MARANA, Ariz. — Geoff Ogilvy and Paul Casey have even more in common than membership at the same Arizona golf club or the practice round they played two weeks ago on the new course for the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Their 36-hole title match today will feature two players with the best match-play record over the last three years.
Each has won a prestigious Match Play Championship.
And both have won rich events that ended a Tiger Woods winning streak.
“An incredible coincidence that we’re the last two guys in the tournament,” Ogilvy said.
Their sterling golf Saturday at Dove Mountain had something to do with that.
Ogilvy made five birdies on the back nine to outlast teen sensation Rory McIlroy in the quarterfinals, then played his final four holes in 5-under par against Stewart Cink for a 4-and-2 victory to reach the championship match for the third time in four years.
His final opponent will be Casey, who has turned in the most dominating performance in the 11-year history of this tournament.
In an all-England semifinal, Casey defeated Ross Fisher, 2 and 1, and will have a chance to become the first Match Play champion to never trail in a match the entire week. Even more astounding is that Casey has led 79 of the 80 holes he has played.
“The fact I haven’t been down this week, I don’t think it means anything, that you can read anything into that going into tomorrow,” Casey said. “It’s just been a very nice position to be in, simple as that.”
What gets his attention is his opponent, a good friend and fellow member at Whisper Rock in Scottsdale.
“It’s not going to be an easy match,” Casey said. “There are no weaknesses that I can see in Geoff’s game.”
Ogilvy is 17-2 in match play dating to his 2006 victory at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Creamer takes lead
PATTAYA, Thailand — American Paula Creamer had three consecutive birdies on the back nine for a 5-under 67 and a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the $1.45 million Honda LPGA Thailand. The world’s No. 3 player had birdies on holes Nos. 12, 13 and 14 to finish with a three-round total of 11-under 205, putting her ahead of Lorena Ochoa (68) and Brittany Lang (71).
