Tune in at 12:00 PM ET for day one coverage of the WGC-Accenture Match Play. Gino Bottero will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Welcome everyone! I'll be live blogging Day One of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
*UPDATE: EVENT CURRENTLY DELAYED DUE TO SNOW*
The event is being played at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona for the fifth consecutive year.
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7791
Since 1999, the World Golf Championships series has generated more than $38 million for charities across the globe.
Purse: $8,750,000
Winning Share: $1,500,000
FedExCup Points: 550
Past Champions:
2012: Hunter Mahan
2011: Luke Donald
2010: Ian Poulter
2009: Geoff Ogilvy
2008: Tiger Woods
Nasty conditions in the forecast today. The forecasted high is 47 degrees fahrenheit, the wind will be blowing steadily between 20 and 30 mph throughout the day with gusts up to 35 mph, and there is also an 80 percent chance of rain, and that rain could change to snow in the afternoon.
Notable matches that have yet to tee off:
12:15 PM ET (5) Ernie Els v. (12) Fredrik Jacobson
1:25 PM ET (1) Louis Oosthuizen v. (16) Richie Ramsay
1:45 PM ET (1) Luke Donald v. (16) Marcel Siem
2:05 PM ET (1) Rory McIlroy v. (16) Shane Lowry
2:25 PM ET (1) Tiger Woods v. (16) Charles Howell III
It's interesting to note with all four No. 1 seeds having yet to tee off, that a No. 1 seed has been upset by a No. 16 seed in each of the last seven years at this event.
Tiger Woods is a career 33-9 in head-to-head matches at this tournament. His three victories at the event are more than any other player has accumulated.
Tiger Woods played alongside U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday at the Floridian in Palm City, Florida. Woods was paired with the President in a round against U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, who also owns the Floridian.
Each of the seven PGA Tour events this year has been won by an American.
Looking across the scoreboard, the largest leads belong to Justin Rose, who is 4-up through 5 over K.J. Choi, and Jason Day, who is 4-up through 7 on Zach Johnson. Defending champion Hunter Mahan is 3-up through 6 over Matteo Manassero.
Let's pick up play on 12 with Sergio Garcia and Thongchai Jaidee.
Par 3 12th: Garcia came up short of the green off the tee. His second shot leaves him about seven feet for par. Jaidee missed short and to the right off the tee and was lucky to avoid the bunker off that side. He chipped onto the green with his second and remains outside of Garcia.
Par 5 8th: A birdie on the Par 5 8th for Jason Day moves him to 5-up through 8 holes over Zach Johnson.
K.J. Choi converts on a very ticklish downhill putt on 6 to cut into Justin Rose's lead. Rose is now 3-up through 6.
Par 3 12th: Jaidee converts on his par putt to put some pressure on Garcia, but the Spaniard knocked down his par putt to keep the match all square.
Matt Kuchar is 3-up on Hiroyuki Fukita on through 10 and has a chance for birdie to win the hole.
Par 3 11th: Fujita missed high on his birdie attempt from the fringe. Kuchar takes his time lining up his putt and drains it for birdie. He's now 4-up through 11.
Par 4 10th: Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher are making a mess of 10. Poulter lost his tee shot and now has a short putt for bogey. He's doing much better than Gallacher who makes his Gallacher from the rough stuff behind the green, and that shot didn't reach the green. A great sixth for Gallacher may be too little too late as he has about five feet left for triple-bogey.
Some ugly scores are winning holes today as the players are having trouble playing through the cold and windy conditions on the course.
563 yard Par 5 13th: Sergio Garcia with a solid tee shot into the center of the fairway and he gets up onto the putting surface with his second, just beyond the false front of the green. Thongchai Jaidee missed the fairway off the tee and will make his second from the rough.
Par 5 13th: Sergio Garcia with two putts to win the hole. He gets close enough on his birdie attempt that Jaidee has conceded the hole. Garcia is now 1-up through 13 in the day's first match.
Par 4 9th: Zach Johnson with a tough par putt to halve the 9th and avoid going 6-down. His putt missed high and he's now 6-down to Jason Day.
179 yard Par 3 3rd: Lee Westwood lands his ball just short of the flag to leave little more than a tap-in for birdie. Rafael Carbrera-Bello had landed his tee shot short of the green.
Par 4 1st: Fredrik Jacobson with a short birdie putt to win the 1st, but his putt slid right at the hole and stayed out. Ernie Els made his short par putt to halve the opening hole.
Par 3 3rd: Lee Westwood converted on his short birdie putt to get back to 1-up in his match with Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
There's some rain starting to fall on the course. Considering the frigid temperature, it might not be long before this rain becomes snow.
Par 4 14th: Sergio Garcia makes his second from the center of the fairway and reached the center of the green. 128 yards remaining for Jaidee from the fairway and fired his ball long with a sand wedge into the back rough.
Par 5 11th: Ian Poulter's second landed well right of where he would have liked it too and was forced to lay-up with his third with the ball above his feet. He chipped from the front of the green and leaves himself a tap-in for par. Gallacher was long with his second but set up a short birdie putt from the back rough. His birdie putt slid right and burned the right edge of the cup.
Par 5 13th: Matt Kuchar gets to within 3 feet with his third shot after laying up with his second. Fujita tried to do the same but missed left of the green.
187 yard Par 3 12th: Ian Poulter is happy to see his tee shot land on the green and avoid the bunker just off the left side, but he'll face a long and winding second from the putting surface. Gallacher's tee shot reached the green but came up well short of the pin.
A nice roar for Matt Kuchar as he wins the 13th. The gallery is much larger on that hole as the crowd has gathered around the heater located on that hole.
331 yard Par 4 15th: Sergio Garcia tried for the green off the tee and missed well off the left side. He'll be in some trouble from the desert. Jaidee with an opportunity to take advantage but instead he made the same mistake and may have missed even further left.
Potential Woods v Mcilroy final on Sunday! #WGCMatchplayby GregLaw_1 via twitter 2/20/2013 5:03:46 PM
Not moving from the tv all night #WGC #MatchPlayby louis_287 via twitter 2/20/2013 5:04:22 PM
One of my favourite tournaments of the year! Go Tiger! #wgc #matchplayby Carson Dennis via twitter 2/20/2013 5:04:26 PM
These PGA golfers are spoiled, I'd give anything for 47 degrees and a pristine golf course #cnyshortsweather #MatchPlayby TomEschenJr via twitter 2/20/2013 5:11:27 PM
Its a frigid opening day of the Accenture Match Play in Arizona. Did we say Arizona?by Golf Digest Malaysia via twitter 2/20/2013 5:22:27 PM
I really wish we got more matchplay tournaments, not much beats this ! Barring majors obviously #golf #accenture #MatchPlayby Marek van Wyk via twitter 2/20/2013 5:22:30 PM
Early version of #MarchMadness starts today. Welcome to the Accenture Match Play Championship. #FebruaryFrenzyby THPDamaikis via twitter 2/20/2013 5:27:07 PM
Who moved the world matchplay to St. Andrews? Proper February golf weather! #WGCAccentureMatchPlayby M_dubzz via twitter 2/20/2013 5:43:36 PM
The WGC Matchplay-desert golf with Scottish weather, what the heck/!by fidra1 via twitter 2/20/2013 5:43:38 PM
