Sports
Dove Mountain gearing up for Accenture Match Play tourney
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| Photo submitted Geoff Ogilvy tees off during last year’s Accenture Match Play Championship at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Ogilvy will defend his title at the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana from Feb. 19-25. |
By Nick Prevenas
If college basketball’s wildly popular tournament is commonly referred to as “March Madness,” perhaps Tucson is preparing to host golf’s “February Frenzy.”
On Feb. 19, the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain will host the world’s finest 64 golfers as they participate in the World Golf Championships—Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana.
Already in its ninth year of existence, the Accenture Match Play Championship has grown into one of the most popular and unique tournaments among PGA players.
“People on tour always start talking when the Accenture is coming up,” said defending champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Unlike traditional stroke play tournaments where each golfer is competing against the entire field, this tournament is a one-on-one match play competition, which can produce an unrivaled amount of tension and creative shot-making.
“In match play, each hole is vitally important,” Ogilvy said. “You’re forced to play off your opponent and hit shots you otherwise wouldn’t hit.”
Ogilvy, 29, began his PGA career in 1998 and tallied his first win in 2005 at the Chrysler Classic of Tucson.
The Australian native now lives in Scottsdale, so his Arizona roots run deeper than most of the competitors.
Before this time last year, Ogilvy had settled into a solid PGA career, but had yet to take his game to the next level. The Accenture Match Play changed that.
Ogilvy entered the tournament ranked No. 52—giving him a No. 13-seed in the Ben Hogan bracket against 4-seed Michael Campbell. After going to extra holes to defeat both Campbell and Nick O’Hern, he embarked on a remarkable comeback to defeat Mike Weir in the third round.
Trailing by four with four holes to play, Ogilvy won holes 15 through 18 to force extra holes. He won the match with an eagle-3 on the 21st hole.
After two more victories over David Howell and Tom Lehman, Ogilvy defeated Davis Love III 3 and 2 to win the Walter Hagen Cup.
Over the week, Ogilvy played in a tournament-record 129 holes.
“A tournament like that forces you to make shots on every hole,” Ogilvy said. “I wish there was a way I could bottle up the way I played last year and use it on the rest of the tour.”
On June 18, Ogilvy survived the rigorous Winged Foot Golf Club in New York to take home the U.S. Open crown—his first career major.
“Without everything I learned and all the shots I made at the Accenture Match Play, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to win the U.S. Open,” Ogilvy said.
In two weeks, Ogilvy will begin his defense against the world’s elite golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and, of course, Tiger Woods.
“Even though Tiger has lost twice in the first round here, you never want to be paired up with him,” Ogilvy said. “If you do play him, all you do is kiss his butt and tell him how great he is; otherwise, he might get ticked off and shoot a 59 or something.”
Ogilvy will enter this year’s Accenture Match Play as the No. 10 player in the world after breaking the $4 million mark in earnings last season.
He and the other 63 competitors will be teeing off on Dove Mountain’s South Course—a par-72, 7,351-yard course designed by two-time PGA Tour winner John Fought.
This course was opened in December 2003—five years after the North Course opened for play.
With four par-fives and two drive-able par-fours, Ogilvy said this is an ideal match-play course.
“In match play, all you’re trying to do is force your opponent to hit a shot he isn’t comfortable hitting,” Ogilvy said. “With all the different shots available on this course, every player is going to have dozens of decisions to make over the course of a round.”
The La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., has hosted every edition of the tournament since 1999, with the exception of 2001 when the event was moved to Melbourne, Australia.
With Tucson taking over as tournament host, many believe the Accenture Match Play will have a ripple effect throughout the community.
“The Accenture Match Play Championship is by far the best thing that has ever happened to the Conquistadores, our charities and our community,” said Tom Arnold, president of the Tucson Conquistadores.
The Conquistadores hope to raise $1.5 million for their charities, including “The First Tee” youth golf program.
After two days of warm-up rounds, the round of 64 will begin on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.
The Golf Channel will broadcast the first three days of competition, with NBC broadcasting the weekend afternoon rounds to over 140 countries.
