Irish duo facing tough draw in World Match Play

GRAEME McDOWELL and Rory McIlroy, Ireland’s two representatives in an impressive 24-man field, have been handed difficult draws in the pool stages of the €3.4m Volvo World Match Play which starts at Finca Cortesin, Spain, on Thursday.

McDowell is in the Ian Woosnam group alongside British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Colombian Jhonattan Vegas, who has made a big impression with a series of strong finishes in the early months of the US PGA Tour. McDowell faces Oosthuizen on Thursday before taking on Vegas 24 hours later.

McIlroy has been drawn in the Gustaf Larson group with two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen and Nicolas Colsaerts, the Belgian who qualified through his recent victory in the Volvo China Open. He meets Goosen on Thursday and Colsaerts on Friday.

Two matches of considerable interest on Thursday involve locals Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros. Jimenez, who hails from Malaga on the northern side of the course, plays the new Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Quiros, from Guadiaro, a town less than 20 minutes south from Finca Cortesin, takes on Paul Casey.

World number one Lee Westwood tops the Seve Ballesteros pool and faces a tricky match against Australian Aaron Baddeley, a three-time winner on the US Tour.

Luke Donald, who hasn’t finished outside the top 10 since winning the Accenture World Match Play title in Colorado in February, has displaced Germany’s Martin Kaymer as the game’s number two-ranked player and will make a formidable opponent first time out against the holder, Ross Fisher.