The Associated Press

The Associated Press

MIAMI – On the day Jim Boylen became Utah’s basketball coach, four words made Utes guard Lawrence Borha an immediate believer.

It was March 2007, at the news conference to announce Boylen’s hiring, a few days after Utah finished its worst season in a quarter-century. Someone asked about bringing in his own players, and Boylen was lightning-quick with his reply.

“Those are my players,” Boylen said, nodding at the Utes who were in the room.

With that, Borha was sold.

“I never forgot,” Borha said.

Flash forward two years and Boylen and the Utes are champions of the Mountain West Conference and in the NCAA Tournament, a turnaround that few outside of Salt Lake City probably envisioned happening so soon.

“He did his work, believed in us, thought we could win,” Borha said. “That’s when I knew we were going to be a good team.”

The quest to be a great team starts Friday in Miami, where fifth-seeded Utah (24-9) plays 12th-seeded Arizona (19-13) in a Midwest regional matchup. The Utes haven’t won a tournament game since 2005, and there’s no shortage of bracket-experts saying it’s a game where the higher seed is ripe for an upset.

Boylen doesn’t mind.

“I hope they keep pouring it on,” Boylen said. “We’ve been facing that all year. People look at our schedule and said, ‘Holy smokes, you’re nuts.’ But we won 24 games with our schedule. Our RPI was around the top 10 all year. So my kids have been through it all now. They’re battle-hardened. They’re sick of being picked on, sick of being belittled.”

Boylen was a star at Maine in the mid-1980s, finishing second to Reggie Lewis for the North Atlantic Conference’s player of the year award in 1987. From there, he was a graduate assistant for Jud Heathcote at Michigan State, sharing a cramped apartment with two other young coaches named Tom Izzo and Tom Crean, now with Michigan State and Indiana, respectively.

He worked his way from the Houston Rockets’ video room to their assistant-coaching staff under Rudy Tomjanovich, being part of two NBA championships there. Eventually he returned to Michigan State to be on Izzo’s staff, and finally – after years of waiting and missing out for jobs, most notably at Texas A&M and with the Orlando Magic – Utah picked him to be a head coach.

“When Coach came along, he introduced a new system,” said Luke Nevill, Utah’s 7-foot-2 center from Australia. “And last year, you know, it was difficult to get used to it. But we took last year as rebuilding, growing. We had a great summer together.”

Boylen brought the Utes to Miami on Tuesday night – making them the first of the eight teams picked to play here on Friday to arrive. They had a good practice Wednesday morning, then changed into warm-weather attire and hit the tourist-friendly Coconut Grove section of town for a leisurely lunch. A happy team, Boylen hopes, is a relaxed team.

“Only three of the guys on my team, plus me have been there before,” Boylen said. “So I wanted to get rid of that ooh-aah feeling.”

When the Utes – who started their year with a loss to Division II Southwest Baptist – beat San Diego State 52-50 for the Mountain West Tournament title, Boylen began to cry.

“To see them grow, to see them have success – we were picked fourth by some people and fifth by other people in our conference,” he said. “But we just kept believing.”

Utah coach has team Boylen over with confidence

Citizen Staff Writer

JOHN MOREDICH

jmoredich@tucsoncitizen.com

Oakland outfielder Matt Holliday spent much of Tuesday afternoon chatting with old friends before early batting practice.

He talked to some of his former Colorado teammates while playing catch and on the base paths after getting a pair of singles.

The ex-Rockies star was obviously glad to see players he spent his past five years with, although Colorado prevailed 14-7 in front of 3,607 fans at Hi Corbett Field.

“These guys are going to be my friends until I die, no matter where I play, what team they’re on or what team I’m on,” Holliday said. “They’re my friends and it’s good to see them, no matter what the circumstances.”

Holliday made a huge name for himself with the Rockies before being traded in November for closer Huston Street, pitcher Greg Smith and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

He was coming out of a different clubhouse this time.

“It seemed a little strange coming into this park and coming out of (the opponents’) dugout,” Holliday said. “The only other time I might have done that was in an intrasquad game, but it was not too bad.”

The left fielder, who led the National League in batting (.340), hits (216), RBIs (137) and doubles (50) during the Rockies’ 2007 World Series season, was welcomed back happily by his ex-teammates.

