Snow has halted the Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain, with 21 matches set to finish on Thursday and another 11 yet to start. Australian Jason Day was the closest to already reaching the second round, as he led Zach Johnson six up through 10 holes of the World Golf Championship event in Arizona. Day&aposs compatriot John Senden, though, is well in arrears to Bo Van Pelt, who is five up through 12 holes at The Golf Club. Defending champion Hunter Mahan was four up on Italian Matteo Manassero when play was stopped, while 2011 champion Luke Donald is yet to start his clash with German Marcel Siem. Others to have created daylight on their opponents so far in their first-round match-ups are Thorbjorn Olesen, Matt Kuchar and 2010 winner Ian Poulter – all who are three up on Jamie Donaldson, Hiroyuki Fujita and Stephen Gallacher respectively. Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts is also three up on American Bill Haas through nine holes. Justin Rose is two up on KJ Choi, Steve Stricker is two up on Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia has a two-up advantage on Thongchai Jaidee and Adam Scott holds a one-up lead on Tim Clark. Lee Westwood is two up on Rafael Cabrera-Bello through five holes, while in-form South African Richard Sterne is three up over Jason Dufner. Sterne&aposs compatriot George Coetzee is one up against Martin Kaymer, while each of the Bubba Watson-Chris Wood, Jim Furyk-Ryan Moore and Charl Schwartzel-Russell Henley matches are all square. Australian Marcus Fraser did lead Keegan Bradley one up but was pegged back to all square through three holes, and Ernie Els is one up against Fredrik Jacobson. Nick Watney and David Toms are all square, while the likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were yet to tee off in their respective matches.
Author: Omnisport