MARANA, Ariz. – GolfChannel.com senior writer Rex Hoggard is at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain for the fifth round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. He is providing a running blog for the match between (1) Martin Kaymer and (5) Bubba Watson. Follow him on Twitter (@RexHoggard) for more updates or for complete scoring of all four matches, click here.
(7:35 p.m. ET) With one scrambling par against Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer put to rest the question that has been dogging him since, well the last time he beat Watson at the 2010 PGA Championship.
“It took me only five years to become No. 1 (in the World Golf Ranking),” Kaymer said following his 1-up victory over Watson in Saturday’s semifinal match at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship which will assure him enough ranking points to overtake Lee Westwood. “It’s a very proud moment for me and my family.”
Now the only thing the German has to worry about is Luke Donald, who he will face in Sunday’s 18-hole final.
(6:54 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer scrambled for par at Dove Mountain’s 17th hole on Friday to defeat Hunter Mahan but a Xerox effort on Saturday against Bubba Watson wasn’t good enough to close out his semifinal match.
Watson carved his approach from the left rough to 6 feet and made the birdie to extend the match.
The American had a lot practice dealing with pressure in his quarterfinal match against J.B. Holmes, who had Watson five down with eight holes to play Saturday morning.
(6:41 p.m. ET) Both Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer missed the green at the par-3 16th hole at Dove Mountain and the last thing Watson wants is to get into a chipping contest with a European, just ask Hunter Mahan.
Watson made bogey, Kaymer a par. Europe 2 up with two to play.
(6:17 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer hit his drive in a fairway bunker at Dove Mountain’s 14th hole, left his approach short of the green and hit a poor chip to 20 feet. It all added up to a bogey and an all square match with Bubba Watson.
It’s worth pointing out the other semifinal match was completed more than an hour and a half ago.
(6:00 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer seems destined to overtake Lee Westwood atop the world golf ranking, a victory Saturday in the quarterfinals against Bubba Watson is all he needs, but the German is not looking his world-beating best at Dove Mountain.Although he’s carved out a 1-up advantage over Watson through 13 holes, Kaymer has missed putts of 10 and 12 feet at Nos. 11 and 12 and left his 23-footer for eagle at the 13th hole 3 feet short.
(5:48 p.m. ET) Bubba Watson is all square in his semifinal match against Martin Kaymer at Dove Mountain.
At this point in his quarterfinal match against J.B. Holmes he was five down with eight holes to play.
All square must feel like a two-touchdown advantage.
(5:36 p.m. ET) From behind the 11th green Martin Kaymer leaves his chip for eagle 10 feet short and fails to convert the birdie putt to loose the hole and square his match with Bubba Watson.
As Watson says at the end of his Tweets ‘urwelcome.’
After halving five of the first seven holes the two have now gone four consecutive without a halve.
(5:19 p.m. ET) It was classic match play. From a troubled lie in the desert right of Dove Mountain’s 10th fairway Martin Kaymer managed to hit his approach to 20 feet and two-putt for par.
From the middle of the fairway Bubba Watson airmails the green and misses his par attempt to fall behind for the first time since he won the second hole with a conceded eagle.
(5:06 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson turned all square at Dove Mountain but it’s been anything but stellar. After the first two holes, which were conceded, the two have a best-ball card of just 2 under.
By comparison, Luke Donald, who made quick work of Matt Kuchar in the day’s other semifinal (6 and 5), has birdied 39 percent of the holes he has played this week.
(4:48 p.m. ET) They say length rules in match play, a truth at least partially supported by J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson’s play this week at the WGC-Match Play and proven again on the eighth hole late Saturday.
Watson outdrove his semifinal opponent Martin Kaymer by 66 yards, flying his tee shot into the second fairway, hit his second left of the green and chipped to 4 feet for birdie to go 1 up.
(4:14 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer pushed his drive into the desert right of the fifth fairway but scrambled for par to remain all square with Bubba Watson.
That exceeds the number of times he visited the desert during his Round 3 match against Hunter Mahan on Friday. But the German’s wayward game has more to do with conditions, gusts are reaching 35 mph, than nerves.
(3:49 p.m. ET) Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson traded pars at Dove Mountain’s third hole to remain all square.
This is notable only because the two had not finished a hole in their semifinal match. Much like any other Saturday two-ball.
(3:38 p.m. ET) Still feeling like the PGA Championship at Dove Mountain.
Martin Kayner gets sideways with the Arizona desert at the par-5 second and concedes the hole. All square and sloppy.
(3:26 p.m. ET) Starting to feel like the PGA Championship early at Dove Mountain. Martin Kaymer is 1 up through one hole.
(3:23 p.m. ET) Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer finally began their semifinal match at Dove Mountain at 1:15 p.m. (MT).
We spotted Watson, whose quarterfinal match with J.B. Holmes went extra holes, getting a quick bite to eat but the turnaround was so quick he didn’t even have time to Tweet.
