England’s Justin Rose knocked World Number Three Phil Mickelson out of the World Golf Championship – Accenture Match Play in the pick of the second round matches that saw seven European Tour Members progress to the last 16.
Rose overcame a partisan gallery, unsurprisingly biased towards the Arizona State graduate, with a 3 and 1 victory at the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, near Tucson, after a classic match play duel.
Birdies were flying in from all angles as the two players enjoyed a thrilling shootout, Rose fighting back from being one down with three birdies on the bounce after the turn to get his nose in front before closing out the match on the 17th.
“Obviously I’m delighted to advance to the last 16,” said Rose. “It was always going to be a tough game today and it proved to be that way. A lot of birdies out there and it was nip and tuck for most of the round. My strategy was to just try and birdie every hole and expecting Phil to do the same because there are certainly chances out there.
“It’s a good win and it’s nice to beat a player who’s won Majors as Phil has.”
Rose was one of three Englishman who safely progressed through the second round, joined in the last 16 by Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.
Both players have looked in devastating form, Casey comfortably beating Colin Montgomerie 4 and 3 and for the third successive round will face one of the players he beat on the way to winning the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club last September.
Mike Weir and Montgomerie have now been brushed aside with Shaun Micheel, beaten 10 and 8 in the final, his next opponent.
“It was good, good golf and he pushed me all the way to the end when he gave me a couple of holes,” said Casey of his second round win over Montgomerie. “I didn’t really give him anything which was the key. He had to make birdie to win holes and sometimes that wasn’t enough. I’ve just got to do the same tomorrow.”
Poulter was similarly impressive, notching up six birdies without a dropped shot for the second successive day, as he edged past fellow European Tour Member Bradley Dredge. Poulter got two up early but Dredge fought back to all square before the Englishman pulled away over the last five holes.
"Six birdies and no bogeys, so I'm pretty confident right now," said Poulter. "I made quite a cheeky four on the first and Bradley hit a shot in there to probably eight feet, so a short eagle for him. I managed to roll in a 20-footer (for birdie) and he missed his. From there I kept putting him under pressure."
Poulter will face another European Tour Member Trevor Immelman in the next round after the South African also won his tie by 3 and 1, beating Chris DiMarco.
The Swedes also got through with both Niclas Fasth and Henrik Stenson getting through tight second round matches.
Fasth played some awesome golf to hold off World Number Six Retief Goosen, making two eagles on his way to winning the tie on the final hole. Fasth was three up after eagling the tenth but Goosen was not to give up lightly and fought back to all square three holes later. A birdie on the 17th however gave Fasth the advantage he needed to close out the match. He faces the defending champion Geoff Ogivly in the last 16.
Stenson got the better of KJ Choi with seven birdies on the back nine as be came home in just 30 strokes to win by two holes.
Nick O’Hern looks to have the tie of the third round as he now faces Tiger Woods after overcoming Rory Sabbatini 2 and 1. Two years ago the O’Hern got the better of Woods at La Costa, knocking the World Number One out at the second round by 3 and 1 and the Australian left hander will be looking for a repeat performance.
“I played him a couple of years ago and managed to get past him then,” said O’Hern. “I’ll have my hands full tomorrow.”
Indeed he will after Woods demolished Tim Clark with seven birdies on his way to winning 5 and 4 as he moves a step closer to winning an eighth consecutive US PGA Tour counting event.