He got a single off Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa in the first inning for a RBI.

He added a single in the fifth inning to go 2 for 3.

“Once you get in there, it is all about competing and your adrenaline gets going no matter who is out there,” Holliday said when asked if he was geared up to play his former club. “I didn’t feel any different.”

The Rockies are still trying to find a replacement for Holliday. Leading candidate Seth Smith went 1 for 3 with a two-run double and a run-scoring sacrifice fly.

Scott Podsednik, Matt Murton and Carlos Gonzalez have seen action at Holliday’s position this spring.

The biggest void Holliday left was at the plate. He is a career .319 hitter with 128 home runs and 483 RBIs, all with the Rockies.

“There will be an absence there,” Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said. “We are going to give somebody else an opportunity in left field. We have a number of people who will try to create an offensive wedge out there.

“He played very good on the defensive side of the ball (too), but the game moves on, teams move on.”

Citizen Staff Report
LOCAL ROUNDUP

Citizen Staff Report

The University of Arizona baseball team didn’t have an answer for Thomas Keeling on Tuesday night.

Keeling (1-0) struck out 12 in seven strong innings to lift No. 12-ranked Oklahoma State over Arizona 10-4 at Sancet Stadium.

Keeling allowed seven hits and walked only one in giving up two runs.

OSU jumped to a 7-0 lead by the fifth inning. Kyle Simon (1-1) took the loss for Arizona, allowing five runs – four earned – in three innings.

Brad Glenn went 3 for 5 and homered for UA, which fell to 8-6.

Kevin David went 3 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs for the Cowboys, while Davis Duren went 4 for 6 with two triples and a double.

The teams met again at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Donn Roach will start for UA.

UA softball

The Wildcats swept a doubleheader from Simon Fraser (Burnaby, British Columbia) on Tuesday, winning 9-0 and 11-0 to improve to 23-5 on the year.

Both games went five innings because of the mercy rule.

Sarah Akamine (11-3) picked up the win in the first game, while Jennifer Martinez (2-0) won the second.

UA pounded seven homers on the day. Jenae Leles, Lini Koria, Sam Banister and Victoria Kemp went deep in the first game, while Brittany Lastrapes, Leles and Koria homered in the second.

Leles went 4 for 6 on the day with five RBIs, while Lastrapes was 4 for 6 with three RBIs.

The Wildcats will compete in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., from Friday through Sunday.

Their first game is at 9 a.m. Friday against Texas.

Pima CC softball

The Aztecs split a doubleheader Tuesday, beating Phoenix College 8-7 in eight innings and then losing 3-1.

In the first game, Pima fell behind 7-0 in the second inning before rallying. Elisa Stensby (Sierra Vista Buena) hit a three-run homer to tie the game at 7, and later Melina Trujillo (Sunnyside) drove in Danielle Bravo (Amphi) with the game-winner.

Pima (30-6) hosts Illinois Central College for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Pima CC women’s golf

The Aztecs took third place out of seven teams at a two-day event in Phoenix that ended Tuesday.

Pima’s Brianne Anderson (Flowing Wells) took second overall among individuals.

Citizen Staff Writer
ARIZONA WILDCATS SPORTS

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

She was so quick to dispatch her opponent, you would think Natasha Marks had an early dinner date or something.

But it was just her hurry-up efficiency for the Arizona women’s tennis team, something coach Vicky Maes wants to channel more.

“You want to get in there and dominate but I am trying to be patient,” Marks said.

Marks won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles for UA in its 6-1 win against visiting Washington State on Friday.

Marks brings an aggressive approach to UA, nailing corners and forcing her opponents to make mistakes.

Marks is one of four freshman who are breaking through early to solidify Maes’ team. Saturday the challenge gets a little more intense with No. 17-ranked Washington in town for a noon match.

UA (6-3, 1-1) got wins from its top five singles players Friday, including a 6-4, 6-0 win by Daniel Steinberg at No. 1.

“I’m really happy with the way we played today,” Maes said. “Going into (Saturday) this is exactly what we needed.”

UA baseball

The Wildcats improved to 7-4 behind the pitching of Preston Guilmet and a balanced offense.

