Matt Kuchar sends Ricky Fowler packing from Match Play Championship
World number 13 Matt Kuchar sent PGA Rookie of the Year 2010 Rickie Fowler packing from the Accenture Match Play Championship on Friday with a score of 2-up.
Fowler is ranked 33rd in the world and was part of the 2010 Ryder Cup in which he contributed with two points in an aggregate of 13.5.
On Friday, the 22-year-old met his compatriot Matt Kuchar in the third round and put up a great fight.
Kuchar started the attack and won the second and third hole. Fowler wasted no time in responding and squared the front nine after birdying the sixth and eighth holes of the Ritz-Carlton Club’s Dove Mountain Course.
However, on the back, Kuchar made use of his experience and won the first three holes. Kuchar bogeyed the tenth and parred the next two holes while Fowler triple-bogeyed the tenth and bogeyed the next two. Fowler tried getting away from the loss by winning
the 14th and 16th, but Kuchar birdied the par-4 17th and conceded the last hole to walk to the clubhouse as the semi-finalist.
The world number 13 was extremely happy with his game, but at the same time, he lauded Fowler’s performance on Thursday against Phil Mickelson.
Kuchar said, “I think I'm lucky I didn't run into him yesterday. It sounded like yesterday he was on fire and would have cleaned me out.”
Meanwhile, Fowler was disappointed with his swings at the back nine. He said, “I’m disappointed about 11 and 12, missing some little up, and downs and short putts that I thought definitely helped the match go the other way.”
Fowler conceded that he did not put a good fight against Kuchar, but wished him the best of luck against Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ryan Moore, Luke Donald, Bubba Watson, Yang Yong-eun and John Bradley Holmes in the semi-final round on Saturday.
Kuchar led the money list in 2010 and was part of the Ryder Cup squad which lost the battle against the Europeans at Celtic Manor.
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