Kim versus Fisher at World Match Play
Casares, Spain (Sports Network) - Anthony Kim and Ross Fisher both won their semifinal matches on Saturday and will meet in Sunday's 36-hole final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
Kim handled Robert Allenby, 5 & 4, in the first semifinal at Finca Cortesin Golf Club, then Fisher toppled Masters champion Angel Cabrera, 1-up, on the third extra hole of a classic match.
Cabrera was 1-down with the par-five 18th to play. Fisher was in the fairway but laid up on the 36th hole, and Cabrera was in the left rough and went for the green in two. He hit a spectacular fairway-metal to 10 feet to put the pressure on Fisher.
His third went on to the fringe 10 feet away from the stick. Cabrera lagged his eagle putt to tap-in range, and when Fisher missed his birdie putt to win from off the green, the two went back to 18.
Both players had birdie putts from inside 15 feet in the first extra hole but missed. The second time around, each player made relatively easy birdie putts, but the third trip was all Fisher.
From the fairway, Fisher hit a beautiful second shot 10 feet short of the cup. Cabrera pulled his second well left, then chipped through the green into a collection area with his third.
Cabrera attempted a birdie chip in one last bid to put some pressure on Fisher.
It didn't go in, and Cabrera walked over and shook Fisher's hand, conceding the eagle and the match.
The Kim/Allenby match had a lot of intrigue going in based on what happened at the Presidents Cup. Kim trounced Allenby 5&3 in singles, then Allenby went to the media and accused Kim of coming in very late the night before their match and "sideways." Allenby apologized later that week and both declared the issue over but met for the first time since on Saturday without incident.
"I wanted to play well," admitted Kim. "I didn't feel any tension." The pair was all-square after the first 18, then found themselves knotted after five holes of the afternoon session.
At the sixth, Kim made a birdie putt, then Allenby bogeyed seven to fall 2- down.
Kim hit a terrible drive left at eight and took relief. He somehow made par, but Allenby was just short of the putting surface with his second. The Aussie hit a bad chip and missed his birdie putt to let Kim off with a halved hole.
Kim appeared to draw strength from the unlikely halve at No. 8. He found the fairway at nine and he hit a spectacular approach that bounced twice and spun back into the hole for an eagle.
Kim and his caddy celebrated their amazing shot and 3-up lead.
"We have a high-five for that," said Kim.
At the 10th, Kim rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to win and go 4-up. Two holes later, the American converted a seven-footer for another birdie and was 5-up with six to play.
After both players parred 13 and 14, Kim punched his ticket to the final.
"That was such a big match for me; it was a semifinal match," said Kim. "I wasn't getting even close to the final group of anything, so it was important for me to win this."
10/31 13:47:34 ET