UA beat visiting Massachusetts 13-4 as Guilmet (1-1) allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Bobby Coyle had three hits for UA; Matt Presley, Jett Bandy and Codi Harshman all had two.

Brad Glenn, Dillon Baird, Presley, Harshman and Dwight Childs had two RBIs for UA, which scored three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to break the game open.

The teams meet again at 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday at Sancet Stadium.

UA men’s tennis

The No. 17-ranked Wildcats won their eighth straight match by beating visiting New Mexico State 6-1 on Friday.

Jay Goldman won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles for the Wildcats, who host UC Irvine at noon Sunday at the Tucson Racquet Club.

UA men’s swimming

The Wildcats sit in third place after the third day of the Pac-10 meet. UA has 421 points, behind Stanford (607 1/2) and California (572).

The event concludes Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.

UA gymnastics

The Wildcats rallied to beat Denver 195.350-195.025 Friday at McKale Center in the team’s final home match of the season.

Senior Briana Bergeson had a 9.825 to win the beam for UA. Other Wildcats winning events were Bree Workman (9.875 on floor) and Deanna Graham (9.9 on vault).

UA ends its regular season with a meet against Maryland, Yale and Penn State in College Park, Md., on March 14.

Guilmet gets job done for UA vs. Massachusetts

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

RODNEY HAAS

sports@tucsoncitizen.com

Canyon del Oro High School pitcher Ryan Retz was three outs from throwing the first no-hitter of his baseball career.

And as unusual as it was – six CDO errors had led to three Catalina Foothills runs through the first six innings – a no-hitter against CDO’s Class 4A Sonoran Region rival would have been a great way for Retz to kick off his senior season.

Instead, his no-hit bid was ruined in the bottom of the seventh inning when Foothills pinch-hitter Stan Brown sent an 0-2 breaking ball off the center-field wall for a triple, putting the tying run 90 feet from home plate.

“I really wanted it, but it didn’t turn out that way,” Retz said of the near no-hitter.

He pitched his way out of the inning, though, stranding Brown on third base and preserving a 4-3 CDO win in the second round of the 16-team Cactus Classic baseball tournament.

“Retz is the best in the state and we all have the most respect for him and their team,” said Catalina Foothills coach Lance Robertson.

CDO gave Retz a three-run cushion in the first inning and added a fourth in the third. But Retz was still asked to pitch his way out of jams throughout the night, including a bases-loaded situation in the third.

“It makes you work a little harder because you’re not trying to rely on your defense mostly, you’re just trying to get the outs yourself,” Retz said. “But you have to trust defense overall.”

Foothills scored a pair of runs off two Canyon del Oro errors in the fifth. The Falcons had runners at second and third with one out before Retz was able to get the next two hitters.

“We kind of expect that from Retz,” CDO coach Len Anderson said. “He’s a bulldog and the tougher the situation gets, the tougher he pitches.”

Retz finished the night with a complete game, giving up three runs on one hit. He struck out six and walked three.

As happy as Anderson was about Retz’s showing on the mound, he was equally frustrated with his team’s play in the field.

“We practice defense religiously every day,” Anderson said, adding that errors are easier to live with when as long as they don’t stem from mental lapses in the field.

“If they’re physical errors, I can live with that, but they were just routine plays (Friday night). I can’t explain it.”

Parker Bunch got the loss for Foothills, giving up four runs on two hits. He struck out one, walked three and hit two batters.

Trevor Cohen scored two runs for Foothills and Breck Ashdown reached base all four times, three by walk and one by error.

CDO pitcher loses no-hit bid, but hangs on for win

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

ASH FRIEDERICH

sports@tucsoncitizen.com

Brothers Dominic and Carlos Bermudez, two of Arizona’s top junior circuit tennis stars, are excited to be back on the court this spring playing for Palo Verde High School.

Dominic, a junior who cruised to the Class 4A Division II boys singles championship as a freshman in 2007, and Carlos, a sophomore, each sat out a year ago to concentrate on playing in nonhigh school events.

“It’s great to be back with my team. They’re a great group of guys,” Dominic said. “They’re the greatest I could ask for. They work hard and I’m just glad to be here playing for them again. We both realize this is a team and not about either of us at all.”

