Poulter joins McIlroy and McDowell in last 16

Ian Poulter qualified for the last 16 of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today without winning a game.

Poulter halved both his group games against Francesco Molinari and Paul Lawrie, but went through to the knock-out stages because Molinari then knocked Lawrie out with a 3&2 victory this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and Swede Johan Edfors went into a play-off after all of them won one game and lost the other.

Jimenez lost the play-off when he bogeyed the short 10th. Edfors and Schwartzel parred and went on to decide who won the group.

By then Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell were all certain of their places in the last 16 – and there was a good chance Ryder Cup team-mates McIlroy and McDowell would be facing each other.

That was because McDowell was three up with five to play in his final group game against Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas whereas McIlroy trailed Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts by three after 14.

Paul Casey was on course to be the biggest casualty of the first phase. After losing to Spain’s Alvaro Quiros he was three down with four to go against Dane Soren Kjeldsen.