MARANA, Ariz. – It only makes sense that the longest match of the week would go to one of the game’s longest hitters, although it wasn’t Bubba Watson’s driver that delivered his 22-hole marathon victory on Friday.
Watson was 3 up through 10 holes in his Round 2 match against Jim Furyk when the veteran began a spirited comeback with a birdie at No. 11. By the 14th hole the two were all square and Furyk converted his birdie attempt at the last to force extra frames.
The two traded pars at the first three extra holes, including an 11-foot par save for Watson at the 21st hole, and the match ended when Furyk failed to make a 15-footer for par at the fourth hole.
“It was a good match,” said Watson, who at 10th in the world is the highest-ranked player remaining at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. “That's all I did is I hit quality iron shots it seems like all day, but I just didn't make the putts, but somehow hung on to win.”
Watson will play Jason Day, who also needed extra holes (19) to clip PGA Tour rookie Russell Henley, in Saturday’s third round.
Hoggard, a senior writer, covers the PGA Tour and appears on-air in several capacities.
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