Stricker loses in extra holes, as Ishikawa makes strong debut

more images

more images

Top seed ousted in 1st round for the second time

MARANA, Ariz. — Without even showing up, Tiger Woods’ prints were all over the Match Play Championship.

Word that Woods was going to speak publicly for the first time Friday dominated the conversation Wednesday, even as 32 matches were being played across the high desert on Dove Mountain.

The day ended with Ross McGowan — who only got into the 64-man field because Woods isn’t playing — becoming only the second player in the 12-year history of the event to knock out the No. 1 seed in the opening round.

McGowan rolled in a 30-foot par putt on the 19th hole to beat Steve Stricker, who was coming off a victory at Riviera and was the top seed in Woods’ absence.

“History is showing in this event. It can happen to anybody,” Stricker said. “Like I said yesterday, it’s kind of scary, because you don’t know what you’re going to run into.”

Stricker, the top seed by default because of Woods’ indefinite break from golf, was the only player among the top four seeds to lose.

Lee Westwood controlled his match against fellow Englishman Chris Wood, Jim Furyk went 17 holes before beating Ryder Cup teammate Scott Verplank, and Martin Kaymer of Germany beat Chad Campbell, the first time Campbell has failed to make it out of the first round.

Ryo Ishikawa made a sensational debut at this World Golf Championship.

The 18-year-old from Japan won the last three holes for a 2-up victory over Michael Sim of Australia in a match of rising stars. The signature moment came at the 17th, when Ishikawa hit from a fairway bunker to inside 2 feet for birdie.

Ishikawa advanced to the second round to face McGowan, who only learned he was coming to Arizona five days ago.

“I knew I had a good chance at the beginning of the day,” McGowan said. “It is nice to win and get through for tomorrow. It was quite exciting when that one dropped on 19.”

It was devastating for so many others.

Padraig Harrington, the No. 8 seed, couldn’t make a putt and lost to Jeev Milkha Singh of India, who won his first match in three trips to Arizona. Henrik Stenson, who won this event in 2007 and was the No. 7 seed, didn’t even get past the first hole. He conceded his match to Ben Crane because of flu-like symptoms.

The longest matched belonged to Zach Johnson, who made a 3-foot par putt on the 21st hole to beat Francesco Molinari of Italy. His brother didn’t make it, either. Even though Edoardo Molinari built a 4-up lead early on Stewart Cink, the British Open champion played what he called the best nine holes of his career for a 2-up victory.

The shortest day of work belonged fittingly to Mike Weir of Canada, who faced Alvaro Quiros of Spain, one of the biggest hitters in golf. Quiros didn’t stand a chance — not many would have — against Weir’s short stick. The Canadian opened with five straight birdies and made nine birdies in 12 holes for an 8-and-6 victory.

Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy also didn’t work up much of a sweat. He built an early lead and then poured it on against Alexander Noren of Sweden, winning 7 and 5. The most peculiar aspect was that none of the holes were halved. They traded the first six holes before Ogilvy took the lead for good at No. 7, then won the next six holes.

“An odd match,” Ogilvy said.

It wasn’t anything like last year, when Ogilvy had to go overtime in his first two matches to avoid elimination. Ogilvy prefers a tough match early to prepare him for the week, although ultimately, only one thing matters.

“You can’t win the tournament if you don’t win the first round,” he said.

Stricker found that out the hard way. He was given a second chance when McGowan failed to make a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the match. And he appeared to be in good shape on the first extra hole when the burly Englishman missed the green well to the right. Stricker posed over his approach, only for it to plug in the face of the bunker.

He did well to blast out to 15 feet, but then McGowan rolled in his long putt for an unlikely par.

“I could go all the way,” McGowan said.

Not so for Stricker and 31 others. They can only go home.