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Colsaerts Win Boosts Chances in Bulgaria
Poulter 'Disgusted' at World Match-Play Exit
Colsaerts Win Boosts Chances in Bulgaria
KAVARNA, Bulgaria, May 17, 2013 (AFP) - Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts boosted his chances of successfully defending his title with victory on day two of the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria on Friday.
The 30-year-old easily accounted for Thailand's Kiradeck Aphibarnrat, winning 3 and 2 on the Thracian Cliffs course along the Black Sea shoreline.
Colsaerts was a shock first round-robin loser to South African Branden Grace but was always in command in his match with Aphibarnrat, winner earlier this year of the Maybank Malaysian Open.
"It (the course) played a little better today but there are still a few loose shots in my game but I needed to win so I guess it's mission accomplished," he said.
"But hey, I'm in a better spot this year than compared to this time last year when I managed to go through to the last 16 with just a draw from my first two matches."
Colsaerts will now have to wait for the outcome of Friday afternoon's match between Grace and Aphibarnrat to see if he goes through to the last 16.
A Grace victory would see both he and Colsaerts progress whereas if Aphibarnrat wins it will a three-play sudden death play-off.
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee is through to the last 16 in defeating South African Thomas Aiken by one hole.
It is Jaidee's second, straight victory after defeating England's Ian Poulter a day earlier.
"I am very happy with two wins and right now I am performing a lot better as the tournament goes on as match-play is not easy," said Jaidee.
"My match with Richard was very even but I went 1up on 17 before we both pared the 18th for me to win.
"It was a very solid round of golf with five birdies after having seven yesterday, so I am going to hit a few practice balls this afternoon and then get ready for tomorrow's match."
Australia's Brett Rumford has continued his winning ways with the recent back-to-back winner in South Korea and China easily accounting for Jamie Donaldson defeating the Welshman 5 and 3.
"Jamie got off to a bit of a bad start and I just capitalised on that with three birdies in my first four holes to be 3 up and that really was the key," said Rumford.
If Rumford were to win this week he would become the first player since Seve Ballesteros in 1986 to win three European Tour events in succession.
It was Donaldson's second defeat in the tournament and eliminates the reigning Irish Open and Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion from the three-million-euro (2.5-million-pound, $3.7 million) event.
Rumford plays Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in Friday's third and final round-robin match and both now assured of qualifying for the last 16 no matter the result as Fernandez-Castano had beaten Donaldson a day earlier.
Others assured of advancing to advance to the last 16 include Italy's Francesco Molinari who defeated Chilean Felipe Aguilar 4 and 3 and a day after beating Sweden's Henrik Stenson.
South African Richard Sterne booked his place also in the last 16 defeating former US Open champion, Geoff Ogilvy 5 and 4.
Ogilvy now must defeat American Bo Van Pelt this afternoon if he is to join Sterne after Van Pelt had drawn this match on Thursday and on the occasion of his 39th birthday with Molinari.
Completed second round matches - Volvo World Match-Play Championship, Thracian Cliffs Golf and Beach Resort course, Kavarna, Bulgaria.
Brett Rumford (Australia) defeated Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 5 and 3
Scott Jamieson (Scotland) defeated Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 1 hole
Francesco Molinai (Italy) defeated Felipe Aguilar (Chile) 4 and 3
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) defeated Kiradeck Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 3 and 2
Richard Sterne (South Africa) defeated Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 5 and 4
George Coetzee (South Africa) defeated Shane Lowry (Ireland) 3 and 2
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) defeated Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 1 hole
Chris Wood (England) defeated Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 2 and 1
Poulter 'Disgusted' at World Match-Play Exit
KAVARNA, Bulgaria, May 17, 2013 (AFP) - Ryder Cup winning hero Ian Poulter was livid with himself after being knocked out of the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria on Friday
Poulter, the winner two years ago, lost both his round robin matches - following up Thursday's reverse to Thongchai Jaidee with defeat to South African Thomas Aiken, ranked 87 places lower on the World Rankings than the No. 15 ranked Englishman.
Poulter, winner as well of the 2010 WGC - Accenture World Match Play title and a player who has never lost a Ryder Cup singles match in his four appearances, had little answer to Aiken who won the first two holes with birdies and from then on was never headed.
Aiken went 2up after birding the first two holes and while Poulter got back to all square at the ninth, the South African won the 10th and 12th holes before losing 15 and 16 to Poulter birdies.
However Poulter missed the fairway at the last sending his drive down the adjoining fourth hole and while finding the back of the green with his second he walked off with a bogey to Aiken's par.
"I have no excuses," said Poulter after arriving in Bulgaria having missed the cut in his past two events, the Players Championship and the Masters.
"There is no excuse for that display of golf over the last two days. It's disgusting, disgraceful and there's no explanation. I should have been able to finish the match off.
"My concentration was simply not there and therefore you make mental errors when you have not used your brain. It's completely unacceptable."
When asked what was next on his agenda, Poulter responded: "The tallest tree with the shortest rope. I am pissed off. I will stay pissed off for a couple of hours and then get to England and win at Wentworth (venue for next week's BMW PGA Championship)."
Aiken had lost his morning match to Thailand's Thongchai while Poulter had lost a day before also to Thongchai but now goes through to the final 16.
"I had two tough matches today with Thongchai this morning and then Ian this afternoon, so it's been a tiring day but I'm just so pleased to get through to the next round," said Aiken.
Three players - Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, Italy's Francesco Molinari, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Scotland's Scott Jamieson - were the only players in the 24-player field to win both their round robin matches.
Fernandez-Castano continued his superb season having defeated Welshman Jamie Donaldson on day one and then accounted for Australia's Brett Rumford on day two handing the recent back-to-back Tour winner a 3&2 defeat.
"It was quite a relaxed match and you could feel Brett was a little tired after playing this morning," said the Spaniard.
"So overall, I am happy with the result and with my two victories."
Despite the loss, Rumford kept alive hopes of becoming the first player since Seve Ballesteros in 1986 to win three successive European Tour events after finishing second in his group.
Defending champion, Nicolas Colsaerts avoided a play-off when Thailand's Kiradeck Aphibarnrat bogeyed the last to leave the reigning Malaysian Open champion all square in his match with South African Branden Grace.
Had the Thai golfer parred the final hole it would have meant all three players involved in a sudden death play-off.
There was just one play-off to decide the final 16 with Ireland's Shane Lowry, Sweden's Peter Hanson and South African George Coetzee playing two extra holes after all three ended the round robin stages with two points.
Lowry then holed an eight-foot putt for birdie at the second extra hole to finish first in the group while Hanson also won through to the last 16 with a par while Coetzee was eliminated on the same hole with a bogey.
Completed third round robin scores at the Volvo World Match-Play Championship, Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort, Kavarna, Bulgaria on Friday:.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) bt Brett Rumford (Australia) 3 & 2
Scott Jamieson (Scotland) bt Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 5 & 3
Felipe Aguilar (Chile) bt Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 3 & 1
Branden Grace (South Africa) all square with Kiradeck Aphibarnrat (Thailand)
Shane Lowry (Ireland) bt Peter Hanson (Sweden) 4 up
Thomas Aiken (South Africa) bt Ian Poulter (England) 1 hole
Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) bt Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 4 & 2.
- Shane Lowry, Peter Hanson and George Coetzee were involved in a sudden-death play-off for two places. Lowry birdied second extra hole to finish first in his group. Hanson then parred the hole to also go through to last 16. Coetzee was eliminated with a bogey.