BRANDT SNEDEKER DEFEATED Thomas Bjorn 5&4 at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain despite playing with borrowed clubs.
In Thursday’s opening round of the European Tour event, Snedeker was forced to start his match-up against Bjorn with a mixed bag of loaned clubs after his own set went missing en route from the United States.
Snedeker’s bag was eventually found at Malaga airport and sent straight to Finca Cortesin Golf Club on Spain’s south coast.
The American received them on the fourth tee but, as per tournament regulations, was only allowed to add four clubs to the set he started the round with.
The 31-year-old decided to keep playing with a driver he had borrowed from Australia’s John Senden and a putter he found in the Finca Cortesin shop as he had already won the first three holes.
Snedeker went on to win the fifth, sixth, ninth and 10th holes to claim victory over Dane Bjorn after the 14th.
The biggest win on Thursday went to Justin Rose, who won six of the first eight holes to defeat fellow Englishman Robert Rock 7&6.Their compatriot Ian Poulter, the reigning Volvo World Match Play champion, also won his first-round clash, knocking off Senden 3&2.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium could not be separated, halving their match, while Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Sweden’s Robert Karlsson had the second tightest contest, with the former winning the final hole to clinch victory one up.
Paul Lawrie of Scotland came from behind to triumph 2&1 over Sweden’s Peter Hanson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain defeated Germany’s Martin Kaymer 3&2 and Sergio Garcia won the battle of the Spaniards, triumphing 2&1 over Alviro Quiros.
Each of Thursday’s winners received two points, while Schwartzel and Colsaerts received one point each for their halved match.
The second and third rounds of the opening round-robin stage will be played on Friday, with the top two players in each group to progress to the knockout stage beginning on Saturday.
