Michael Campbell and Nick Faldo carved their names in Cisco World Match Play Championship history at Wentworth Club when they called a truce after 42 holes in an enthralling first round tie.
Darkness was descending over Surrey when Faldo – who had been two down with two to play – formed the “time out” sign with his hands to signal that he wished to halt the clash on the second green, his putt for victory having lipped out agonisingly.
Their match was the longest in the 384 played in the 39 year history of the tournament, beating the previous record of 40 holes. Coincidentally, Faldo was involved in the last of that trio when he lost to Darren Clarke in 2000.
It was a typically exciting cut and thrust match played in glorious autumnal sunshine, with New Zealander Campbell holding the ascendancy for much of the day. However Faldo, winner of the title twice in the past and a six-time Major Champion, didn’t reach that elevated status without being a fighter, and he staged an amazing comeback.
Campbell missed a five foot birdie attempt to win the match on the 34th, but Faldo birdied the 35th and made a par on the last to take the tie into extra time - sudden-death over holes 1, 2, 17, 18. Halving the first three play-off holes in 4, 3, 4, the drama continued unabated and the 45 year old Englishman fashioned a wonderful birdie four on the 18th – the 40th hole – having been in a fairway bunker. Faldo holed from ten feet with Campbell following him in from eight.
It was gripping stuff, in keeping with many of the World Match Plays of a bygone era at Wentworth Club and having halved the 41st hole (the 1st) in 4, it seemed the end would come right on cue at the 42nd when Faldo faced an uphill birdie putt from 12 feet to win. The ball hit the hole and spun back, resulting in a handshake from his rival.
Faldo joked: “Well, that was an honest day’s work at the office. I am pleased I came back obviously, but I need a breather now, thank you very much!”
Campbell was equally droll when he said: “It’s time to go home, have a sleep for a couple of hours and get up again! I’ve never played a match as long as this before and I didn’t know I was part of history. That’s 42 holes and still going strong. I think it’s survival of the fittest now”.
The players return to the course at 8.15am to face a daunting tee shot at the 17th hole and Campbell added: “It’s a little disappointing that such a classic match could be decided by one hole early in the morning. Maybe a four hole play-off would have been fairer. Still, we had both decided before we teed off at the sixth extra hole that it was going to be the last one. I couldn’t read my putts it was so dark.”
That epic tussle tended to overshadow some terrific opening day matches, none more so than Vijay Singh’s last green success over rookie Justin Rose. The 22 year old Englishman had an opportunity to force extra time as well, but his six footer at the 36th green lipped out.
Nevertheless, it was a fine debut from Rose, who had been behind for much of the way but never gave up. He said: “It’s a pity I didn’t hole the one at the last as I had putted pretty well in the afternoon and hung in there. I was desperate to get back to all square at the death but it wasn’t to be.”
Singh, the 1997 champion who now meets Retief Goosen, praised his young opponent, saying: “Justin has got everything – a great swing and a great future. He is a very good player and very focused on what he is doing.”
Another former champion, Colin Montgomerie, progressed to face Number Two seed Ernie Els in the quarter-finals, beating American Fred Funk 3 and 2. The Scot, who triumphed in 2000, always held the upper hand against Funk and didn’t have to do anything dramatic in the afternoon to gain a straightforward win.
Padraig Harrington, beaten by Number One seed Ian Woosnam in the final 12 months ago, was level with Canadian Mike Weir at lunch, but fired on all cylinders in the afternoon, picking up birdies at five out of seven holes from the eighth to put his opponent under pressure. The Irishman now tackles Sergio Garcia for a place in the last four.
