Match Play Presents Early Intrigue, Often Unfulfilling Final Rounds

This week's WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., could be something really special.

Or it might not.

That's the tricky thing about match play. When competition begins Wednesday with 64 of the top ranked players in the world, there will be all sorts of intriguing possibilities. A few times over the years, promise has even delivered. In 2000, Darren Clarke beat Tiger Woods in the final. Woods won in 2003 by taking down David Toms in the final and won again in 2004 over Davis Love III. Woods defeated Stewart Cink in 2008. Even last year, although an all-England final, Ian Poulter's victory over Paul Casey had its viewing strengths.

But then there was 2001 when Steve Stricker beat Pierre Fulke in the Sunday final. Or 2007 when Henrik Stenson beat Geoff Ogilvy. And who doesn't remember Kevin Sutherland's 1-up decision over Scott McCarron in 2002?

Because players are eliminated as the week wears on, it is always possible that by the time Sunday's final match arrives, there is the possibility of a "Who's He?" taking on "Who Cares?"

That makes match play events fascinating in that much of the intrigue often occurs early in the week, and the final days can drag.

FORMAT

The top 64 players on the World Rankings after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am qualified. Among those eligible, only Japan's Toru Taniguchi is missing, because of a neck injury. He was replaced by Stenson.

Wednesday will have 32 matches, and by Friday only 16 players will remain.

The quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, and the semifinals will go off Sunday morning. An 18-hole final will be played Sunday afternoon, along with a match to determine third and fourth place.

EARLY FUN

There's no shortage of potential upset matches. Englishman and World No. 1 Lee Westwood comes out of the blocks against Sweden's Stenson. Two No. 1 seeds have been eliminated in the event's 13-year history. Peter O'Malley beat Tiger Woods 2 & 1 in 2002 and last year Steve Stricker went down to defeat in the hands of Ross McGowan.

Poulter, the defending champion, will open with Stewart Cink. Two-time camp Geoff Ogilvy will face Padraig Harrington; Tiger meets Thomas Bjorn; Phil Mickelson starts with Brenden Jones; Stricker meets 17-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, Luke Donald plays Charley Hoffman, Louis Oosthuizen draw Bo Van Pelt, Rory McIlroy goes against Jonathan Byrd, and Bubba Watson meets Bill Haas.

THE COURSE

The Ritz Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in November of 2008. The resort offers 27 holes with tournament play scheduled for the Saguaro and Tortolita nines. The third nine, the Wild Burro, is Nicklaus' favorite of the three, but it was judged fan-unfriendly.

The course will be a par 72 and measure 7,849 yards but at an elevation of 3,500 feet. The greens and fairways are large.

FLASHBACK

Poulter didn't just beat United Kingdom countryman and close friend Paul Casey for the 2010 Accenture Match Play Championship, he became golf significant, advancing from his past role as an occasional background distraction to legitimate attraction.

And while the well-played 4 & 2 decision over Casey that went 34 holes may not have been a jolly-good attention getter in the colonies, at the least it provides something for golf to talk about other than Tiger Woods -- who earlier in the week make his first public appearance after an offseason of issues.

The victory was Poulter's first on American soil in addition to being his first World Golf Championship title. It also moved him to No. 5 on the World Golf Rankings, a career high.

"Feels just amazing," Poulter said. "Five or six years of hard work, coming over to change my residency, to be living in America, to finally win over here just means everything.

"I moved my family across. It's just so pleasing to be able to finally say now I'm a winner on the PGA Tour."

Casey, who needed one hole early Sunday to eliminate Camilo Villegas in 24-hole semifinal match that had was halted Saturday night by darkness, went 1 up with a birdie on the second hole, but never led again.

Poulter birdied the next hole to square the match and took the lead on No. 8. From there, he was 2 up after 18, 4 up through 26, and after Casey closed within two, came back with a birdie on the 33rd hole, hitting the day's best shot, to slam the door.

After missing the fairway badly to the right on the short par-4 and with mud caked on his ball, Poulter hit wedge to two feet for birdie.

"Probably one of the toughest shots I had," he said. "The ball had a lot of mud on it. It was quite a bare lie, because it was quite close to where the drain was. I hit that shot absolutely perfect."

BY THE NUMBERS

14: Years tournament has been played at four different courses.

9 & 8: Largest margin of victory in tournament history, by Tiger Woods over Stephen Ames, in 2006 opening round.

38: Holes played in longest championship match -- Jeff Maggert and Andrew Magee in 1999.

23: Players entered under age 30.

16: Wins in 33 career starts by Tiger Woods in WGC events.

AND OUR WINNER IS ...

Graeme McDowell.

What's the biggest stage in match play? That's right, the Ryder Cup.

Who played better the entire week of last year's European victory?

Graeme McDowell.

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