World Match Play--Final Words

Update # 4 … All is said and done. Geoff beat Davis and Zach beat Tom.
The #1 who surprised me the most was Retief. I thought that he would be the first # 1 out, and he was the last one standing. Match play truly is a window into the soul (more on that in my next blog!) I thought this one was a great event, with lots of eagles on par 5s and 4s. Lots of birdie streaks (Tiger, DiMarco, et al.)

Update # 3…The up-down match of the tournament is Weir vs. Ogilvy. Ogilvy goes 2 down, battles back, goes four down, battles back, and finally defeated the star-crossed Canadian on the 21st hole with an eagle to Weir’s birdie. Tiger went down to defeat, as did Vijay, so Retief is the only #1 seed left. Funny thing is, lots of great players are left: DL3, Padraig, Retief, Young US hopefuls Chad and Zach, young Euro hopeful Dave Howell, young Aussie hopeful Geoff Ogilvy, and Shingo, baby, Shingo!!!

Update # 2…Today it was the Snead bracket that bit me hard. Went 1-3 in that one, and 2-2 in the other three. My Tiger upsetter was defeated, so here’s hoping that Eldrick continues on his way to victory.

Here is my update…Doesn’t take a genius to not hire me as a betting advisor. Here are some great numbers…In the Jones bracket, the favorite won 7 of 8 matches; in the Hogan bracket, it was split (4 favorites, 4 underdogs); in the Player bracket, 5 of 8 favorites won, while in the land of upsets (the Snead bracket), only 3 of 8 favorites won. So if you chose straight favorites, you went 19 and 13, and trounced me.

As for me, both my finalists are already down the road … woe is RonMon!

FIRST ROUND WINNERS: (15-17)
JONES BRACKET
Woods (WIN)
Allenby (WIN)
Stenson (WIN)
Herron (loss)
Toms (WIN)
Jobe (loss)
Scott (WIN)
Lehman (WIN)

HOGAN BRACKET
Els (loss)
Cink (loss)
Campbell (loss)
O’Hern (WIN)
Mick (WIN)
Bryant (loss)
Howell (WIN)
Westwood (loss)

PLAYER BRACKET
Singh (WIN)
Rory (loss)
Lonard (loss)
Pampling (loss)
Dimarco (WIN)
Clark (loss)
Perry (loss)
Hensby (loss)

SNEAD BRACKET
Goosen (WIN)
Crane (WIN)
Green (loss)
Clarke (loss)
Furyk (loss)
O’Hair (WIN)
Monty (WIN)
McGinley (loss)

SECOND ROUND WINNERS: (7-9)
JONES BRACKET
Woods (WIN)
Stenson (loss)
Toms (WIN)
Scott (loss)

HOGAN BRACKET
Els (loss)
O’Hern (loss)
Mick (WIN)
Howell (WIN)

PLAYER BRACKET
Singh (WIN)
Pampling (loss)
DiMarco (WIN)
Perry (loss)

SNEAD BRACKET
Goosen (WIN)
Clarke (loss)
Furyk (loss)
Monty (loss)

THIRD ROUND WINNERS:
JONES BRACKET
Stenson (loss)
Toms (loss)

HOGAN BRACKET
Els (loss)
Mick (loss)

PLAYER BRACKET
Singh (loss)
DiMarco (loss)

SNEAD BRACKET
Clarke (loss)
Furyk (loss)

SEMIFINALISTS:
Stenson versus Els (NO)
DiMarco versus Furyk (NO)

FINALISTS:
Els (NO) versus Furyk (NO)

CHAMPION:
Els (NO)