Match Play Championship - Tiger Woods Not As Bad As Foe In Match - Play Opener

As Tiger Woods in addition to Gonzalo Fern ndez-Casta o reached your twelfth hole health of their go with upon Wednesday, Golf Channel analyst Nick Faldo cranked up his thickest sarcasm.

"Do you believe utilised together aim at the desert?" Faldo wondered aloud. "Then they might make the particular green."

And possibly they'll likely might neglect their putts.

Woods survived the opening round belonging to the Match Play Championship outdoors Tucson, although your dog should play improved - much, much, a lot much better - to get over Nick Watney in present day minute round. Based with Wednesday's showing, it's essentially sensible to be able to ask: Is Woods wading in self-doubt?

He might for no reason know this, naturally, for the reason that Woods designed his / her astounding record with strutting all over just like the almost all self-assured battler ever before (and he has been for a lot of years). But it's difficult never to consider the way a great deal involving his / her wrinkled play early throughout 2012 is actually powered by shaken religious beliefs with their flexibility to win.

Or, put another way, this individual appearance great apart from if your stakes are large - and that's accurately when Old Tiger altered into an otherworldly gear.

It appeared to be one factor to watch Woods play a mediocre remaining around throughout dropping to hatless Robert Rock with Abu Dhabi on Jan. 29. It has been yet another thing to see Woods play a terrible very last spherical - during which he or she seemed displaced along with confused, after about three days and nights associated with sharpness - around slipping to help Phil Mickelson from Pebble Beach on Feb. 12.

And it had been another thing entirely to view Woods wobble Wednesday, violent that will slide that will Fern ndez-Casta o throughout a good world famous upset.

Fern ndez-Casta o, a new 31-year-old Spaniard, provides received all 5 times within the European Tour as well as stalls No. forty eight on the earth rankings, hence he has simply no slouch. He also induced a awaken Tuesday, when your dog called Woods "beatable" in pretournament interviews.

Absolutely.

Woods needs to have been beaten Wednesday. He would have lost to many participants in the field, however Fern ndez-Casta o played possibly sloppier in addition to faltered affordable your stretch, making it possible for Woods to win start by making pars within the ultimate about three holes.

Still, this watching shots because of this match up had been Woods smacking just one shot left-handed . as well as wandering amid the cactus, in search of his tennis ball . or perhaps leaving behind a chips taken good brief on the hole . and also sending putts slipping recent the cup.

He does make a motorola clutch par spend less on No. 18, to mercifully end the actual match. But in his continuing goal to earn an standard PGA Tour occurrence to the newbie within almost 2 1/2 years, Woods raised far more questions than answers.

Other assorted findings immediately after seeing Wednesday's beginning round:

The first day time of the Match Play Championship is actually always rollicking fine fun. It's straightforward to turn off the television for the primary day involving some sort of stroke-play tournament. It's tough to seem at a distance at Match Play.

Even so, that arrangement won't speak out loud with casual admirers because the top gamers tend to be eliminated early, primary to be able to obscure matchups with the particular weekend. One No. 1 seed starting (Luke Donald) in addition to not one but two No. 2s (Adam Scott and Webb Simpson) resolved to go affordable Wednesday.

The compare of a prolonged hitter facing your plodder is fascinating. Dustin Johnson and also Jim Furyk did not disappoint, intending 20 holes ahead of Johnson prevailed. It has been roughly the same as Randy Johnson outdueling Greg Maddux.

Good thing Rickie Fowler, resplendent throughout an all-blue outfit, don't enjoy Sergio Garcia, who wore blindingly brilliant pink shoes. "That would push me nuts, investigating individuals things," Faldo said.

Master from the barbecue

Somehow, it's very difficult to be able to picture Jack Nicklaus or even Arnold Palmer wielding cooking utensils at Augusta National.

Charl Schwartzel, the particular 2011 Masters winner, really wants to change this specific year's Champions Dinner in to a red-colored - your braai, while they call them within his native South Africa. Just a lot of males primed this grill (all using environmentally friendly jackets, naturally) and changing stories.

Schwartzel made available to try and do this preparing food himself. Now he has waiting to help hear backside from Augusta National officials, who?re not accustomed to be able to such a great uncommon, low-key request with the reigning champion.

"I assume that took these individuals quite by way of surprise, it's possible anticipating a little something more the way they often complete it," Schwartzel said Tuesday on the convention call. "I merely find occasionally I will not delight in all these proper functions. I want it to become exciting plus relaxed, (with) some thing everyone could eat."

If golf club authorities give him that go-ahead, Schwartzel strategies to help work lamb chops, fillet steaks and a sausage acknowledged in South Africa as boerewors.

- Ron Kroichick

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