CARLSBAD, California, 28 February 2005 — Chris DiMarco completed a week of upsets at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Saturday, beating fourth seed Retief Goosen to set up an all-American final with Ryder Cup team mate David Toms.
With world No. 1 Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods, the 2003 and 2004 champion, leading the elite 64-player field, few would have tipped a DiMarco-Toms showdown when the rain-delayed $7.5 million event began a day late on Thursday. The match play format, though, continued to live up to its unpredictable reputation.
DiMarco, without a tournament win in nearly three years, rallied from three down to dismiss South African Goosen 2 & 1 while Toms reached the final for the second time in three years with a 3 & 2 victory over Britain’s Ian Poulter.
It marks the fourth consecutive year two Americans will play in the final, which is decided over 36 holes on Sunday and is worth $1.3 million to the winner.
Webb Wins Fifth Australian Ladies Masters Title
In Gold Coast, Australia, Australia’s former world No.1 Karrie Webb fired a closing round of five-under 67 to claim her fifth Australian Ladies Masters title in eight years at the Royal Pines resort yesterday.
Webb reeled in a four-shot deficit in just five holes of the final 18 holes demoralizing 19-year-old Japanese front-runner Ai Miyazato, who wilted with a round of par 72.
Webb, who trailed Miyazato by seven shots at the halfway stage of the tournament, finished with sub-par rounds of 70-68-67-67 for a 16-under total of 272 for her one-shot victory.
Filipino Rosales Captures Turtle Bay LPGA Tournament
In Kahuku, Hawaii, Jennifer Rosales held off amateur Michelle Wie to capture the $1 million SBS Open by two strokes for her second career LPGA Tour victory on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Filipino fired a one-over 73 on Saturday to finish at eight-under-par 208.
“I was excited to start the year and it turned out to be a pretty good week to start,” said Rosales, who collected $150,000 for the win.
“I am pretty happy. I got my second win and it is just a good start for me this year.”
Wie carded her third consecutive 70 but still came up two shots shy of Rosales at Turtle Bay Resort Golf Club.
Rosales entered Saturday’s final round with a two-stroke advantage and finished two shots clear of Korean-American Wie and Cristie Kerr. She left the door slightly open with two bogeys and seven pars on the back nine but battled hard down the stretch.
Kerr fired an even-par 72 to tie Wie for second. Reilley Rankin shot a 75 and finished fourth at four-under.
O’Malley Wins New Zealand PGA in Playoff
In Wellington, Peter O’Malley beat fellow Australian Steven Bowditch in a playoff to win the New Zealand PGA in Christchurch yesterday. O’Malley, 39, birdied the fourth extra hole to capture the seventh professional title of his career after the pair had finished tied on 14-under-par 274.
Bowditch, who won last week’s South Australian Open, started the day six shots behind joint overnight leader O’Malley but charged through the field with a course record-equalling nine-under 63 at the Clearwater Resort. O’Malley carded a 69 but should have sealed victory on the last regulation hole when he missed a par putt from four feet.
Ogilvy Grabs Share of Tucson PGA Lead
In Tucson, Arizona, Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy fired a 67 with five birdies and no bogeys to seize a share of the lead after the third round of the PGA Tour’s $3 million Tucson tournament. Ogilvy, who is looking for his first PGA Tour win, is level with Korean-American Kevin Na at 18-under-par 198. They have a one-shot lead over Doug Barron, of the United States.
He carded a seven-under 65. In three rounds, Na has 21 birdies, second in the tournament, and three bogeys.
