And then there were two: Ogilvy, Stenson
The streak is alive at the Accenture Match Play Championship.
And it belongs to Geoff Ogilvy.
With so much attention on Tiger Woods’ bid for an eighth straight PGA Tour victory, Ogilvy streaked into the championship match Saturday in Marana, Ariz., by winning his 10th and 11th in a row in a strong defense of his title. The U.S. Open champion has been so dominant that he hasn’t played the 18th hole since a practice round Tuesday.
“All golf at the end of the day is hitting it on the fairway and making a lot of putts,” Ogilvy said after a 3-and-2 victory over Chad Campbell. “If you do that in any format, you’re going to do well.”
Next up for Ogilvy is a guy who hit it into a cactus and did just fine.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden played bogey-free in a 3-and-2 victory over Trevor Immelman to reach the 36-hole final today.
Stenson went out in 31 to build a 3-up lead, and never gave Immelman a chance.
Ogilvy ran off four straight birdies to seize control, and put an end to yet another streak – Campbell’s loss meant this will be the first time in the nine-year history of this event that an American will not play for the title.
Mayakoba Classic
Despite playing with a sore back Fred Funk shot a 64 and finished the third round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, holding a two-stroke lead over Jose Coceres, giving him a great chance to make the PGA Tour’s first trip to Mexico historic in another way. If Funk holds on, he’d join Craig Stadler as the only players to win on the regular tour after winning a seniors event.
Stadler did it in back-to-back weeks in 2003. Funk’s Champions victory came a month ago in Hawaii, when he won the Turtle Bay Championship by 11 strokes.
Coceres shot 65, leaving him alone in second place at 197. Skip Kendall was the big mover of the day, shooting 63 to jump into a tie for fifth at 201.
Peter Lonard (67) and Cameron Beckman (69) are tied for third at 200. Boo Weekley shot an even-par 70 and is tied with Kendall. Beckman and Weekley, who came into Saturday’s round tied with Funk.
Champions Tour
Allen Doyle shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead over Bobby Wadkins and Champions Tour newcomer Mark O’Meara after the second round of The ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla.
Doyle, an 11-time winner on the 50-and-over tour, had a 12-under 132 total on the Quail West Golf and Country Club course. O’Meara, making his second Champions Tour start, shot a 68, and Wadkins followed his opening 64 with a 69.
Mike Reid was 10 under after his second straight 67, and Des Smyth (67) and Eduardo Romero (69) followed at 9 under.
LPGA
Stacy Prammanasudh shot a 4-under 68 to hold off Jee Young Lee by a stroke and complete a wire-to-wire victory in the Fields Open in Kapolei, Hawaii.
The 27-year-old Prammanasudh had five birdies and sealed her second LPGA Tour title by two-putting for par from 20 feet on No. 18 to finish at 14-under 202.
Lee closed with a bogey-free 68.
Rookie Angela Park (71), making her second LPGA Tour start as a pro, Japanese star Ai Miyazato (66) and 18-year-old Morgan Pressel (69) tied for third at 11 under.
With a three-hour rain delay Friday, 70 players had to return to the course Saturday morning to complete the second round.
Tracy Hanson (145) of Rathdrum, and Wendy Ward (146) of Edwall, Wash., both failed to make the cut to play in the final round.