By Mark Lamport-Stokes
MARANA, Arizona Feb 23 (Reuters) – Steve Stricker
gave himself a timely birthday present with a one-up victory in
Thursday’s second round at the WGC-Accenture Match Play
Championship after trailing most of the way.
Stricker, who celebrated his 45th birthday, ended the match
by sinking a curling 20-foot birdie putt at the par-four 18th
where his opponent, South African Louis Oosthuizen, missed his
attempt from 12 feet.
“It really wasn’t back and forth until the end,” the 2001
champion told reporters of a tight encounter in dazzling
sunshine at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club where he was
two down after 10 holes.
“He had the lead on me all day long, so I was scratching
from behind all day. We each gave each other a couple of holes
here and there. I am just lucky to be moving on really. It
didn’t look too good for a while.”
Long regarded as one of the best putters in the game,
Stricker was delighted to have the opportunity to putt first on
the 18th green.
“My dad has told me the first one (putt) in usually wins,
and that was the thought,” the softly-spoken American said.
“There was a lot of movement in the putt, probably a good three
or four feet.
“It was a big swinger to the right. I thought I lost a
little speed there right at the end … and it was going to miss
on the low side, but it just hung in there nicely.”
Stricker was surprised he won three of the four par-fives in
the second round despite conceding a good 40 yards in distance
off the tee to Oosthuizen.
Continued…
