Golf:Rory McIlroy found himself at the wrong end of a golfing lesson after losing by five holes to Masters champion Angel Cabrera in his opening match of the €3.25million Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Spain today.
Cabrera did most of the damage with a string of birdies on the back nine as McIlroy simply hit a brick wall after the pair had reached the turn all-square.
The 20-year-old went one-down after bogeying the second but quickly bounced back with birdies at the fourth and sixth to go one-up. A bogey at the next gave the advantage back in the early nip and tuck exchanges.
The inward half told a different story as the big-hitting Argentine found his range with five birdies compared to McIlroy’s solitary back nine birdie at the 14th and one bogey. The winning margin was extended as Cabrera won the final three holes with a run of three birdies.
The opening result leaves McIlroy bottom of the “Group of Death” where England’s Simon Dyson won by three holes over Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.
McIlroy knew facing the Masters champion was going to be a tough task on his debut in the event, even though he was the sixth seed compared to the Argentine being 11th.
“I made it tough for myself, but he just played too well,” said McIlroy, “but the good thing is that I am still in it. I’m not packing my bags and heading home.”
In this new round-robin format all 18 holes are completed in each of the group matches before the top player from each of the four groups advances to the semi-finals and final over the weekend.
McIlroy’s Group C plus Group D only played one match today while Group A and B played two matches with the roles to be revered for tomorrow’s action.
Elsewhere today Order of Merit leader and second seed Lee Westwood was crushed by six holes by India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, who thought himself unlikely to play a week ago after pulling out of the US Tour event with foot trouble.
Singh described it as “a big bonus” that the course layout in Malaga this week is so vast that the players get 10 buggy rides during the 18 holes.
The other winner in Group D was England’s Ross Fisher, who beat Colombian Camilo Villegas by two holes.
Earlier in the day Paul Casey struggled on his competitive return after narrowly losing by one-hole to Australian Scott Strange before losing to Group A’s form player, Anthony Kim, by three holes in the afternoon.
Casey has been sidelined since early August with a torn rib muscle and lost to Strange when he missed a seven-foot birdie chance on the last.
Asked how he felt, Casey admitted: “Not great. I can’t swing the way I want.
“I’m coming out of a lot of the shots. Scott played well, but having said that I gave him three holes on the front and you can’t do that against anybody in this field.”
Kim had earlier defeated Retief Goosen by four holes to top the group.
In Group B, England’s Oliver Wilson, who missed yesterday’s pro-am after waking up with neck trouble, came from one down after 13 to beat Sergio Garcia by one hole.
He is top of the group as the only player with two wins after defeating Martin Kaymer by one-hole in his afternoon game.
Australian Robert Allenby beat Kaymer in the morning but halved with Garcia in the afternoon.
To win the title requires playing 36 holes on three of the four days.
Today's results/Details
Group A
Scott Strange (Australia) beat Paul Casey (Britain) 1 hole
Anthony Kim (US) beat Retief Goosen (South Africa) 4 holes
Kim beat Casey 3 holes
Goosen beat Strange 1 hole
Player Played Holes Pts
1. Kim 2 7 4
2. Strange 2 0 2
3. Goosen 2 -3 2
4. Casey 2 -4 0
Group B
Oliver Wilson (Britain) beat Sergio Garcia (Spain) 1 hole
Robert Allenby (Australia) beat Martin Kaymer (Germany) 1 hole
Garcia halved with Allenby
Wilson beat Kaymer 1 hole
1. Wilson 2 2 4
2. Allenby 2 1 3
3. Garcia 2 -1 1
4. Kaymer 2 -2 0
Group C
Simon Dyson (Britain) beat Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 3 holes
Angel Cabrera (Argentina) beat Rory McIlroy (Britain) 5 holes
1. Cabrera 1 5 2
2. Dyson 1 3 2
3. Stenson 1 -3 0
4. McIlroy 1 -5 0
Group D
Jeev Milkha Singh (India) beat Lee Westwood (Britain) 6 holes
Ross Fisher (Britain) beat Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 2 holes
1. Singh 1 6 2
2. Fisher 1 2 2
3. Villegas 1 -2 0
4. Westwood 1 -6 0
World Match Play Prize Money (€3,250,000)
1st: €750,000
2nd: €450,000
3rd: €250,000
4th: €200,000
Runner up in group: €150,000
3rd in Group: €130,000
4th in Group: €120,000
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