February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Higgins stood at the 18th tee on Sunday with a one-stroke lead, having closed from two behind at the start of the day. He pulled his tee shot into the trees on the left and settled for a bogey, his only blemish of the day. The playoff was also held on the par-4 18th, where both players left their approach shots a bit left of the green. Higgins then chipped to within six feet of the pin, while Monasterio’s ball stopped about 12 inches short. Higgins needed two putts, taking a bogey on the hole, while Monasterio knocked the ball in on his first putt for the victory.
Higgins finished 19 under par at Hacienda Nueva in Guatemala City for a total score of 269 (68-67-69-65) and earnings of $13,750. The highlight of his final round was an eagle-3 at 11.
Colm Moriarty also had a worthwhile experience, tying for 15th at 12-under-par 276 (71-67-68-70). After a bogey at 12 during Friday’s second round, Moriarty hadn’t lost ground to par as he stood at the tee box at 12 on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, leaving the 16th green, he was marking down his third bogey in the last five frames. He left with $1,875 in earnings.
ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY
With three Irish representatives among the 64-man field at the Accenture Match Play Championship, there was certainly reason to expect to have a rooting interest deep into the event. But by the end of the second round, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell had contacted their travel agents and booked quick passage out of the California wetlands that La Costa in Carlsbad had degenerated into.
One of the three was certain to be eliminated after the first round, since Clarke and McDowell were paired together. Somewhat surprisingly, Clarke, a former winner of this event, was defeated by the quickly up-and-coming McDowell, 1 up. Clarke had gone 2 up after four holes and he maintained that advantage leaving the 13th green. But McDowell won three of the next five holes, including 18, to lift more than a few eyebrows.
McDowell then faced Robert Allenby and went 2 up just four holes into the match. The tide turned quickly, though, and seven holes later, Allenby was 3 up. McDowell closed to 1 down with two holes to play, but Allenby wouldn’t flinch and the score remained.
Harrington took the measure of Jeff Maggert in a hard-fought first-round match that Harrington won, 1 up. On five occasions, Harrington went 1 up only to have Maggert square the match. That’s how they stood after 17 holes, but Harrington birdied 18 to go 1 up for the sixth and final time on his rival.
Maybe Maggert took some of the starch out of Harrington. His second-round opponent, Rory Sabbatini, had sauntered to a 6 and 5 first-round win over Thomas Bjorn. Harrington came out firing, opening a 2 up lead on Sabbatini after the third hole. But by the time they teed off at 14, Sabbatini was back on level footing with Harrington. The latter bogeyed 14 and 16, then conceded the hole and the round to Sabbatini at 17. For the record, Sabbatini was a 3 and 1 winner over Harrington.