Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace were both on the wrong side of 4&3 losses on the final day of group play at the WGC Match Play.
Grace was the first of the three South Africans on the course today, but could not get it going against Brandt Snedeker. The top-ranked South African opened with a bogey and trailed for the entire match.
A bogey four on the seventh saw Snedeker go three up, before the American doubled eight to hand Grace a lifeline. That chance was quickly taken away as Snedeker made back to back birdies to start the back nine, before the match ended as Grace made double on 14 to lose 4&3 and end the week with one win and two losses.
William McGirt topped the group after a solid win over England’s Andy Sullivan.
Paul Casey stood in Charl Schwartzel’s path to the last 16 and was in fine form as he dispatched the South African 4&3. Schwartzel took the lead with a birdie on 1, but the match was all square after he made four on the par 3 fourth. The par traded wins on 5 and 6 before Casey hit his straps.
The Englishman sank putts on 7 and 8 to make the turn at 2 up.
The killer blow for Schwartzel came on the 11th green when he sank a long range birdie putt, but could only walk away with a half as Casey matched his effort.
The writing was on the wall when Casey birdied the par 5 12th, before he wrapped up the win on the 14th with another good 3. A par on the 14th guaranteed him a place on the weekend.
At the time of writing, Louis Oosthuizen was on course for a playoff against Ross Fisher, with both men well up on Hideki Matsuyama and Jim Furyk respectively.
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
