World matchplay championship Second round draw: As the old golf saying doesn't go, to lose one favourite in the first round at Wentworth is careless but to lose three-quarters of them is likely to evoke the hoariest of sporting cliches.
"It just goes to show that anyone can beat anyone on any given day," chimed the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Shaun Micheel and Paul Casey here yesterday after defying the seedings to progress to the last eight of the World Matchplay.
Maybe so, but recent history suggests the normal rules of the game do not apply to Tiger Woods, who arrived in London amid a blizzard of publicity after winning five tournaments in a row and departed in a drizzle after losing on the 33rd green to Micheel, the American who won the 2003 US PGA championship.
Woods, who is not keen on the Wentworth course and is even less enamoured with losing, had rather less to say for himself than he did earlier in the week when he was earning his sizeable appearance fee from the tournament sponsors, HSBC.
"I don't think anyone is excited when they lose," the world number one said sourly after his 4 and 3 defeat.
It will have come as no consolation to the departing titan to learn he was not alone on a day of sport that resembled nothing so much as the felling of Easter Island statues.
In all, six of the top eight seeds went down, including Retief Goosen, who lost to Casey 6 and 4, the world number two Jim Furyk, beaten by Robert Karlsson 4 and 3 and, most shockingly, Ernie Els, who lashed two drives out of bounds on the penultimate hole of his match against Angel Cabrera and then shook his opponent's hand.
"The way I am playing I can go further," said the Argentinian, who won the 2005 PGA Championship around the West Course.
If he does he will have to overcome Karlsson, who went one up on Furyk at the second hole of their morning round and was never headed. It was a terrific display from the Swede, who is one of the more low-key members of the European squad travelling to The K Club next week.
"I was never out there to try and beat a potential Ryder Cup opponent or anything else," he said, scarcely believably.
Casey and Karlsson produced some sparkling stuff as they set up matches against Mike Weir and Angel Cabrera respectively.
Casey was two down after 11 holes, but got back to all square at lunch and then, as he put it, "went a bit crazy".
The English golfer covered the next six holes in six under par with four birdies and a 15-foot eagle putt at the 552-yard fourth, turned in 29 and quickly added another birdie to press home the advantage.
"I'm very happy with that. I had a tough opponent with 'The Goose'," commented Casey, so looking forward to his second cap for Europe.
"When he is hot he is extremely hot and two down early on was not good. But I was very, very happy to get back to all square after 18, went a bit crazy and fortunately he didn't answer."
What pleased Casey in addition to how he played was how good he felt when it ended after 32 holes. "I've not had to do 36 for quite a while and I've been working hard on fitness. I feel good."
Of the other European Ryder Cup players in the field, the most impressive were Luke Donald, who held off Tim Clarke of South Africa to win on the final hole of a tight match, and Montgomerie, who shot an approximate 65 in the afternoon to beat David Howell by one hole.
"I don't know why I'm bothering," the Scot said when informed halfway through his post-match interview that the world number one was about to lose to the world number 77.
"Because if Shaun Micheel beats Tiger Woods, I will get a little column on page 38."
Not quite, but the point was well made. Alas, the same could not be said of the efforts by the sponsors to make light of losing the main attraction after one day.
"What Tiger has done for this event over the last six or seven weeks in reminding the public how important the Matchplay is in the calendar has already been done. The interest has been unprecedented," insisted Giles Morgan, the bank's head of sports sponsorship.
"Sport does have a funny way of writing its own script and thank goodness it does. Who knows about the television impact (of Woods' loss)?"
Maybe so, but he won't need to puzzle long for an answer. They will be down. Dramatically. Still, with pre-tax profits of £11.5 billion last year, HSBC should be able to survive. Unless it's a Micheel versus Cabrera final on Sunday. Then it could be touch and go.
Guardian Service
Tee-off times in
today's quarter-finals
at the West Course, Wentworth
0800 and 1245: (1) Michael Campbell (Nzl) v (9) Colin Montgomerie ... (Sco)
0815 and 1300: (12) Paul Casey (Eng) v (13) Mike Weir (Can)
0830 and 1315: (14) Robert Karlsson (Swe) v (11) Angel Cabrera (Arg)
0845 and 1330: (7) Luke Donald (Eng) v (15) Shaun Micheel (USA)
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