WENTWORTH, England, 17 October 2004 — Defending champion Ernie Els and European Ryder Cup hero Lee Westwood swept into today’s final of the World Match Play Championship here in yesterday’s semifinals.
Els defeated an injured Padraig Harrington 5 and 4 while Westwood won a titanic battle against his Ryder Cup teammate Miguel Angel Jimenez, winning a nail biting one up.
The 34-year-old Els, going for a record sixth match play title, was always in control of his match against the Irishman who was hampered by an injured thumb.
In Friday’s quarterfinal against Frenchman Thomas Levet, Harrington broke his 4-iron when his follow through wrapped round a tree in the morning. He was lucky to escape injury.
He was not so lucky in the afternoon when on the ninth hole he again wrapped his club around a tree, smashing his thumb and cutting it against the trunk.
The damage was obvious in the morning at the practice ground. The bruising was clear to see and Harrington admitted he had trouble trying to hold the club. Harrington was always trying to pull back the arrears but each time he managed to grab back a hole, the world No. 2 would strike back.
Spectacular Birdies Boost Garcia
In Pula, Mallorca, Spain, Sergio Garcia fired two spectacular birdies yesterday to take a share of the Mallorca Classic third round lead with Simon Khan of Britain.
Garcia had holed a wedge shot in the second round for an eagle two and his uncanny eye for the cup continued on Saturday when he sank a bunker shot at the short 13th, then chipped in from rough under the 17th green, to card a two-under-par 68.
The tournament favorite and world No. 11 would have held the lead on his own but found fate against him on the last, which he bogeyed for a second day in succession.
Khan had a chance to edge back in front but missed a seven-foot birdie putt on the last to shoot a 71, leaving the pair on nine-under-par 201, two strokes ahead of Austria’s Markus Brier, who posted a 67.
Garcia, 57 places above Khan on the world rankings, also refused to concede that would be an advantage in the final round. “My only advantage will be having the crowd cheering me on,” he said.
Khan, three shots ahead of Garcia overnight despite suffering a heavy cold all week, stuck in doggedly to try to seal his second win of the year after a maiden success in the Wales Open in June.
Geiberger Grabs Greensboro Halfway Lead
Brent Geiberger shrugged off gusty winds and a sore hip to post a bogey-free 67 Friday and take a one-shot lead at the halfway point of the Greater Greensboro Classic.
Geiberger, whose father, Al, won this event 28 years ago, had an 11-under total of 133.
“Today was a lot tougher than yesterday, that’s for sure,” Geiberger said.
David Toms, Jeff Brehaut and Tom Pernice shared second on 134. Toms carded a 65, Brehaut a 66 and Pernice a 68.
First-round leader Jason Dufner carded a 70 and was among a group two strokes adrift.
Geiberger missed only two fairways and two greens in regulation, despite winds gusting at more than 20 miles per hour.
Geiberger, 36, is battling to retain his exempt status for next season. He is 144th on the money list and has to jump into the top 125 in the next three weeks to be fully exempt for 2005.
He’ll have his work cut out staying in front of a tightly bunched field.
The chasers include Toms, a former major champion and nine-time winner on the tour, who closed strong on Thursday and maintained his momentum as he matched the best round of the day.
