Geoff Ogilvy isn't one to shy away from the big moments.
Last year as Tiger Woods compiled a string of victories around the world there
were whispers about a perfect season. They were silenced when Ogilvy captured
the WGC - CA Championship at Doral. The circus-like atmosphere returned this
week, and again it's Ogilvy who has embraced the championship environment.
"I enjoy situations like that," Ogilvy said. "Doral last year was obviously a really nice week to win for lots of reasons. Mostly because everyone had decided that Tiger was going to win every tournament last year. And it was a course that he had won three years in a row at before, so I don't know, I just enjoy big tournaments. I enjoy the big situations."
Ogilvy is in for another big situation on Sunday when he meets Paul Casey to decide the 2009 World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship. For Ogilvy, it will be his third appearance in the championship round of the event in three years. He beat Davis Love III in the finals in 2006. For Casey, it will be an opportunity to get his first win in the U.S.
It won't be the first time the two have been alone on the course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Dove Mountain. Prior to the tournament, on Friday, Feb. 13, Ogilvy and Casey, who live within miles of each other within Scottsdale's Whisper Rock Golf Club, met in Marana to get a feel for the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout prior to the tournament.
"I think it's quite surreal that we're now going to be playing each other again tomorrow in the final," said Casey.
Ogilvy has carved an impressive path through his side of the
bracket this week. The No. 2 seed in the Bobby Jones Bracket needed 19 holes on
Wednesday to put away Kevin Sutherland, winner of the 2002 Accenture Match Play
Championship.
Then facing elimination on Thursday, Ogilvy saved par with a clutch 12-foot par putt against Japan's Shingo Katayama. Ogilvy would again win on the first extra hole. On Friday Ogilvy cooled off a red hot Camilo Villegas who needed only 27 holes to dump his previous two opponents.
Saturday morning Ogilvy outgunned an impressive Rory McIlroy with birdies on his final three holes of the day. Overall, Ogilvy made eight birdies on 17 holes and still only squeaked by the 19-year-old McIlroy 2 and 1. In the afternoon round Ogilvy went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie over the final four holes to take out Stewart Cink, a finalist in the 2008 Accenture Match Play Championship.
It's obvious that this format agrees with Ogilvy.
"I enjoy the match, the part of match play that you get so many clutch situations," he said. "You could go all year and not have a must-make putt and have a reasonable year on Tour. I've had 15 this week. We play golf to put ourselves in these situations."
On the surface, Casey has had an easier week than his finals opponent. The Englishman has yet to trail in a match this week and hasn't faced anyone seeded higher than ninth; Ross Fisher in the semifinals. It's likely that both of those statistics will change Sunday.