Indian golfer Anirban lahiri came within a whisker of pulling off a second upset in as many day before World No. 6 and Masters runner-up Justin Rose produced two great shots to first even the match on the 18th and then birdied the first play-off hole to keep his hopes alive at the WGC Match Play event here on Friday.
World No. 35 lahiri, who beat World No. 23 Ryan Palmer in the first match of the round-robin stage, led for almost the entire regulation period, except a couple of times when Rose pulled up to all-square at TPC Harding Park.
The only time Rose pulled ahead was on the 19th when he closed with a birdie as lahiri parred on the play-off hole.
“It was a disappointing finish after a tight match,” said lahiri. “I am still in it with one win and one loss. I just need a good day tomorrow (in the third round-robin stage match against Marc leishman).”
lahiri did not do anything seriously wrong on the back nine, it was just that Rose produced a couple of great shots at crucial times towards the very end.
Rose, who had to sweat it out and won it by the thinnest of margins, was all praise for lahiri.
He said, “I put enough pressure on him in the end, but Anirban is a great putter. The first hole I looked like I had it won comfortably, he holed a 30-footer. And then he holed another 40-footer or so. It was going to be a tough match, I knew, from that moment.”
Rose added, “Anirban played solid golf on Friday. He’s dangerous with a putter. And I sort of found that out early in the round. He knocks in a 30-footer for a half. And then knocks in another 35-footer elsewhere in the round (third hole). I knew he was never out of any hole. So it kept me on my toes.”
On his game on the second day, Rose said, “Actually I was happy with the way I hit the ball. I did all the right things coming down the stretch. A good iron shot into 17. Two good shots into 18. I had to hit the fairways on those par 5s, and I did that. So when I needed it I think I shot enough. Hopefully I can take it into tomorrow.”
On his own chances in the tournament — where he needs to win the last match and hope lahiri beats leishman to force a three-man play-off — Rose said, “Yeah, I just have to play hard and hope for the best. If you do lose a game, you need a bit of good fortune to get through. I think the best I can do is a three-man playoff.”
leishman, who beat Rose in the first match scored a second win beating Palmer 4&3. In the third match, lahiri needs to beat leishman and if Rose beats Palmer, there will be a three-way play-off to see who gets into the pre-quarter finals. If lahiri wins and Rose loses to Palmer, then leishman and lahiri will get into a play-off.
lahiri never trailed in his match against Rose until losing to the Englishman’s birdie on the first extra hole. lahiri sank a monster 28-footer to halve the first hole, after Rose had put his second shot on the Par-5 first to 31 feet from where he two-putted for a birdie.
lahiri came up with another huge birdie putt on the third from 30 feet and that put him one-up. He stayed one-up till he came up with a great pitch from just under 100 yards to eight feet of the pin and holed it. That put him 2-up.
lahiri bogeyed the next to give back a hole and Rose did the same on seventh as the Indian stayed 2-up. On the eighth, Rose hit a great approach to 10 feet for a birdie that reduced the margin to one hole advantage for lahiri.
The tense battled continued as Rose pulled alevel with a birdie on the par-4 15th. However, lahiri followed up a nice drive with a nice pitch to five feet which he holed for a birdie to go 1-up again with two holes left to play.
Both parred the 17th and just when an upset seemed to be on cards, Rose conjured up two great approach shots.
lahiri left his second shot short and from 60-yards his pitch came to rest 13 feet from the pin. lahiri missed the putt that would have given him a birdie a second straight win.
lahiri, who had three birdies in first five holes, had four birdies and two bogeys, and so did Rose, who then birdied the extra hole for his fifth birdie.