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Colsaerts Beats McDowell on Final Hole
Colsaerts Beats Paul Lawrie at Semi-Final
Colsaerts Beats McDowell on Final Hole
Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts beat former US Open champion Graeme McDowell on the final green to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Sunday.
Colsaerts, who had needed two extra holes to beat 1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie in the morning semi-finals, was pushed all the way by McDowell.
The Northern Irishman, who reached the final by beating Rafael Cabrera Bello, levelled the final three times on the front nine.
But Colsaerts prevailed to take the trophy and also move into an automatic qualifying place for the Ryder Cup.
"It means everything to win this. I felt that I had a pretty good shot at it last year in the same format, and I was a little disappointed not to get to the final," said the 29-year-old.
Colsaerts had begun his semi-final with Lawrie by losing the first four holes, but he then launched a fightback and after an hour-long thunderstorm delay, he won at the 20th.
"Two days ago I was in my room taking a nap thinking I was going to fly home. It means so much to be here, it's fantastic," said the champion.
"I played well in tough conditions. Wind like this, you know it's going to be very difficult. Graeme McDowell, he's won the US Open, so he's used to playing in tough conditions. I knew that it was going to be a tough game in conditions like these."
McDowell started the final in fine form, holing from 18 feet on the first hole and nine feet at the shorter second.
But he fell behind at the fourth, sixth and eighth, only for Colsaerts to lose the next each time.
At the start of the back nine they were level, but the Northern Irishman bogeyed the 11th to go one down for a fourth time.
Another bogey at the 13th put him two down, but at the 14th he holed an eight-foot birdie putt to cut the gap to one again.
Both men dropped shots at the 15th. McDowell dropped another on the 16th before Colsaerts three-putted the 17th.
But there were no final-hole nerves for the Belgian, who has enjoyed a career love affair with Volvo events -- winning his maiden European Tour title at the Volvo China Open in 2011.
He was third in this event last year and took second back at the China Open.
Final
Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) bt Graeme McDowell (NIR) 1 hole
Colsaerts Beats Paul Lawrie at Semi-Final
Nicolas Colsaerts recovered from losing the first four holes to beat Paul Lawrie at the second extra hole of their Volvo World Match Play Championship semi-final.
Former Open Champion Lawrie won the first four holes against Belgian Colsaerts, but was hauled back to level by the 14th and after going in front again could not match his opponent's birdie on the last.
That meant sudden death and after Lawrie had narrowly missed from 18 feet on the first, the big-hitting Colsaerts got up and down again from just off the final green to go through.
Colsaerts was set to face Graeme McDowell in the final after the Northern Irish Ryder Cup hero overcame home favourite Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
“It was a very intense game,” said last year’s semi-finalist Colsaerts. “I gave away a lot of holes too easily to Paul early on.
“Four down after four holes, and he made one mistake, he opened the door a little bit and I started to play good at that time. I lost 16 after getting back to all square, and you start to go ‘I'm running out of holes’. 18 obviously plays a little bit in my favour, I can get to the green in two.
“I didn't really feel that much pressure because I was four down all day and I was starting to play good towards the end, and I could see that Paul was not very happy - he wanted the match to finish a little earlier.
“I was probably feeling a lot better than he did, and I thought I was going to capitalise on that.
“I played well here and I probably deserved a place in the final last year, got one now, so I’m very excited.”
Semi-finals
Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) bt Paul Lawrie (SCO) at the 20th
McDowell Progresses to Final
Graeme McDowell was pushed all the way by Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello, but the Northern Irishman eventually secured a thrilling victory on the final green in their Volvo World Match Play Championship semi-final.
McDowell will play Nicolas Colsaerts for the title at Finca Cortesin after the Belgian recovered from four holes down against Paul Lawrie.
McDowell won three of the first four against Cabrera-Bello, but as against Sergio Garcia in his quarter-final was taken to the last before winning.
After a one-hour lightning delay Cabrera-Bello birdied the 16th to be only one behind, but ran up a six at the 18th to lose by two holes.
Semi-finals
Graeme McDowell (NIR) bt Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP) 2 holes