Soccer
  • Home
  • Golf
  • Sergio Garcia slams door shut on Westwood with incredible hole in one

Sergio Garcia slams door shut on Westwood with incredible hole-in-one

The Spaniard dramatically drained his tee shot at the fourth extra hole of a playoff to reach the last 16 of the WGC Dell Match Play in thrilling style

As ways to finish off an opponent in match play go it doesn't get any more decisive than a hole-in-one.

Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood could not be separated after three holes of a playoff to decide who would advance to the last 16 of the WGC Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club in Texas.
Both had finished with a 2-0-1 record in Group 8 after Garcia had lost his final match to Matt Wallace while Westwood had stayed alive with a convincing 4&3 win over compatriot Tyrrell Hatton.
And that meant, as with exactly half the 16-man groups, a playoff was needed to decide who would go through to the knockout phase.

Garcia had easily beaten Westwood 4&3 on day one. But when the two locked horns again, they couldn't be split.

Neither would blink first in the playoff's sudden death format; indeed, Sergio made two lengthy par putts to stay in the match as each of the first three holes were halved in par.
But at the par-3 4th, Sergio decided enough was enough. He launched a laser-like tee-shot straight over the flag, the ball gripped and, with just the perfect trace of backspin, reversed into the cup for a did-that-really-happen hole-in-one.
Game over!
Westwood, to his credit, could only laugh. What a way to lose out.
Garcia, the 39th seed, now takes on Canadian Mackenzie Hughes in the last 16.

Their match starts at 12:57 UK time and Paddy Power bet: 8/13 Garcia, 5/4 Hughes

Here's what Sergio had to say afterwards:

On closing out victory with an ace

"I really don't know what to say. Obviously, yeah, a hole-in-one is amazing. Lucky No. 13 for me. But you know, the two putts I made on 2 and 3, massive, to keep myself going. And then obviously the shot on 4, it's a great shot, but then you get lucky that first of all it doesn't hit the flag because it must have been very close to hitting the flag, and then it rolls back in.
"Obviously very happy about that. I'm sorry for Lee because I did a couple stupid things to him this week, the first day and today, but unfortunately one of us had to lose."

On a rollercoaster day that included an earlier defeat to Matt Wallace

"Yeah, I mean, it was a tough day. I don't like to obviously make excuses, but obviously Matt Wallace played probably his best match of the week. I had a little problem with my left foot throughout the day. I had to take some Advil on the 6th hole, on the 6th green because the arch of my left foot was cramping and I was struggling to get through the ball.
"Because of that I didn't hit the ball as well as I did the other days. I didn't hit it poorly, but I just didn't hit it quite as well. I'm going to have to work on it because tomorrow hopefully is going to be a very long day (two matches if he gets through), and I need my feet to be in perfect shape."

On whether the cramping has happened before

"No, no. It was fine, and then I got to the locker, I put the shoes on, and all of a sudden I started cramping. I tried to stretch it and it just wouldn't loosen up. I don't know why.
"But we got through it, so that's the most important thing. I think that showed a lot of heart out there with some of the putts I made on the playoff, and then obviously the shot on 4, and very happy with that."

Garcia is 8/1 to win the WGC World Match Play. That makes him fourth favourite behind 9/2 Jon Rahm, 13/2 Jordan Spieth and 15/2 Tommy Fleetwood.

READ MORE: Jon Rahm could miss Masters with baby due in early April

    More Articles