Henrik Stenson became the second European Tour Member to win the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play with a stunning 2 and 1 victory over Geoff Ogilvy at the Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona.
The biggest victory of his career earned Stenson €1,027,631 and lifted him to the top of The European Tour Order of Merit and into the World Top Five.
Darren Clarke was the only previous European to win the WGC – Accenture, at La Costa in 2000, but Stenson, who won the Dubai Desert Classic on his last start earlier this month, joined that elite club after a roller-coaster final in the Arizona desert.
US Open Champion Ogilvy, who beat American Davis Love III in last year's final, was two up with ten holes to play at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club before Stenson dug deep into his last reserves of energy to fight back over the back nine.
A scrappy front nine, where both players exchanged a handful of bogeys, was put behind him as Stenson birdied the tenth, 12th, 16th and the two putted for birdie on the 17th to get his hands on the Walter Hagen Trophy
"I just tried to stay focused on my game," a beaming Stenson said after winning his sixth European Tour title.
"Luckily enough, I was able to finish off with two birdies to close out the match.
“Its been a long week and a good week for me, and now I’m exhausted. I’m just delighted to come out on top. Geoff was tired as well. I know how much he would have liked to defend his title. I’m just happy with the way I managed to play the last couple of holes there.”
Stenson played 120 holes of golf to get past his six opponents, knocking out Zach Johnson, KJ Choi, Aaron Baddeley, Nick O’Hern and Trevor Immelman on the way to the final.
“It’s been a big week, moving up the World Rankings again. To be the first Swede to win a World Golf Championships event and also I think I will be the highest ranked that a Swede has been in the World Rankings. So obviously a lot of great things have happened for me this week.”
Ogilvy had gone 11 matches undefeated but missed out on defending his title at the last hurdle.
"I didn't putt great this morning and this afternoon I lost my golf swing again," Ogilvy said. "It's disappointing but that's the way it goes."
Stenson held the upper hand after leading Ogilvy two up after the morning but the Australian hit back immediately in the afternoon.
He clawed one back by holing a six-footer to birdie the 19th and won the 20th after his opponent slid a four foot par putt past the right edge of the cup.
Although Stenson regained a one hole cushion when Ogilvy bogeyed the 21st after missing the green off the tee and failing to hold the putting surface with a delicate chip, the Australian again rallied.
He won three of the next four holes, taking the 23rd with a par, driving the green at the 25th to set up a two putt birdie and going two up after Stenson lipped out with a four foot par putt at the 26th.
Once again, though, the momentum shifted.
Ogilvy missed a four-footer to bogey the 27th, lost the 29th after over hitting the green with his approach and trailed by one after Stenson got up and down from the left greenside bunker to birdie the par four 30th.
Ogilvy did well to halve the next two holes, sinking par putts from 11 and 17 feet, before Stenson effectively sealed victory at the par three 34th.
The Swede hit a superb tee shot to within two feet of the flag, the tap-in birdie putt being conceded by his opponent.
Ogilvy, whose iron off the tee finished just six feet from the cup, narrowly missed his birdie attempt to the left and trudged off to the 35th hole two down.
Overall, the lead changed five times in the final before Stenson clinched the biggest victory of his career.
In the Consolation Match there was more European Tour glory as Trevor Immelman claimed third place after beating Chad Campbell 4 and 2.
A burst of four birdies and an eagle around the turn put the contest beyond doubt and the South African duly closed out the match with an other birdie on the 16th.
“It feels pretty bizarre as you feel you have lost after putting everything into the tournament and then you have to come back and play a match for third place,” said Immelman. “But there are a lot of World Ranking points and I had to get my head around that and come out here with a positive frame of mind. I managed to get my nose out in front around the turn and win the match.”
Immelman will climb to 12th in the world when the Official World Golf Rankings are released on Monday.
