feet. Watson finished off the match with a flourish, hitting another great approach shot to within four feet at the 14th, with Ogilvy ultimately conceding the hole and the match.
Next opponent for Watson: J.B. Holmes winner
J.B. HOLMES (6) def. JASON DAY (10), 1 up
Holmes' Cinderella run continued as he claimed the decisive 18th hole to knock out the young Aussie in a match that had its share of missteps. "Neither one of us had our A game," Holmes said. A late edition to the field as the fill-in for an injured Tim Clark, Holmes is through to the quarters in just his second appearance in this event. Day did not have to play the 17th and 18th holes in either of the first two rounds, but he had to do so Friday -- and he bogeyed each one to lose control of the match. Day was 1 up heading to 17, but he failed to reach the green in regulation and his third shot left him more than 42 feet from the pin as he failed to save par. Now all square going into 18, Day did the one thing he could not do -- find the back bunker at the 18th. That left him with no chance to get it close to the pin, and he ended up with another par putt of about 40 feet. Meanwhile, Holmes was in a similar position, although he was putting for birdie. When Holmes rolled his putt to within two feet, Day conceded. Holmes was not spectacular -- he was even par on the day -- but he was steadied himself after bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes. From there, he was a bogey-free 1 under on the last 12 holes. Day was a rollercoaster 1 over, with five birdies, four bogeys and one double.
Next opponent for Holmes: Bubba Watson
Ben Hogan bracket results
MATT KUCHAR (4) def. RICKIE FOWLER (8), 2 and 1
Kuchar never trailed in his match with Fowler, but that certainly doesn't mean it was easy. There were adventures in the desert, penalty shots and encounters with cacti and sagebrush to entertain the ample crowd. But in the end, the steady 1997 U.S. Amateur champ won out over Fowler, who was coming off a 6 and 5 win over Phil Mickelson in the second round. "I think I'm lucky I didn't run into him yesterday," Kuchar said. "It sounded like yesterday he was on fire and would have cleaned me out yesterday. Kuchar birdied the first two holes, one to keep pace and the second to win the hole, then went 2 up when Fowler bogeyed the third. But Fowler battled back to square the match with birdies at the sixth and eighth holes before the two visited the desert on opposite sides of the fairway at the 10th hole and Kuchar won with a bogey. "I was lucky to win that hole," Kuchar said. Fowler then bogeyed the next two holes to put Kuchar 3 up. "I'm disappointed about 11 and 12, missing some little up and downs and short putts that I thought definitely helped the match go the other way," Fowler said. The 22-year-old did manage to win two more holes -- the 15th with his third straight birdie and the 16th with a par. But the match ended when Kuchar staked his approach at the 17th hole to 5 feet and Fowler couldn't get up and down from behind the green.
Next opponent for Kuchar: Y.E. Yang
Y.E. YANG (11) def. GRAEME McDOWELL (2), 3 and 2
The Korean finished off the reigning U.S. Open champ in style, chipping in from the intermediate rough just off the green at the 16th hole for the winning birdie. That was Yang's fourth consecutive birdie on the back nine in a round that included eight birdies, two bogeys and a double. Yang has now beaten Alvaro Quiros, Stewart Cink and McDowell in making an impressive run to his first quarterfinals appearance in this event. Yang jumped out to an early lead, with three birdies in his first four holes. The latter two put him 2 up, but he gave back a hole with a bogey at the fifth. McDowell, though, gave it right back with a bogey at the par-3 sixth when he found the greenside bunker. He then failed to win the 8th hole when he missed a birdie putt inside four feet. Still, he clawed back, managing to square the match when Yang made a mess of things at the 10th. The match remained squared heading to the 14th, but that's when Yang pulled away with that birdie streak. His approach shot at the 14th landed inside seven feet, and his approach on the 15th rolled to within four feet, setting the stage for Yang's dramatic finish. "He was a tough man to beat today and to be brutally honest, I was frustrated with my game all week," McDowell said. "I hit a lot of average shots for me."
