Bjerregaard knocks out Woods to reach WGC-Dell Match Play semis

Lucas Bjerregaard pulled off a stunning victory over Tiger Woods in the quarter-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas on Saturday.

Woods had beaten Rory McIlroy 2&1 in their first matchplay meeting, in the last 16, but Bjerregaard completed a 1-up victory over the former world No 1 when Woods missed a short putt on the 18th hole.

The 50th seed will play America’s Matt Kuchar, who defeated Sergio García 2 up, in Sunday’s semi-finals.

Bjerregaard, 27, eagled the 16th with a long putt to draw level with Woods and, after both made birdies on the short 17th, the Dane won the match at the last to complete a stunning day after he beat Sweden’s Henrik Stenson 3&2 in the morning.

Bjerregaard, whose biggest win on the European Tour was the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last October, admitted his match against his fellow Scandinavian had been the one that worried him more. “I was actually more nervous against Henrik than against Tiger,” he said.


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García’s quarter-final was not without controversy as it neared the closing stages. Playing the 14th, the Spaniard was annoyed at missing his first putt and, before he heard Kuchar’s concession, he tried to hole out but missed the putt, leading to Kuchar winning the hole and a row that carried on to the next hole.

The Open champion, Francesco Molinari, continued his impressive form this season and will meet the American Kevin Kisner in the other semi-final at Austin Country Club.

Molinari, the highest remaining seed at seventh, beat Kevin Na 6&5 and Kisner saw off South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen 2&1. Na had knocked out the second seed, Justin Rose, in the morning.

Woods, the 13th seed, never trailed earlier in the day against McIlroy, building a three-hole advantage over the recent winner of the Players Championship by the 10th hole. McIlroy rallied, however, cutting the lead to 1-up before the Northern Irishman lost the 16th hole and Woods closed out the match at the 17th.

source: theguardian.com