29102009 - Scott Strange teeing off in his first match vs Paul Casey at the Volvo World Match Play - picture by Getty images
Strange Results All Round
10/29/2009
The first match in the rejuvenated Volvo World Match Play Championship resulted in a turn-up for the books as Australian Scott Strange, 168th in the world defeated world number four Paul Casey by one shot.
Strange, the first man to qualify when he won the Volvo China Open in April may have been the rank outsider, but Casey, also a Volvo China Open champion in 2005, just back from a lengthy lay-off failed to fire, saying, “It feels pretty good, always a nice start [and] I felt pretty comfortable.”
“it was very patchy, silly little mistakes,” admitted Casey, who refused to use his long lay-off for his poor start, saying, “The power certainly isn’t there and I’m just a bit rusty.”
Meanwhile, American Anthony Kim, a notoriously tough match play golfer won with ease over and out-of-sorts Retief Goosen, Kim four-up after 18 holes in the new format adopted for this, the 45 World match Play Championship, the first under Volvo’s stewardship.
“This is a very special event and I’m excited to be here in Spain,” said Kim, explaining, “I just have to get the ball on the green, make a few putts [this afternoon] and I’m sure I’ll have a good day.”
And it was a good day for Australia, Robert Allenby winning against another man returning form a long injury lay-off, Martin Kaymer of Germany.
Meanwhile, there was disappointment for the host nation Spain as the ‘local hero,’ Sergio García went down to his Ryder Cup team-mate, Englishman Oliver Wilson.
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