Winners on Tour: Day back to No 1 & ruthless Ko off the mark

WGC-Dell Match Play: Jason Day

The Australian made it two wins in two weeks and two wins in three years in the Match Play to return to the World No 1 spot.

Day takes over from Jordan Spieth as the world’s best player after beating Louis Oosthuizen 5&4 in the final. Over the course of the week he saw off Graeme McDowell, Thongchai Jaidee, Paul Casey (who conceded due to illness), Brandt Snedeker, Brooks Koepka and then Rory McIlroy by one hole in the semis.

How Day almost had to pull out

McIlroy would go on to lose the third/fourth match to Rafael Cabrera-Bello. The Spaniard moved up 18 places this week to secure his place at Augusta.

The South African drove the opening hole in the final but was three down at the turn, Day then birdied 13 and then played his approach to three feet to sign off a one-sided final. He will begin the Masters as the No 1 no matter what happens this week.

What Day said: “I feel like I’m a great match-play player. I’m always trying to stick in it and stay in the game. You have to fight until it’s over. You still have to fight no matter what. And I think that’s the biggest thing for me.

“It’s been good momentum for me, confidence-wise, over the last two weeks. I can’t get comfortable with how I’m playing right now, I can’t get lazy, because I have to understand that what I’m doing is working. I have to keep working on the things that have caused me to win over the last two weeks.”

LPGA Tour: Kia Classic ” Lydia Ko
Even a double hit with her putter couldn’t stop the World No 1 from notching her first victory of the year.

The New Zealander led by four at the start of the day and four birdies on the front nine maintained the momentum. But she then called a penalty on herself at the 10th and Inbee Park, the No 2 in the world, closed the gap to one with a birdie on 17. But Ko replied with birdies at 16, 17 and 18 for a four-shot win.

She now has 11 victories including her two wins as an amateur. Next month she will turn 19. The first Major of the year, the ANA Inspiration, takes place this week.


What Ko said: “I started off really well and I gave myself good opportunities on 1, 2, 3, 4. I was able to make birdies on 1 and 2 and then I just kind of peeked at the leaderboard and saw Inbee was making a lot of birdies. Inbee doing her Inbee things; I knew that I needed to focus up until the last moment and fortunately I made some birdies down the stretch which really helped.

“I’ve been playing consistently well so I’m really happy with that and it’s just good to see the hard work we’ve put in the off-season. All the work we’ve put in as a team kind of paid off.”

 

 

PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open ” Tony Finau

A first Tour win for Finau after he beat Steve Marino at the third extra hole.

It was a third straight birdie in the play-off at the par-5 18th after getting up and down from a back bunker while Marino missed from inside five feet.

Earlier Marino had birdied the 18th to tie Finau who then missed from six feet to win the title outright. They then both recorded a pair of fours apiece before Marino’s three putts.

Ian Poulter , who was the first alternate for the Match Play, missed an 18-footer to make the play-off and he finished in a tie for third with Mexico’s Rodolfo Cazaubon.

 

What Finau said: “I think I’m still a little bit overwhelmed. It probably hasn’t all sunk in. In regulation, it was a putt that I kind of dreamed of making my whole life. It’s a putt that you practise for your first PGA Tour victory or just for any PGA Tour victory, so I was a little bit bummed that that sneaked by the hole because I hit a really good putt. But I was happy I had another chance at it and was able to make the second one.”