Struggling Steve Stricker good enough for Louis Oosthuizen in WGC Accenture Match Play Championship
Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion and Steve Stricker, one of the highest ranked American players, endeavoured a thrilling match in the second round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship with Stricker finally taking over the raging South African by 1-up.
The duo started off the day with their ambitious approach shots and rarely made any big mistakes in the 18-hole stretch.
Stricker, who has been battling a stiff neck and Cortisone injury, has made a comeback after landing the season-opener Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
He took a few weeks off from mainstream golf, in an attempt to recuperate from the raging injury and has now stepped back on the greens to continue with his trail blazing golf.
Oosthuizen, meanwhile, is also trudging along as his form vows have now stepped into the second consecutive year after his thrilling victory at the Open.
The South African is desperately hoping to pull a break through to bring an end to his sliding form.
Both players remained even-par till the first three opening holes, until Oosthuizen pulled a point at the par-four, 4th with a birdie.
He stepped on the heat on Stricker with another one at the seventh until Stricker finally decided to take up the challenge and pulled in a glistening eagle at par-five, 8th.
Oosthuizen ended up birdying the same and went over to make up for the loss with a birdie on the ninth.
Both players made the turn to card absolutely opposite back nines as compared to the front. Oosthuizen only pulled in one more point when Stricker stumbled on a bogey at par-four, 17th while Stricker carded four birdies on the back nine to finally take over Oosthuizen by 1-up.
Stricker later said, "He was leading all day long, so I was scratching from behind. Really lucky to be moving on".
Top-16 players from the initial strength of top-64 on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) have now moved to the third round of the event.
Defending champion Luke Donald as well as the former world number one Tiger Woods have already left the event after failing to win their respective rounds.
Donald was defeated by Ernie Els while Woods was outsmarted by countryman Nick Watney.
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