WGC-Lee Westwood dumps Jordan Spieth

Lee Westwood produced some clutch golf to eliminate Jordan Spieth from the WGC Match Play

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Lee Westwood produced some clutch golf to eliminate Jordan Spieth from the WGC Match Play

 

Edited by Anand Datla

 

May 2, 2015: Lee Westwood knocked out Masters Tournament winner Jordan Spieth as the Englishman secured his place in the last 16 of the WGC – Cadillac Match Play.

 

Both World Number Two Spieth and Westwood had beaten Matt Every and Mikko Ilonen over the first two days, making their final round-robin contest a winner-takes-all affair with only one player progressing from each group.

 

The 42 year old Westwood found himself two down early on, but a Spieth bogey on the sixth and a birdie from 13 feet at the ninth saw him square the contest by the turn.

 

Spieth bogeyed the tenth to fall behind for the first time but levelled matters with a 15 foot birdie on the next, and appeared on course to retake the lead at the 16th when Westwood chipped from a bunker through the green and then duffed his third.

 

But after two poor chips the former World Number One holed his third effort for a half, and birdied the last two holes for a two up win.

 

“It feels great,” said Westwood. “There’s no easy matches out here and I was sliding down the banister at the start at two down. I just had to regroup and fight back after that.

 

“Anything can happen (now). Getting out of the group was really one of the toughest things to do this week. Sometimes your fate was out of your hands but fortunately I won all three games and I am very excited about tomorrow morning. I will try to come out and play as good as I played today and keep holing putts.”

 

Justin Rose had earlier bowed out despite beating Ryan Palmer to claim his second consecutive victory, first-day conqueror Marc Leishman rendering the former US Open champion’s result meaningless by beating India’s Anirban Lahiri on the 18th to advance with a perfect 3-0 record.

 

Leishman will face Gary Woodland next after Woodland defeated Webb Simpson on the 18th.

 

Former champion Hunter Mahan also advanced to the knockout stages with his third win, the American defeating compatriot Matt Kuchar 5 and 4 in Group 14.

 

Mahan will face Australian John Senden on Saturday morning, Senden and Rickie Fowler having already booked their places in the last 16 with a game to spare thanks to victories on the opening two days against the two players who could possibly match their overall record.

 

Head-to-head results would decide the group winner in the event of two players finishing tied, with a play-off required if three players finished on the same mark.

 

The first of those saw Branden Grace defeat Zach Johnson and Charley Hoffman with a birdie at the third extra hole to set up a last-16 clash with England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who defeated Bernd Wiesberger on the 19th and advanced courtesy of his better head-to-head record with Jamie Donaldson, who had defeated Sergio Garcia.

Westwood will face good friend and stablemate Danny Willett in the last 16 after Willett also made it three wins from three by beating fellow Englishman Andy Sullivan on the 18th.

 

World Number One Rory McIlroy had a battle on his hands to reach the knockout stages, the four-time Major winner trailing Billy Horschel by one hole at the turn in a winner-takes-all clash in group one.

 

And in another decisive contest, Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen – who contested a play-off for the 2012 Masters – were all square after 16.

 

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Source: European Tour Website

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