Tune in at 4:00 PM ET for continued coverage of the WGC-Accenture Match Play. Gino Bottero will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Welcome everyone! I'll be live blogging Thursday's play at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
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
Day 1 Recap: Play was stopped at 1:07 PM ET, 11:07 AM MT due to snow as four inches were dumped on the course before the day was done. Sergio Garcia and Thongchai Jaidee were furthest along as they were on 16 when the horn sounded. Jason Day had the largest lead when play stopped on Wednesday. He led Zach Johnson 6-up through 10 holes. None of the No. 1 seeds made it out on the course before play was halted.
Six delays this morning in a span of four and a half hours pushed the start of play back to 3:00 PM ET, 1:00 PM ET. The players had a ton of trouble with the greens when they got back on the course. The cold weather has made the ground hard so the greens are playing very fast, yet in the fairways a combination of moisture and an extra day's growth are slowing things down.
Some rule changes for today's play. Once players conclude play on holes that was in progress when play was suspended, they'll be able to lift, clean, and place their ball. The nine matches that had not begun on Wednesday will be playing with preferred lies. Also, the tee box on 15 has been moved back to 334 yards, after measuring out at 305 yards yesterday. That change was made because there is still some snow around the green and officials are encouraging players to lay up rather than end up playing their ball out of the snow.
Bo Van Pelt was the first player to get off the course today, defeating John Senden 6 & 5.
Tiger Woods and Charles Howell III are scheduled to tee-off at 4:20 PM ET.
Ian Poulter just defeated Stephen Gallacher, 2 & 1.
Let's pick up play on 2 with a match that was a putt short of ending yesterday.
Par 5 2nd: On their second playoff hole, Thongchai Jaidee's approach shot came up short of the green, and he was lucky to avoid the bunker, coming up just short of that as well. Sergio Garcia's second shot reached the center of the green, giving him a great opportunity to end the match.
Robert Garrigus wins the third and he is now 3-up through 3 over Branden Grace.
Par 4 14th: Matteo Manassero with a very long putt to extend his match and he missed way left. Hunter Mahan has won the match 5 & 4.
Par 5 2nd: A little more than a tap-in for birdie for Sergio Garcia and he converts, ending his match after 20 holes, defeating Thongchai Jaidee, 1-up.
Par 3 6th: Padraig Harrington with a short par putt to halve the hole with Graeme McDowell. He pushed the putt slightly right, it took a ride around the lip of the cup and stayed out. McDowell is now 2-up.
Par 4 17th: Charl Schwartzel with a 3-footer to halve 17 and extend the match. He converted and they head to 18 with Russell Henley 1-up.
Par 4 1st: Rory McIlroy in the center of the fairway for his second and he lands it on the green, just to the right of the hole to set up a good look for birdie.
207 yard Par 3 16th: Jason Dufner stands in the tee box 2-down in the match. He landed his tee shot just to the right of the hole, then steps up and knocks down his birdie putt to win the hole. He's 1-down with two to play.
He made a tough putt to extend the match. He'll need to play a lot better on 18 if he hopes to extend the match.
Par 4 1st: Rory McIlroy with a chance to go 1-up in a hurry but he pushed his birdie try to the right.
Rory McIlroy hasn't been in competition since missing the cut in Abu Dhabi in January with rounds of 75 and 75. This is McIlroy's first PGA Tour event of the season. A year ago he led the Tour in wins with four.
Par 4 18th: Russell Henley made his second shot from the fairway and missed just off the right side and into the first cut of rough. Charl Schwartzel wasn't able to reach the green and his ball rolled back into the bunker.
Par 4 10th: Keegan Bradley misses just off the right side of the green with his second, but his ball takes a very favourable bounce out of the rough and rolls right to the bottom of the cup for an eagle-2. That puts him 1-up in the match.
A loud ovation on 1 as Tiger Woods makes his way to the 1st tee box.
Par 4 18th: Russell Henley with a brilliant chip from the first cut of rough that burns the right edge of the cup and leaves him a tap-in for par.
Charl Schwartzel will have to hole-out from the sand to avoid the upset.
Par 4 18th: Schwartzel's bunker shot rolled past the hole, ending the match.
UPSET ALERT: (14) Russell Henley has defeated (3) Charl Schwartzel, 1-up.
Another match has concluded as Nicolas Colsaerts has defeated Bill Haas, 5 & 4.
Russell Henley will face off against Jason Day in his next match.
Tiger Woods has been announced on the 1st tee. That brings a nice cheer from the crowd.
There are some really good golf matchups today at the matchplay eventby JEZUZ43 via twitter 2/21/2013 8:56:52 PM
That Garcia 3 jack was t-e-rr-b-Le wow #MatchPlay #pgatourby golfobsessed via twitter 2/21/2013 8:57:04 PM
Stellar eagle chip-in by @BubbaWatson #MatchPlay #WGCby realjedwards via twitter 2/21/2013 9:05:47 PM
Thata boy Sergio. #matchplayby SethDKnickrehm via twitter 2/21/2013 9:09:18 PM
Lee Westwood lookin sweet in the matchplay! might be worth a sneaky tenner!by MatJDean via twitter 2/21/2013 9:09:22 PM
Love #MatchPlayby higgie1810 via twitter 2/21/2013 9:14:47 PM
Golf is far and away the sport where I am the most impressed by what they can do. #MatchPlayby agonzales43 via twitter 2/21/2013 9:15:31 PM
Wow Keegan Bradley #matchplay #goodmissby Clay McCuistion via twitter 2/21/2013 9:25:47 PM
