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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ogilvy again master of match play

Geoff Ogilvy never trailed the final 63 holes of the 66-hole event. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

Geoff Ogilvy has been better than anyone in match play over the past four years.

One of these days, he might find out if that includes Tiger Woods.

Even without the world’s No. 1 player around, Ogilvy finished off a remarkable weekend at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., on Sunday with a 4-and-3 victory over Paul Casey to win the Accenture Match Play Championship for the second time in four years.

He played 66 holes on the weekend in 25-under par. He never trailed the final 63 holes of this event, mowing down teenage sensation Rory McIlroy and Stewart Cink on Saturday and never giving Casey a chance in the title match.

“The thing I’ll remember is I beat some really good players, and I beat them well,” Ogilvy said. “I played better and better during the week. Every round, I played better, which doesn’t often happen in golf.”

He saved his best against Casey, building a 3-up lead after the morning round, then pouring it on.

“This afternoon, three birdies in the first eight holes and I still lost two holes,” Casey said. “Geoff was exceptional.”

Cink defeated Ross Fisher in the consolation match with a birdie on the 18th hole for a 1-up victory.

A tournament that began with so much buzz over Woods’ return from knee surgery ended with a newfound appreciation for the skill and composure of Ogilvy, who ran his career record to 18-3 in match play. Woods is 40-12-1 in his professional career.

Ogilvy was asked if he was the best in the world at match play.

“This week I probably was. Last year, I was the 33rd best match-play player in the world,” he said, referring to a first-round loss. “But I have played well in this tournament in the last few years. I’m obviously one of the better match-play players.”

Ogilvy won his third World Golf Championship – he will defend his title in two weeks at Doral in the CA Championship – the most of any player besides Woods, who has won 15 of these elite events.

Ogilvy closed out the match with a 6-foot birdie on the 15th hole. He won $1.4 million and moved up to No. 4 in the world ranking with this third victory in his past seven starts. He started the year with a wire-to-wire win at Kapalua, and won late last year at the Australian PGA Championship.

Casey came into the final match having led 79 of the 80 holes he had played in his five previous 18-hole matches.

That amazing mark didn’t last long.

Ogilvy made birdie from 6 feet on the first hole, and when Casey failed to match him from 5 feet, it was the first time the Englishman had trailed all week. From there, it only got worse.

PGA Tour

Mark Wilson took over the lead of the Mayakoba Golf Classic for good with two early birdies Sunday in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, yet had to fight through some wobbly play down the stretch to earn his second career PGA Tour victory.

The co-leader after the second and third rounds, Wilson shot a 68 to win by two strokes over J.J. Henry.

Henry shot 68 on Sunday and was alone in second at 269. Kevin Streelman, whose 64 was the low round Sunday, and Heath Slocum (67) tied for third at 270.

LPGA Tour

Lorena Ochoa won the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday for her 25th career title, easily overcoming an early deficit and pulling away in Pattaya, Thailand, for a three-stroke victory.

The top-ranked Mexican star, three strokes behind Paula Creamer at the start of the round, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 14-under 274 on the Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course.

South Korea’s Hee Young Park shot a 65 to finish a career-high second.