An anxious Defending champion, Nicolas Colsaerts is through to the quarter-finals of the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria.
The big-hitting Belguim-born Colsaerts let slip a 5up leading advantage with six holes to play before sealing his match against Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano at the last hole for a 1up victory.
“It was totally my fault as I should have ended our game an hour or an hour-and-a-half earlier as I had a putt on 13 to win the match,” said Colsaerts.
Colsaerts now faces fellow Ryder Cup winning colleague, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland in this afternoon’s (SAT) quarter-final and in a repeat of last year’s final in Spain.
McDowell, and the highest world-ranked player in the field at No. 8, won his third straight match in defeating American Bo Van Pelt also 1up.
Italy’s Francesco Molinari, and also a member of last year’s victorious European team, has also now won all three matches and easily accounting for PGA Tour based Swede Carl Pettersson 6 & 4.
Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee continues to impress defeating dual Ryder Cup winning star, Peter Hanson of Sweden at the 21st extra hole after Hanson sent his second shot into a hazard.
Jaidee has now defeated Hanson, England’s Ian Poulter and South African Thomas Aiken to advance to the last eight and now faces Scotland’s Scott Jamieson.
South African Branden Grace defeated Australia’s Brett Rumford 4 & 3, and with Rumford’s departure ending any chance he had of becoming the first player since Seve Ballasteros in 1986 to win three straight European Tour titles.
“Branden just played too good right from the word ‘go’,” said Rumford.
“I started to play well in the middle of the round but just couldn’t hole any putts and putt pressure back on Branden, so he’s seemingly had a nice leisurely walk this morning.”
Aiken defeated Ireland’s Shane Lowry and the first extra hole after Lowry put his second shot from a bunker into a water hazard.
Completed fourth round matches – Volvo World Match-Play Championship, Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort Club, Kavarna, Bulgaria.
Branden Grace (South Africa) defeated Brett Rumford (Australia) 4 & 3
Chris Wood (England) defeated Richard Sterne (South Africa) 5 & 3
Francesco Molinari (Italy) defeated Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 6 & 4
Thomas Aiken (South Africa) defeated Shane Lowry (Ireland) 19th hole
Scott Jamieson (Scotland) defeated Felipe Aguilar (Chile) 1 hole
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) defeated Peter Hanson (Sweden) 21st hole
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belguim) defeated Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 2 holes
Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) defeated Bo Van Pelt (USA) 1 up
