Golf

Graeme McDowell suffers rare match play defeat to Mikko Ilonen

Shane Lowry also loses but both can still make quarter-finals of event

Victor Dubuisson looks on as Shane Lowry misses a putt to extend their match on the 16th green at the Volvo World Matchplay Championship at The London Club in Ash, Kent. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Victor Dubuisson looks on as Shane Lowry misses a putt to extend their match on the 16th green at the Volvo World Matchplay Championship at The London Club in Ash, Kent. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Thu Oct 16 2014 - 17:10

Defending champion Graeme McDowell suffered just his third ever defeat in the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Thursday, as Ryder Cup team-mate Stephen Gallacher's singles losing streak reached double figures.

McDowell reached the quarter-finals of this event on his debut in 2011, the final in 2012 and won the title last year, while his victory over Alexander Levy in the opening group match on Wednesday made for an overall record of 15 wins from 17 matches.

However, the former US Open champion found Irish Open champion Mikko Ilonen in brilliant form at The London Club, the Finn carding seven birdies to hold off a determined McDowell fight back and secure a 2 and 1 win.

Gallacher managed six birdies of his own against Pablo Larrazabal, but saw the Spaniard hole a pitch from 30 yards on the 18th to snatch an unlikely victory.

READ MORE

That made it 10 consecutive singles defeats across six different match play competitions for the Scot, who lost to Phil Mickelson on his Ryder Cup debut at Gleneagles last month.

"I was five under today and have played two guys that haven't had any bogeys," said Gallacher, who lost to Ireland's Shane Lowry in his opening group match and cannot qualify for Saturday's quarter-finals even if he beats Ryder Cup team-mate Victor Dubuisson on Friday.

“It’s not a jinx. What happened at the last is typical match play golf as he’s won it with a birdie without having been on the fairway. I had a chance to shut the door on him a bit but I hit a poor second shot. If I’d have knocked it on the green, it would have made his fourth shot a bit more difficult.

“In fairness to Pablo, he holed two good par putts at the ninth and 10th to stay one down before he birdied four of the last six holes. I’m gutted to have lost the match like that, but that’s match play golf for you. I’m also feeling a bit tired at the moment, to be honest.”

Larrazabal’s win was his first singles success at the sixth attempt and bore the hallmarks of his late compatriot Seve Ballesteros, who won this title five times.

“It looked terrible all the way,” he admitted of his progress up the 18th, where he went from a bunker to thick rough left of the fairway and more rough short of the green. “But the ball was sitting great. I thought I had the chance to put it close and to make five and to put the pressure on Stevie but it went in. Happy days.

“Obviously Seve was an inspiration for all of us. We know his record in match play, maybe the best in history. But I’m trying to do it my way and I try my best in every shot, and the best shot of the day was the last.”

Dubuisson proved too strong for Lowry, winning three up on the 16th green.

Lowry will now face Larrazabal in a straight shoot-out for a place in the last eight.

Ilonen was six under par and four up after 10 holes, only for McDowell to birdie the 11th, 13th and 15th and threaten a repeat of his come-from-behind win over Jordan Spieth in the singles at Gleneagles.

Both players then found a greenside bunker at the short 17th but after McDowell missed his birdie attempt from long range, Ilonen holed out for birdie to seal the win.

“I’m disappointed to lose today but Mikko was incredibly solid,” McDowell said. “I felt like I played the best golf the first five holes but he putted better and that was the difference.”

With Joost Luiten claiming his second win of the week against Alexander Levy, all four members of the Larson Group can still qualify for the quarter-finals. Luiten and McDowell play each other on Friday, with Levy taking on Ilonen.

The best golf of the day came from Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who recovered from three down after four and was eight under par for his last nine holes in beating Francesco Molinari 2 and 1, ensuring Molinari cannot reach the last eight.

Stenson tops the Palmer group with three points ahead of George Coetzee and Thongchai Jaidee on two, Coetzee having beaten 2013 runner-up Jaidee 2 and 1. Stenson takes on Jaidee on Friday with Coetzee up against Molinari.

All four players in the McCormack Group have two points after Jamie Donaldson beat Jonas Blixt 3 and 2 and Patrick Reed defeated Paul Casey 2 and 1, with Ryder Cup rivals Donaldson and Reed facing each other on Friday and Casey taking on Blixt.