Mark Wilson topples Dustin Johnson to proceed to quarterfinals in WGC Accenture Match Play Championship
Mark Wilson and his hot putter have lately turned into a problem for the rest of the field at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson has now fallen victim of the raging golfer when he succumbed to Wilson’s convincing victory on Friday.
This is, however, not the first time Johnson has fallen victim of the trailblazing Wilson in a Match play event.
Wilson also defeated Johnson in last year’s Accenture Match Play event with his brilliant performance on the 18-hole stretch.
Wilson said, "Dustin didn't have his best stuff, He hit it in the desert a few times and gave me a few holes. I took advantage of that. I was looking to maybe lose two straight holes, but instead I holed it and that kind of turned things around".
Johnson is not entirely to be blamed for his tragic departure from the coveted title event. He recently underwent a knee surgery in November last year and has made a comeback after an extended rehab of few months.
He played spectacular golf last year, including a runner-up finish at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s.
An early exit will definitely not go down well with the sturdy player who has been looking for a breakthrough in the major events ahead.
Wilson clinched lead earlier in the day, playing the front nine, and won four consecutive holes and never looked back.
Johnson remained without a point on the front nine, which eventually took its toll on the overall score.
Johnson pulled in one point at the ninth just before making the turn. He carded another at par-five, 11th against another two points to Wilson’s score card. The round finished with Wilson carding an overwhelming victory of 4 & 3.
Wilson later added, “I think the turning point was when I chipped in on 12. Dustin had a pretty easy bunker shot. And I was looking to maybe lose two straight holes, but instead I holed it and that kind of turned things around”.
Wilson refused to accept that he is short on his putter and believes that it is not entirely the length rather the whole composition of the shot which actually matters.
Whatever the critics may have to say, Wilson, so far, has survived the notorious Knock-out format and will be eyeing a showdown with the giants in the quarterfinals and the semi-finals ahead.
Wilson has spent a considerably longer period of time playing professional golf and has until now, remained in oblivion with marginal victories.
He won two events on the PGA, the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Sony Open in Hawaii to card the best year in his professional career.
He has also opened up the current season with an early victory at the Humana Challenge in January and is rightly poised to card the coveted WGC Accenture Match Play title this week.
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