An all-England club: Ian Poulter leads Paul Casey midway through Match Play Championship final

Poulter leading Casey in Match Play Championship

MARANA, Ariz. — Ian Poulter lost some of his momentum but not the lead, building a 2-up advantage over Paul Casey midway through their 36-hole match Sunday in an All-England final of the Match Play Championship.

Coming off a 7-and-6 victory in the semifinal, Poulter fell behind for one hole — a conceded eagle to Casey at the par-5 second — and built a 4-up lead through the 14th hole.

Casey, who had to finish his semifinal victory Sunday morning in the longest match of the week, birdied the 15th and won the final hole of the morning session when Poulter three-putted.

“I’m still 2 up, so I’m in a good position,” Poulter said.

Casey played until dark on Saturday in his semifinal match against Camilo Villegas, getting a reprieve when the Colombian missed a 3-foot par putt that would have won the match. Returning at dawn, Villegas snap-hooked his tee shot on No. 10 into the desert and was lucky to find it suspended 4 inches off the group in a desert bush.

Villegas managed to make mid-air contact out to the fairway and made bogey, forcing Casey to make a 6-foot par putt to win the match in 24 holes.

Casey looked sloppy early in the final, though.

Despite having a 20-yard advantage in length, Poulter won three par 5s with birdies. He went 2-up at No. 8 when Casey failed to match his birdie from 8 feet, and Poulter won the par-5 11th when he nearly reached the green in two, while Casey came up well short and into a plugged lie in the bunker near the edge of the sand.

It appeared as though the match might get away from Casey when he failed to reach the par-5 13th, landing in another bunker and missing a 10-foot putt, and Poulter poured in a 7-foot birdie. On the 14th hole, Casey hit a fairway bunker for the third straight time on that hole and couldn’t reach the green, falling 4 holes behind.

But he made a birdie putt from about 7 feet on the 15th, and won the 18th with a par.

Casey also trailed last year at the midway point — 3 down — before losing to Geoff Ogilvy.

A victory by either Englishman puts them at No. 5 in the world ranking, assuring England of having three of the top six players. The difference in winning financially is more noticeable, with $1.4 million going to the winner and $850,000 to the loser.

Villegas faced Sergio Garcia in an 18-hole consolation match.