Top seed Chris Wood breezed into the second round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play with a 4 and 3 win over Aussie Brett Rumford at Archerfield.
The BMW PGA winner is looking for a victory this week to cement his place in the European Ryder Cup team and ensure he can begin married life later this month with a week’s holiday rather fight to get into Darren Clarke’s team for Hazeltine.
Wood lost the first to Rumford but from there it was all Wood starting with a birdie at the second while he then won the fourth and seventh holes with par before recording an eagle on the par five 11th. A birdie on the 14th put him four up and he finished the job with the minimum of fuss.
“I’d like to think I have a good chance this week,” said Wood. “You don’t have to beat 155 others, you just have to beat six or seven, on paper. I know it’s not that easy. I knew today playing Rummy, he’s got such a good short game, you never feel like he’s out of a hole.
England’s and top-seed Chris Wood on route to victory on day one of the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match-Play at Archerfield. (Photo with thanks www.europeantour.com)
“I managed to get a couple holes up by 7 and you sort of feel in control.
“I couldn’t buy a putt today but kept giving myself chances. When you’re hitting it to ten, 15 feet on every hole, I think it wears your opponent down.”
Wood will next face countryman and 32nd seed Daniel Brooks, who overcame Welshman Gareth Wright 4 and 3.
The winner of that match will face 36 holes tomorrow with the round of 32 and round of 16 rescheduled for Friday with high winds expected on Sunday.
Views From The Morning Winners – AAM Paul Lawrie Match Play (Day 1)
Tournament host Lawrie is also though to the second round after a 4 and 2 win over big-hitting Dane Lucas Bjerregaard.
Birdies at the first, sixth, eighth, 11th and 16th all brought him holes with Bjerregaard fighting back with a gain of his own on the 14th.
Australian Richard Green had been 2 down with seven holes to play but three birdies in the next five holes helped him claim a 3 and 2 win over Lee Slattery and earn a clash with Lawrie.
“I played lovely today,” said Lawrie. “I’ve been struggling a wee bit with a sore neck the last ten days but today I felt fully fit and when I feel like that I feel as though I can make birdies and I can get some speed with the club.
“I’ve not played with Richard for a long time. He’s a similar age to myself, maybe a little younger, so not so much of a young gun tomorrow. But whoever it is, you’ve got to play decent golf.”
Local favourite Marc Warren bundled fifth seed Jorge Campillo out of the event with a run of four birdies in five holes from ninth helped him to a 3 and 2 triumph.
Next up for the Scot will be Swede Magnus A Carlsson, who was seven under for 15 holes in beating Chase Koepka 4 and 3.
Another victorious Scot was eighth seed Richie Ramsay, who overcame a late fightback from last year’s semi-finalist David Howell to win by one hole.
Next up for him is Roope Kakko, the Finn made an eagle on the last to beat Grégory Havret after 20 holes.
