Clarke on collision course for Match Play clash with Woods
Thatâs the first round line-up facing the three Irishmen in the WGC Accenture World Match play Championship at Dove Mountain, Arizona, tomorrow.
Should Clarke overcome Watney and Tiger Woods comes through his clash with the Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, the pair would meet in Thursdayâs second round, reviving memories of the 2000 final battle waged by the close friends at La Costa, California.
Clarke defeated the then undisputed world number one (4 and 3), to the astonishment of the American media who couldnât understand how Woods, a perfectly tuned athlete, was defeated by Clarke. Darrenâs response to a question at the post-tournament press conference as to whether he owned a gym, was: âYes we have one in the garage â gathering dust.â This was met with howls of laughter from the assembled press corps and American galleries have taken him to their hearts since.
Clarke competes in the event for the first time since 2007 on the strength of his Open Championship victory at Royal St Georges in July.
However Clarke, 51st in the world rankings, is an outsider against Watney, who stands 37 places ahead of him in the ratings.
But the American should be wary as Clarke boasts a formidable match play record from his amateur days. Apart from victory in 2000, he reached the semi-finals of the Accenture in 2004 and was a quarter-finalist the previous year.
All eyes will be on Woods who is widely expected to overcome Fernandez-Castano in the Sam Snead section that also includes Lee Westwood and Bill Haas.
McIlroy should win his opening tie in the Gary Player bracket, his first round opponent, South African, George Coetzee, having qualified only because of the withdrawal of Mickelson and Paul Casey. Itâs a tough group, however, with a fascinating opener between the Spaniards, Sergio Garcia, who is now returning close to the form that made him such an exciting performer a few years back, and Miguel-Angel Jimenez.
Keegan Bradley is another who is impressing at present and others lying in wait for McIlroy in this group include the Australian Jason Day, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and 2010 champion and match play expert Ian Poulter.
McDowell will be one of the most fancied members of the Ben Hogan grouping. YE Yang and McDowell both captured their respective major championships, the USPGA and US Opens, in 2010, and will be anxious to regain a degree of momentum that deserted them for much of last year.
World number one Luke Donald is top seed in the Bobby Jones bracket and has a fascinating first round encounter with Ernie Els. The South African made the field due to the absence of Mickelson and Casey but could prove an extremely dangerous opponent for the Englishman and title holder. Els, however, also has his name on the trophy as well as five victories in the World Match Play event that used to be played at Wentworth.
Others to look out for in this group are Australian Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson of the US.
A notable absentee from the event for the first time since 2000 is PĂĄdraig Harrington, who has failed to return to the top 50 in the rankings. Having finished in a tie for 44th in the Northern Trust in Los Angeles Open at the weekend, he remains a lowly 87th which currently rules him out of the WGC Cadillac at Doral on March 8-11. In an attempt to qualify for that event, Harrington has added next weekâs Honda Classic to his schedule, no doubt encouraged by the fact that he won the event in 2005.