Next opponent for Yang: Matt Kuchar
Gary Player bracket results
MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ (6) def. BEN CRANE (10), 7 and 6
Now Crane knows how Rory McIlroy felt after the American blitzed him 8 and 7 in the second round. Jimenez was in control from the outset Friday as Crane made the first of his five bogeys on No. 1 and the Spaniard birdied Nos. 2, 3 and 4 to grab a 4 up advantage. Jimenez two-putted the second from 44 feet, made a 4-footer at No. 3 and drained a 14-footer for birdie at the fourth during that torrid stretch. Crane then gave Jimenez three straight holes with bogeys starting at the eighth hole and found himself 7 down at the 11th tee. All that remained was for the two men to halve the next two holes with birdies before Jimenez could put another match in the win column. The red-haired, pony-tailed Spaniard, who is called "The Mechanic," is the oldest player remaining in the field at 47. He's now in the quarterfinals for the second time in 10 appearances and his record has improved to 9-9 overall.
Next opponent for Jimenez: Martin Kaymer
MARTIN KAYMER (1) def. HUNTER MAHAN (5), 2 and 1
It did not come easy for Kaymer, the only No. 1 seed still left in the field. He trailed for most of the first 13 holes and he never held the lead until he rolled in a birdie putt from 11-1/2 feet on the 16th hole. But the reigning PGA champ -- who can move to No. 1 in the world should he reach the tournament finals Sunday -- found a way to prevail against Mahan in perhaps the best-played match of the tournament. Kaymer had seven birdies (and another conceded) while Mahan had three birdies (and another conceded) along with an eagle. "It was a great match," Kaymer said. "It was all about birdies, not about making bogeys." Mahan started quickly, winning the first hole on Kaymer's lone bogey of the day, then claiming the second when he dropped in an eagle putt from 31-1/2 feet. When Kaymer conceded the 11th hole after finding the desert with two shots ("Two golf shots I haven't really seen often from me," he said), he found himself 2 down. But that's when he turned it on. He was conceded a birdie at the par-5 13th to win that hole, then he and Mahan halved the next two holes with birdies. But Mahan couldn't keep the pace up, and Kaymer's tee shot on the 16th proved to be the difference. Mahan had one last chance at the 17th but he doubled bogeyed -- a disappointing finish for the American in what otherwise was a terrific effort against the potential No. 1.
Next opponent for Kaymer: Miguel Angel Jimenez
Bobby Jones bracket results
LUKE DONALD (3) def. MATTEO MANASSERO (15), 3 and 2
Donald led from the outset in his match with the Italian teen, who had already knocked out the steady world No. 8 Steve Stricker. Donald, who clocks in at No. 9, wasn't going to be another upset victim, though, and he set the tone for the day early. Three birdies and a par to Manassero's bogey had Donald leading 4 up by the seventh hole. Manassero won the eighth with a birdie but Donald came back with a 16-footer at the ninth to make the turn 4 up. Donald then gained a 5-up advantage, his largest of the day, after the 17-year-old bogeyed the 10th hole, leaving his third shot in the bunker. But Manassero refused to fold, holing an eagle chip from 44 yards at the par-5 13th and making birdie at No. 15 to narrow the gap to 3 down. But the match was dormie at that point, and only a Herculean effort could avoid the loss. Donald then proceeded to two-putt for par at No. 16 to seal the victory. You've got to expect to see the two on the same European Ryder Cup team down the road, though. And Manassero still has two years to become the youngest player ever to win a PGA TOUR event. "It was a good win," Donald said. "I knew he was going to be a tough competitor."
