England’s Richard Finch surprised even himself in knocking former PGA Champion Martin Kaymer out of the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Spain.
The World No. 9 ranked Kaymer missed a three-foot par putt at the final hole on the Finca Cortesin to hand a place in the last 16 of the Euro 2.75m event to the World No. 218 ranked Englishman.
“This is a pleasant surprise as I didn’t expect to beat Martin,” said Finch.
Richard Finch surprises himself in defeating Martin Kaymer. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“The funny thing is that I almost felt like giving him that putt at the last. It was a good game, and there was never really much in it.
“But slightly surprised that I’ve gone through”.
Kaymer went into the event as the lowest world ranked player and Kaymer the highest.
Finch, who is now guaranteed at least Euro 70,000 should he lose out in the start of the tomorrow’s knock out stage, only qualified for the event in finishing third in the recent Volvo China Open.
As both the first and second place finisher in China had already qualified the former Irish Open winning Finch was handed a place in the Spanish field.
Finch will now play former U.S. champion Graeme McDowell after he accounted for South African Jbe Kruger 4 & 3.
Defending champion Ian Poulter easily accounted for fellow Englishman Tom Lewis winning 4 & 3 but with both players advancing after Australia’s John Senden lost both his matches to his English rivals.
Poulter will now face Alvaro Quiros after the Spaniard easily accounted for Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka 5 & 4.
And Poulter remains on target to join some of the greats of the game including the late Seve Ballesteros in successfully defending the Volvo World Match-Play Championship.
Ballesteros won the event back-to-back in 1981 and 1982 as well as 1984 and 1985. Other players to have successfully held onto the prestigious title include Gary Player (1965 & 1964), Hale Irwin (1974 and 1975) and Ernie Els who captured the event three years running on two separate occasions (1994-96 & 2002-04).
In other matches England’s Justin Rose also had no concern in defeating (British) Open Champion, Darren Clarke 6 & 4.
Rose got off to a flying start to win the first two holes as he seeks to qualify automatically later this year for the European Ryder Cup team.
“In the general terms of my career I do have a certain determination to get back into the Ryder Cup team,” he said.
Rose will now tackle Nicolas Colsaerts after the Belgium defeated 2011 Masters champion, Charl Schwartzel in a play-off.
American Brandt Snedeker defeated South African Branden Grace also in a play-off and will play Columbia’s Camilo Villegas.
And in other matches tomorrow morning Spain’s Sergio Garcia plays Lewis, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson plays Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello and South African Retief Goosen, who won both of his matches, meets England’s Robert Rock.
