Stenson edges through second round in Arizona

Defending champion Henrik Stenson again made hard work for himself at the Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday before eventually edging through his second round meeting with Trevor Immelman at the seventh hole of a play-off.

On his way to the title last year, Stenson won three of his six matches one-up while he could have easily lost the first two.

Against Immelman, the Swede admitted he felt a little charmed to live to fight another day after making several important three and four-foot putts just to stay in contention while also missing several match-winning opportunities.

“I wouldn’t have been as disappointed after the play-off if I had lost as he is, because he had much better chances than I did. I’m just happy I hung in there,” said Stenson, who was four-up after eight and seemingly on course for a big victory.

But Immelman won three of the next five holes to pull to within one, and after an untimely bogey, fought back again with birdies at 16 and 17 to pull level.

“He started to play really, really solid and I couldn’t throw that extra gear in, and that’s why we ended in a play-off, not because I made a lot of bogeys,” added Stenson.

Immelman had his chances to win in in the play-off as he missed a 10-footer at the second extra hole and was unlucky not to win three holes later when Stenson sank a clutch 11-footer

At the driveable par-four seventh, Immelman missed a 20 foot eagle putt and sent his ball seven feet past, while Stenson chipped out of a bunker to within a foot.

Immelman failed to convert to extend the match and Stenson advanced to a meeting with in-form American, Jonathan Byrd.