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Feb 20 (Reuters) – World number one Luke Donald was
drawn on Monday to play triple major winner Ernie Els in the
first round of this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
in Marana, Arizona.
Briton Donald is the defending champion, having won last
year’s trophy in imperious style without reaching the 18th hole
in any of his six matches.
Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano will also meet Tiger Woods
in Wednesday’s opening round at Dove Mountain while world number
two Rory McIlroy launches his campaign against South African
George Coetzee.
Lee Westwood, ranked third, faces Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts
and Sergio Garcia takes on fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.
American Bill Haas, winner of Sunday’s Northern Trust Open,
kicks off with a match against young Japanese Ryo Ishikawa while
Dustin Johnson meets U.S. Ryder Cup team mate Jim Furyk.
Donald will be looking to rediscover his form after slumping
to a eight-bogey 78 in the final round of the Northern Trust
Open to share 56th place at seven over.
“I certainly have good feelings going back to Dove
Mountain,” the Englishman told Reuters in an interview on
Sunday. “I have a pretty good match play record but you just
never know with that format.
“I just try to be pretty good at not giving too many shots
away, too many holes away, keeping the pressure on my opponents
and taking it one match by one.”
(Writing by Tony Jimenez in London, editing by Mark Meadows; To
comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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