Galleries will be limited to 15,000 spectators on the weekdays and 10,000 on the weekend rounds.
For ticket information, please call (866) 942-2672 or visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com.
nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9736
On Feb. 19, the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain will host the world’s finest 64 golfers as they participate in the World Golf Championships—Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana.
Already in its ninth year of existence, the Accenture Match Play Championship has grown into one of the most popular and unique tournaments among PGA players.
“People on tour always start talking when the Accenture is coming up,” said defending champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Unlike traditional stroke play tournaments where each golfer is competing against the entire field, this tournament is a one-on-one match play competition, which can produce an unrivaled amount of tension and creative shot-making.
“In match play, each hole is vitally important,” Ogilvy said. “You’re forced to play off your opponent and hit shots you otherwise wouldn’t hit.”
Ogilvy, 29, began his PGA career in 1998 and tallied his first win in 2005 at the Chrysler Classic of Tucson.
The Australian native now lives in Scottsdale, so his Arizona roots run deeper than most of the competitors.
Before this time last year, Ogilvy had settled into a solid PGA career, but had yet to take his game to the next level. The Accenture Match Play changed that.
Ogilvy entered the tournament ranked No. 52—giving him a No. 13-seed in the Ben Hogan bracket against 4-seed Michael Campbell. After going to extra holes to defeat both Campbell and Nick O’Hern, he embarked on a remarkable comeback to defeat Mike Weir in the third round.
Trailing by four with four holes to play, Ogilvy won holes 15 through 18 to force extra holes. He won the match with an eagle-3 on the 21st hole.
After two more victories over David Howell and Tom Lehman, Ogilvy defeated Davis Love III 3 and 2 to win the Walter Hagen Cup.
Over the week, Ogilvy played in a tournament-record 129 holes.
“A tournament like that forces you to make shots on every hole,” Ogilvy said. “I wish there was a way I could bottle up the way I played last year and use it on the rest of the tour.”
On June 18, Ogilvy survived the rigorous Winged Foot Golf Club in New York to take home the U.S. Open crown—his first career major.
“Without everything I learned and all the shots I made at the Accenture Match Play, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to win the U.S. Open,” Ogilvy said.
In two weeks, Ogilvy will begin his defense against the world’s elite golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and, of course, Tiger Woods.
“Even though Tiger has lost twice in the first round here, you never want to be paired up with him,” Ogilvy said. “If you do play him, all you do is kiss his butt and tell him how great he is; otherwise, he might get ticked off and shoot a 59 or something.”
Ogilvy will enter this year’s Accenture Match Play as the No. 10 player in the world after breaking the $4 million mark in earnings last season.
He and the other 63 competitors will be teeing off on Dove Mountain’s South Course—a par-72, 7,351-yard course designed by two-time PGA Tour winner John Fought.
This course was opened in December 2003—five years after the North Course opened for play.
With four par-fives and two drive-able par-fours, Ogilvy said this is an ideal match-play course.
“In match play, all you’re trying to do is force your opponent to hit a shot he isn’t comfortable hitting,” Ogilvy said. “With all the different shots available on this course, every player is going to have dozens of decisions to make over the course of a round.”
The La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., has hosted every edition of the tournament since 1999, with the exception of 2001 when the event was moved to Melbourne, Australia.
With Tucson taking over as tournament host, many believe the Accenture Match Play will have a ripple effect throughout the community.
“The Accenture Match Play Championship is by far the best thing that has ever happened to the Conquistadores, our charities and our community,” said Tom Arnold, president of the Tucson Conquistadores.
The Conquistadores hope to raise $1.5 million for their charities, including “The First Tee” youth golf program.
After two days of warm-up rounds, the round of 64 will begin on Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.
The Golf Channel will broadcast the first three days of competition, with NBC broadcasting the weekend afternoon rounds to over 140 countries.
Galleries will be limited to 15,000 spectators on the weekdays and 10,000 on the weekend rounds.
For ticket information, please call (866) 942-2672 or visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com.
nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9736
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