WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship: Jason Day and Rickie Fowler to meet in the semifinals
Jason Day defeated Louis Oosthuizen 2&1, and Rickie Fowler defeated Jim Furyk 1-up in the quarterfinals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Day and Fowler will face-off tomorrow in the semifinals.
Oosthuizen began his round with back pain, but won holes two and three to take a 1-up lead against Jason Day. Day birdied holes four and five to take the lead, and he held on the rest of the round.
Day is excited to be in contention to win:
"I’m very excited, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s rounds. Just to be able to give myself a chance at winning the Accenture Match Play Championship is obviously a good achievement. To get into the final two groups, it’s an amazing feeling because I was here last year and didn’t quite get it done. But hopefully I can do a little better this year, and press for that win."
Oosthuizen’s trainer worked on his back before the round started, but he said it didn’t feel better until the last few holes:
"I was a bit disappointed to start this morning on the range, not feeling too [well]. It got better the last four or five holes, I felt a lot better. So it’s a bit painful that it always happens when I’m playing well. I need to address it big time now and get it sorted."
Rickie Fowler was 3-up though 11 holes, but Jim Furyk won 13, 14, 15, and 16 to take a 1-up lead. Fowler powered through Furyk’s surge, and captured 17 and 18 with pars to win 1-up for the third straight day.
Fowler is looking forward to his match with Jason Day tomorrow:
"It’s going to be fun tomorrow. He’s a great match play player, as well as just a normal player in general. So hopefully both of us can play well tomorrow, and whoever makes more putts is going to win."
Despite playing well, Furyk was not satisfied with his finish. He is the ultimate competitor:
"No, I don’t think any athlete would. It ruins the whole fun. I feel like I played well. But if you told me I could have 5th every week, there would be no reason to show up."