|
Share this article:
Digg |
StumbleUpon |
del.icio.us |
Reddit
By Simon Lewis Special to PA SportsTicker
MARANA, Arizona (Ticker)—Tiger Woods was not having it all his own way as he began his much-anticipated comeback from an eight-month injury layoff at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Wednesday.
Woods, playing Australian Brendan Jones in the first round of the 64-man event at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, was playing for the first time since his victory in the U.S. Open in June before undergoing reconstructive knee surgery.
The world No. 1 had started in determined fashion and to a huge roar from the packed stands around the first tee box as he played a 3-wood down the 460-yard, par-4 opening hole on the way to a birdie.
Woods quickly was 2-up after Jones conceded the second but then the initial adrenaline rush that had accompanied his start to the round appeared to disappear. After both players made bogeys at the third and fifth, Woods bogeyed the par-4 seventh as Jones parred.
Woods quickly was back in control, though, regaining a 2-up lead with a birdie at the eighth.
Anthony Kim became the first player in the 64-man field to advance to the second round of the event.
A rising star on the PGA Tour, Kim coasted to a resounding 7-and-5 victory over Lie Wen-Tang, who posted seven bogeys over 13 holes.
Kim next will face England’s Oliver Wilson, who upset Korea’s K.J Choi, 3 and 1. Choi is ranked 25 places ahead of Wilson in the world rankings.
Despite Kim having traveled halfway round the world from Perth, Australia, where he played in the Johnnie Walker Classic, Wilson believes he is in for a scrap on Thursday.
“He has been on a long trip back from Australia so maybe a bit of jet lag will kick in,” Wilson said. “Again it will be a tough match. You don’t have any easy matches out here. I am going to work on a few things this afternoon and look forward to it tomorrow.”
Fifth-seeded Phil Mickelson, who defended his title at this week’s Northern Trust Open, survived a late rally from Angel Cabrera of Argentina to set up a meeting with Zach Johnson, who defeated Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, 3 and 1.
Other first-round winners included Stewart Cink, who needed 19 holes to defeat of Richard Sterne of South Africa, and England’s Lee Westwood, who posted a 2-and-1 win over Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng.
Cink, a beaten finalist against Woods last year, and Westwood will meet in Thursday’s second round.
Paul Casey was another Englishman through to the second round when he defeated Aaron Baddeley of Australia, 1-up, to progress to a match with another Aussie, Matt Goggin, who scored a 1-up win over Kenny Perry.
Sergio Garcia, seeded second, will face No. 63 Charl Schwartzel, while third-seeded Padraig Harrington takes on 62nd-ranked Pat Perez. No. 4 Vijay Singh will go head-to-head with 61st-seeded Soren Kjeldsen.
Harrington won the final two majors of the season in 2008, but is not taking anything for granted regarding his match with Perez.
There will be a total of 32 matches on Wednesday and 16 on Thursday. Friday features eight matches and the quarterfinals and semifinals will both be contested on Saturday.
On Sunday, the championship match is scheduled for 36 holes with a consolation match to determine third place on the schedule for 18 holes.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain plays at par-72 and 7,466 yards.
First prize at the $8.5 million event is $1.4 million.
|
