European Tour Members will fill three of the four places in a mouthwatering semi-final line-up of the HSBC World Match Play Championship on the West Course at Wentworth Club.
The top tie sees defending champion Ernie Els play Vijay Singh, while Thomas Björn faces American Ben Curtis, the man who pipped him for the Open Golf Championship at Royal St George’s in July, in the bottom tie.
Els, the Number One seed and looking to become only the third man behind Seve Ballesteros and Gary Player to win the title on five occasions, booked his place in the last four after an enthralling tussle with his fellow countryman Tim Clark.
The South African, celebrating his 34th birthday, looked set to break into his celebrations early when he moved five up with only six holes to play. But Clark refused to give up and began to claw his way back into the match.
A par four at the 13th was enough to win the hole as Els found the trees on his way to a bogey five and when Clark put his five iron to four feet at the 14th for a birdie two, another hole was clawed back. Incredibly Clark won the 15th and 16th as well before a half in birdie four at the 17th halted the defending champion’s slide and Els gratefully closed out the match with a birdie four on the 18th to win by two holes.
“You have to take your hat off to Tim Clark because he showed so much character coming down the stretch,” said Els. “I had him five down before I played that tee shot into the bush on the 13th. Before then I felt in control and comfortable but I gave him a little breathing room and he totally responded.”
Clark said: “I’m proud of myself for the way I kept going and it is nice that at least I made Ernie work very hard in the end. I enjoyed being part of this tournament. The weather and crowds have been great and I hope I can come back and play again.”
Els will now face his old adversary Singh in a repeat of last year’s semi-final which the South African won 3 and 2. The Fijian booked his place after a titanic second round battle with US PGA Champion Shaun Micheel.
The American looked set to progress to the last four in his debut in the event when he reached the fifth hole of the afternoon round three ahead. But Singh showed the match play experience which saw him clinch the title in 1997 with a gritty comeback.
A pitch in for birdie three began the fightback at the sixth and when he won three of the next four holes, he was ahead for the first time in the day. But Micheel was not finished and the American got his nose back in front by claiming the 14th and 16th but when he found trouble at the 17th, the match was level again and headed for extra holes.
The first was halved in regulation four, but at the par three second Singh made the crucial breakthrough. Micheel’s nine iron tee shot found the bunker to the right of green and he failed to get up and down from eight feet. Singh’s tee shot ran through the green but he pitched down to three feet and holed for a winning par three.
“I’m really happy with the result,” said Singh. “Any time you win a match, a long battle like that, you feel for the other guy. It was a long day and a tough day especially with the swirling winds and the greens were getting firm.
“But I am glad to be through and I am looking forward to tomorrow. I enjoy Ernie’s company. We have had a lot of battles here together over the years and I am sure tomorrow will be another one, we’ll see.”
With the second semi-final being between the men who finished first and second in this year’s Open Golf Championship, questions were understandably raised about whether a victory for Björn would represent any modicum of revenge, but the Dane was quick to quash any such suggestions.
“I lost the Open and whoever I lost it to it wouldn’t have made any difference,” said Björn. “I lost it to Ben Curtis but it could have been Tiger Woods and it would have felt the same.
“I can understand why people will look at what happened in the Open but I don’t think either of us will be looking at it that way because we’ve played enough golf to know we just have to go out and perform in the moment.”
Björn booked his place with a superb 5 and 4 victory over the Number Two seed and reigning Masters Tournament Champion Mike Weir. Unlike his opening day victory over Len Mattiace, where he had to recover a three hole deficit at lunch, the Danish Ryder Cup player was always in charge against the Canadian after winning two of the first four holes in the morning round.
Weir got the margin down to one but was unable to level matters again and when he slumped six down after eight holes of the afternoon round, the end was in sight, and it came a mere six holes later.
Curtis booked his place in the last four with a 5 and 3 victory over his fellow American Chad Campbell, the reigning Open Golf Champion pulling away with steady golf in the afternoon after three holes of the afternoon round saw the match still all square.
“I’m really thrilled to get through,” said the 26 year old. “To be honest I haven’t been playing very well of late and I have been working on a few things so I’m glad they worked out and really glad to be playing tomorrow.”
