Rose unfazed by windy desert conditions

Justin Rose tamed difficult conditions to continue his giant-killing run with an emphatic victory in the third round at the Accenture Match Play Championship today.

Fellow Englishman Paul Casey also advanced to the quarter-finals on a good day for the European contingent, with Swede Henrik Stenson also victorious.

A day after eliminating fourth seed Phil Mickelson from the World Golf Championships event, 36th seed Rose was just as impressive in a three and two trouncing of American Charles Howell, who only last Sunday won the Nissan Open to go to the top of the US PGA Tour money list.

Pars at the first seven holes were enough to put Rose three-up, and he birdied the next two holes to go five-up at the turn and take a stranglehold on the match. Howell played better on the back nine, but it was too little, too late as Rose closed it out three and two with a birdie at the par-three 16th.

After perfect weather for the first two days at Dove Mountain, conditions turned cold and windy for the third round, and birdies were hard to come by on the first few holes, which played into the teeth of the wind.

“Starting out into the wind, five or six really tough holes, I hit a lot of good iron shots and made some good pars. I realised, on the front nine anyway, par was going to be a good score,” said the recently married 26-year-old Rose, who lives primarily in Florida, although he also owns a home at Putney Bridge.

“The way I’m playing now, I feel very comfortable with my game, so I felt confident about not making too many unforced errors, which is difficult to beat in match play in those conditions.

“I certainly enjoyed my game against Phil (Mickelson). It was perceived as a big win but that meant nothing today. Yesterday was about the guy who was going to make the most birdies, whereas today (in the tougher conditions) it was a lot more about who was going to keep their ball under control.”

Next up for Rose in tomorrow’s quarter-finals is South African Trevor Immelman, who beat Ian Poulter two and one.

Poulter was never ahead and he struggled for most of the day, apart from an eagle at the par-five 10th. However, he was still in with a chance until Immelman closed it out with a birdie at the par-five 17th.

Casey had to work hard to beat American Shaun Micheel in a rematch of the final at the World Match Play Championship last September.

In the end, the outcome was the same, although Casey had to work harder this time, winning two-up.

It came right down to the final hole, where Micheel narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie chance, before sportingly conceding defeat to Casey, who only had to two-putt from nine feet.

“I dodged a bullet there,” Casey said. “I was lucky to get away with that.”

Casey’s quarter-final opponent will be defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, of Australia, who outlasted Swede Niclas Fasth two and one.

Stenson had no trouble in his match, making short work of Australian Aaron Baddeley, four and three.