Nick O’Hern brought the Tiger Woods winning streak to an abrupt end with a thrilling extra holes victory over the World Number One on a successful day for European Tour Members with five making it through to the last eight of the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play.
Just as he did two years ago, O’Hern knocked Woods out of the competition but only after a match that bucked like the wildest bronco from the local Tucson Rodeo.
The Australian left-hander took full advantage of some wild Woods play early on, winning four holes on the bounce from the fourth to lie four up after seven holes on a day when a biting cold wind swept across the Gallery Golf Club.
But Woods, who was chasing an eighth successive US PGA Tour title, is the best player in the world for a reason and suddenly found his game, reining O’Hern back in with a burst of four birdies in five holes to get within striking distance. When O’Hern then missed the 15th green on the left and he needed two chips to find the putting surface, he had to concede the hole and the match was back to all-square.
Fighting his emotions, the partisan crowd and a resurgent Woods, O’Hern managed to edge back in front with a birdie on the 17th but again Woods would not lie down, hitting back with his own birdie on the last to take the tie into extra holes.
It looked to be all over for O’Hern when Woods lined up a four foot birdie putt on the first extra hole but, incredibly, Woods missed and the match stayed alive.
Both players was unable to find the green on the second, O’Hern finding sand and Woods the left rough, and when Woods missed his par putt from 15 feet, O’Hern calmly stroked hom his own 12 foot putt to progress through to the last eight.
“The back nine was pretty stomach churning,” admitted O’Hern. “I got off to a nice start and Tiger had his problems so I was just trying to shoot one better than him on this holes. But I knew he was going to make a run at me on the back nine. It was just important for me to force him to make birdies to beat me.
“I told myself I’ve been in this situation before and I know how to handle it. When he is coming at you like that, you can lose your focus and play poor golf, but I still played nice solid golf.
“I tried to pick moments where I could attack holes as a lot of those pins I couldn’t really get to. So par was a good score for me. The birdie on the 17th was nice to get that one up cushion. I knew he would make birdie on the last and I tried to make my putt there, and then he let me off the hook on the 19th so things went my way.”
Asked what it meant to beat Woods twice, O’Hern replied: “Not many people can say that I guess. To beat him once was an amazing thrill, and I’m sure he wanted to even the score today. I just knew if I played well I could do it because I’ve been in this situation before.”
Woods had a chance to win on the 19th but his ball missed on the right.
"It was a ball mark," he said. "I was so enthralled with the line and where I had to start it. It was just left centre, just go ahead and hit it, and I didn't even see the ball mark.
"I wasn't even looking. I knew if I hit it inside, the match is over. That's my fault for not paying attention to detail."
Woods said the manner of his defeat had been much more disappointing than the end of his hot streak on the US PGA Tour.
"It's not the streak, it's the fact that I'm disappointed I didn't pay attention to detail, something so simple," he added.
"I had a chance to win the match with a little four-footer."
Woods had not finished worse than second on the US PGA Tour since the Western Open last July.
"That's something I'm very proud of," he said. "To go basically from July until now without ever finishing out of the top three, that's not bad."
But for the victor, O’Hern will now face fellow European Tour Member Henrik Stenson who, after his opening two matches went right to the wire, enjoyed a comfortable 4 and 3 victory over Aaron Baddeley.
Justin Rose set the tone for the day with an impressive 3 and 2 victory over last week’s Nissan Open winner Charles Howell III. Rose was five up at the turn and while Howell III battled back, he was too far adrift to reverse the result.
“It’s nice to get through to the final stages and into the weekend,” said Rose. “The first five or six holes were playing very difficult and I managed to get through those in level par and get three up. Then I started to make some birdies around the turn where the course gives you some opportunities. I got to five up and made it pretty tough for Charles to comeback from there.”
Another all European Tour tie awaits as Rose will now face his friend and Lake Nona neighbour Trevor Immelman after the South African held off Ian Poulter 2 and 1.
Paul Casey also safely made it through, once again beating Shaun Micheel as he did in the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club last September. Casey looked in control, pulling two holes to the good but Micheel fought back to get back on level terms with two holes to go. But Casey birdied the 17th and then had another birdie putt conceded on the last to make it through to the Quarter Finals where he will face the defending champion Geoff Ogilvy.
The Niclas Fasth was a European Tour casualty, losing to Ogilvy 2 and 1, while Stephen Ames, 3 and 1 winner over Stewart Cink, and Chad Campbell, the only American to make it through to the last eight after beating David Toms by one hole, complete the Quarter Final line-up.
