Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY 25

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 25 March 2017

Continued from page 17 the 16th, 17th or 18th holes to win on the first extra hole,
in competition at Austin but just missed on the left.
Country Club. When he went to tap in,
“Pat was either going to Mickelson advanced out he set his putter down and
beat Lee and I was flying of the third round for the nudged the ball. Under a
home tomorrow morning, first time since 2004, so long new local rule, he could
or I was going to get to play ago that Lefty was known have replaced it with no
golf and try to advance,” as the best player without penalty. But he tapped in
Leishman said. “I got the a major and Tiger Woods and incurred a two-stroke
latter and advance. So it was starting to work with penalty, and he was walk-
was a great day.” a new swing coach, Hank ing back to the clubhouse
It was an easy day for Haney. as Cabrera Bello and
Johnson and Mickelson. Johnson and Alex Noren Howell played on. Howell
Johnson, the No. 1 seed (No. 8) were the only top wound up winning on the
going for his third straight 10 seeds left going into the fifth extra hole.
PGA Tour victory, again weekend. Rory McIlroy (2) Asked if he knew the rule,
won the opening hole and Jordan Spieth reacts to missing a birdie putt on the seventh hole was mathematically elimi- Hatton replied, “I really
showed why he might be during round-robin play at the Dell Technologies Match Play nated on Thursday; Day wasn’t thinking at that
golf tournament at Austin County Club, Friday, March 24, 2017,
the most feared player in in Austin, Texas. (3) withdrew; Hideki Mat- stage.”
golf at the moment. He Associated Press suyama (4) didn’t win a Sergio Garcia (7) lost in
shot 30 on the front nine, match all week; and Jor- a battle of the Spaniards
and all PGA champion having led after all 46 holes Holmes. Mickelson has led dan Spieth (5) didn’t make when rising star Jon Rahm
Jimmy Walker could do he has played this week. 41 of his 42 holes this week, it out of group play for the took him down. Garcia at
was make the match last Mickelson only made two and he has played so well second time in three years. least provided one unfor-
as long as he could. birdies, but he had no mis- from tee to green — and Justin Thomas (6) also was gettable moment when
Johnson won, 5 and 3, and takes and no trouble in a especially on the greens knocked out. Thomas had a burst of rain during his
goes into the weekend 6-and-5 victory over J.B. — that he has yet to see a 2-up lead with five holes tee shot on the 13th hole
to play until Matt Fitzpatrick caused him to lose his grip.
won the next four holes with The tee shot squirted left
birdies to win the match. about 30 feet.
That got Fitzpatrick into a “First, I thought I missed the
playoff with Kevin Na, who ball. Second, I thought the
had a 4-up lead until Chris club was gone,” Garcia
Wood won the next six said. “Anyway, the match
holes and seven out of the was already in bad shape
next eight. there.”
Their playoff didn’t start Ross Fisher of England
for two hours, then Na hit came up with another
a wedge to 3 feet and he clutch moment. He only as-
advanced. sured himself a spot in the
Fitzpatrick didn’t even en- Match Play three weeks
dure the greatest frustra- ago with birdies on his last
tion. That belonged to Tyr- three holes in Mexico to tie
rell Hatton, his fellow Eng- for third and move up in
lishman, who lost to Rafa the ranking. On Friday, he
Cabrera Bello to set up a beat Jim Furyk and then
three-man playoff of stroke holed a 20-foot birdie putt
play involving Charles How- to beat Louis Oosthuizen in
ell III. a playoff.
Hatton had a 10-foot putt Reaching the round of 16

Like us on leaves him a good chance
to be in the top 50 in the
Facebook world at the end of the
week and get into the Mas-
ters.
And now, everyone starts
with a clean slate.
It’s single-elimination the
rest of the way, starting with
the fourth round and quar-
facebook.com/bondianoticia terfinals on Saturday.q