Next opponent for Donald: Ryan Moore
RYAN MOORE (12) def. NICK WATNEY (8), 19 holes
In the only match Friday that went required an extra hole, Moore advanced by rolling in a birdie putt just inside 11 feet on the 19th hole (the par-4 first). It was Moore's sixth birdie of the day. Add in one eagle and one bogey, and Moore ended up shooting 7 under on the day. "I played a little bit better today than I had the first couple of days," Moore said. "It was just a battle." Watney has been one of the hottest players on TOUR, and he came into Friday's match having knocked out the world's No. 1 player, Lee Westwood. When he won the first two holes with birdies, it looked to be more of the same. But Moore has avoided trouble for most of the week -- he has just five bogeys through the first three rounds -- and his steady play eventually proved the difference. "You knew it was going to be a tough match," Moore said. "Right out of the gate he starts making birdies." But Moore made his share, too. His birdie at the sixth from 24 feet away squared the match and he never trailed after that. A pivotal stretch started at the 15th when Moore drove the green at the short par 4 and nailed the eagle putt from just inside 39 feet to go 1 up. He then won the next hole after his tee shot on the par-3 16th landed inside five feet. But his lone bogey of the day gave Watney the 17th hole, and then Watney stuffed his approach inside five feet to win the 18th hole and even the match.
Next opponent for Moore: Luke Donald
Accenture Match Play: Preview of quarterfinal matches (my picks in bold)
pgatour.com
Yesterday my score... 16 players 8 matches 2 right 6 wrong !!
57 9:10 a.m. ET 12. RYAN MOORE vs. 3. LUKE DONALD Jones
Accenture Match Play records: Moore is 3-1. Donald is 13-6.
THE SKINNY: Donald has been playing steady golf all week -- making 14 birdies and just a trio of bogeys, all three of which came in his second-round match with Edoardo Molinari. No player in the field has made fewer bogeys through the first three rounds. The Englishman has yet to play the 18th hole but Moore needed it -- and one more -- to dismiss Nick Watney as both players shot 7 under in a nail-biter on Friday. Donald has twice reached the third round, only to be eliminated so he joins the 2004 U.S. Amateur champ in making his first quarterfinal appearance.
58 9:22 a.m. ET 4. MATT KUCHAR vs. 11. Y.E. YANG Hogan
Accenture Match Play records: Kuchar is 4-1. Yang is 4-2.
THE SKINNY: Each man knocked out glitzier opponents on Friday -- Kuchar downing the colorful Rickie Fowler and Yang ousting world No. 3 Graeme McDowell. That's how they like to do their jobs, though -- head down and moving forward. Yang made birdies in bunches against the Northern Irishman, including four straight to end the match, while Kuchar's putter was relatively quiet. Eliminating mistakes will be the key for both.
59 9:34 a.m. ET 1. MARTIN KAYMER vs. 6. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ Player
Accenture Match Play records: Kaymer is 5-3. Jimenez is 9-9.
THE SKINNY: The two Ryder Cup teammates appeared to save their best golf for the third round. Kaymer seven birdies and just one bogey while knocking off Hunter Mahan 2 and 1. Jimenez blitzed Ben Crane, closing out the match on the 12th hole. Kaymer has a carrot dangling -- he'll be No. 1 in the world if he reaches the title tilt but with that comes pressure, as well.
60 9:46 a.m. ET 5. BUBBA WATSON vs. 6. J.B. HOLMES Snead
Accenture Match Play records: Watson is 3-0. Holmes is 3-1.
THE SKINNY: Fans of the long ball got their wish when these two won their third-round matches. Watson ranks first in driving distance with an average of 314.8, which is 4.3 yards longer than Holmes, who has already unleashed one of more than 370 in the thin air at Dove Mountain. "It should be fun," Holmes said. "We'll get out there and see who hits it the furthest." Holmes, ranked No. 66 in the world, was the last man in when Tim Clark withdrew on Tuesday. He didn't even get a practice round but he knows desert golf, with a pair of victories at TPC Scottsdale
PGA Tour Mayakoba Classic, Cancun
David Hearn is T32 69, 70 -3
Both Chris Baryla 79,69 and Matt McQuillan 76,72 missed the cut
Chris Stroud is the leader at -11
LPGA HSBC Womens Champions, Singapore
Alena Sharp is 59th 80 76 74 +14 (63 in the field
Chie Arimura of South Korea is the leader at -11 by a shot over Karrie Webb. Yani Tseng is T3 but 6 shots behind at -5
Bryan Angus
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