Stenson outlasts Immelman in match play

2008-02-22

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By Andrew Both PA SportsTicker Golf Writer

TUCSON, Arizona (PA Ticker) -- Defending champion Henrik Stensonneeded quite some time to win his second-round showdown at theAccenture Match Play Championship on Thursday.

Stenson took a big early lead, but in the end had to endureseven extra holes before outlasting Trevor Immelman, 1-up, in amarathon battle of attrition at Dove Mountain.

The Swede admitted he felt a little charmed to live to fightanother day.

"Especially in the playoffs," he said. "I made some importantthree- and four-footers to stay alive, and he missed a couple ofchances. I wouldn''t have been as disappointed after theplayoff if I had lost as he is, because he had much betterchances than I did. I''m just happy I hung in there."

Stenson did not think his match should have gone to extra holes,as he was 4-up after eight holes and seemingly cruising to abig victory.

But Immelman won three of the next five holes to pull back to1-down and, after an untimely bogey, fought back again withbirdies at the 16th and 17th to pull all square.

"He started to play really, really solid and I couldn''t throwthat extra gear in, and that''s why we ended in a playoff,"Stenson said. "Not because I made a lot of bogeys."

Immelman had his chances to win in sudden death. The SouthAfrican missed a 10-footer at the second extra hole and wasunlucky not to win three holes later, when Stenson sank a clutch11-footer to stay alive.

Immelman must have sensed it was not his day, and so it provedat the drivable par-4 seventh.

He found the green, 20 feet from the hole, but gunned his eagleputt nearly seven feet long. Stenson, meanwhile, blasted outfrom a bunker to tap-in distance, leaving Immelman with nochoice but to make his putt in order to extend the match.

He could not do it, however, watching in disgust as Stensoncleaned up to advance to a third round against in-form AmericanJonathan Byrd.

It was the latest close call for the Swede, who on Wednesdaylooked likely to go to extra holes after a horrible tee shot atthe par-4 18th.

At the time, Stenson was 1-up over Robert Allenby, and he stayedthat way by making a magnificent par, getting up and down from190 yards after being forced to pitch his second shot sideways.

Last year, Stenson won three of his six matches 1-up, includingthe first two. He easily could have gone home early but endedup hoisting the trophy and collecting the $1.35 million firstprize.

But that''s the beauty of match play, where the best player overfour days either wins or at least comes close.

Stenson is one of three Europeans through to the last 16,joining Scot Colin Montgomerie and Englishman Paul Casey.

Montgomerie plays American Stewart Cink in Friday''s third round,while Casey meets Korean K.J. Choi.