They may have a combined age of 92, but they still know how to pack them in.
Some explosive golf was produced in all four matches on the first morning of the Cisco World Match Play Championship, but Seve Ballesteros and Sam Torrance pulled in the biggest gallery of the lot as they locked horns in the tightest of the four first-round matches.
Torrance and Ballesteros were slightly controversial invitees to the 37th World Match Play, but they more than vindicated their selection with some spectacular and colourful golf. The biggest lead either held during a
cut-and-thrust morning was the two-hole advantage Ballesteros enjoyed after 17 holes, but a beautifully contrived birdie four by Torrance on the last sent the two veterans into lunch with Ballesteros only one up.
Torrance was one up after three holes but Ballesteros hit back with three birdies in succession from the fourth to move into a lead that he held going through the turn. Torrance got back to all-square on the short ninth after
Ballesteros missed the green off the tee and dropped a shot.
Birdies on the 15th and 17th gave Ballesteros a two-hole cushion, but Torrance played the home hole perfectly, giving himself only a five-foot putt for birdie. It had been an intriguing tussle watched by a huge gallery -- more of the same was promised for the second half of the match.
Thomas Bjorn started his match with Adam Scott at a gallop and was five up after 14 holes, but the young Australian pluckily whittle away at the great Dane's lead and was only two down and still very much in the match at the break. "I thought I's better make it interesting or it would be something of a walk-over,'' said Scott.
Birdies by Scott on the last three holes made it interesting, all right.
Bjorn did little wrong and still finished in an approximate 65, two strokes better than his opponent, but a par-par-par finish in the face of Scott's late resurgence would have given him food for thought as he ate his lunch.
Poor Nick Faldo didn't know what had hit him as a rampant Padraig Harrington brushed him aside with some imperious play. Harrington did not look back after winning the first three holes, which he covered in nine shots to Faldo's 14.
The story was that of a man in form against an opponent who was struggling to find his. Out in 30, five under par, Harrington was eight strokes better than Faldo, and things did not improve much for the six-times Major winner after the turn. Harrington won the 10th to go six up and although Faldo got one back with a birdie on the 17th, Harrington went six up again at the break with his ninth birdie.
The fourth match produced perhaps the most surprising half-time scoreline of the day. Ian Woosnam was in irresistible form as he put his game on cruise control and retired for lunch four up on Retief Goosen. The US Open champion had no answer to the straight driving, authoritative iron-play and occasionally inspired putting of the wee Welshman.
"I wish we didn't have to play any more,'' said Woosnam. "The only thing I'm worried about now is if I can finish 36 holes. I'll have to finish him off quickly!''