Dominic spent his sophomore year training with coach Alex Ramirez in Phoenix and competed in the United States Tennis Association’s junior tournaments.

“I think I’ve really improved my game playing in those tournaments,” said Dominic, who is ranked No. 3 in the USTA Southwest Boys’ 18 singles rankings. “I feel I don’t need to prove myself again by going after a state individual title. This year, I’m really focused on getting a team state title.”

Dominic knows he has to stay sharp or his younger brother will pass him on the team depth chart.

Carlos, ranked No. 3 in the USTA Southwest Boys’ 16 singles rankings, lost a set 6-4 to his older brother before the season began to see who would play in the team’s No. 1 spot this year.

“It was pretty close and everyone talks about it at school,” Carlos said of the heated showdown with his brother two weeks ago. “We’re always asked, ‘Who would win if you guys played?’ We play all the time and if we play in-state, that is where the match would really play out.”

Last year, Carlos attended USTA High Performance Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., but this year is focusing on a state title.

“We have a lot of good athletes on this team,” he said. “We help them with whatever they need. Everyone on this team is good.”

Baseball

It didn’t take long to see that the baseball tradition at Canyon del Oro will continue in 2009.

The Dorados scored nine runs in the top of the first inning in their season opener Thursday, a 14-0, five-inning win over Douglas. Pitcher Doug Steele picked up the one-hitter win and senior star Ryan Retz hit a three-run homer in the first inning.

CDO plays Class 4A Sonoran Region rival Catalina Foothills in Friday’s second round of the Cactus Classic at Foothills.

Empire 14, Tombstone 4 (5 innings): At Empire, Scotty Watson struck out eight, pitching all five innings, and went 2 for 2 at the plate with a double, a home run and five RBIs.

- High School Sports Editor Geoff Grammer contributed.

Ranked brothers lead Titans in tennis

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

Geoff Ogilvy and Paul Casey live about six miles apart in Scottsdale, where they are both members of Whisper Rock Golf Club.

Two weeks ago, the two decided to drive down to Marana to play a fast round with carts at the new Ritz-Carlton Golf Course, Dove Mountain.

Their goal was to get an early look at the course – which probably helped them reach Sunday’s 36-hole final of the Accenture Match Play Championship – but they did not carpool.

“We should have,” said Casey, “you know, save fuel.”

They played in 3 1/2 hours in carts, skipping the par-5, 11th hole because of a group in front of them. They they drove home.

“Both of us drive cars that don’t have many seats in them,” said Ogilvy, referring to his Porsche. He ended up beating Casey 4 and 3 to win the title.

Casey, a former Arizona State star from England, was a little more coy about the car he was driving, even after someone pointed out that Ogilvy, from Australia, mentioned his Porsche.

“He probably got here quicker than I did, then,” Casey replied.

In hindsight, not practicing on No. 11 may have hurt the duo, who both had a tough time with the hole Sunday.

Weekend turnout rises

Friday and Sunday were the only days that Match Play attendance didn’t top last year’s totals, when Tiger Woods was the champion.

Sunday’s total was 6,270 compared to 7,500 in 2008. Saturday’s total of 7,640 topped last year’s 7,500.

Donald on the mend

The Associated Press

Luke Donald received good news on Saturday after conceding his third-round match to Ernie Els on the 18th tee Friday when he had soreness in his left wrist, the same one he had surgery on six months earlier.

Donald headed to New York, where Andrew Weiland of the Hospital for Special Surgery determined Donald’s pain was caused by scar tissue, not the tendon that was repaired. Donald said he should be able to resume practicing after a few days of treatment and anti-inflammatory medication.

He hasn’t ruled out playing next week in the Honda Classic.

Other golf

The Associated Press

• In Pattaya, Thailand, ex-UA golfer Lorena Ochoa won the Honda LPGA Thailand for her 25th career title (story, 1C).

• In Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, Mark Wilson won the Mayakoba Golf Classic for his second PGA Tour title, shooting a 2-under 68 for a two-stroke victory over J.J. Henry. Wilson had a 13-under 267 total on the El Camaleon course, earning $648,000.

• In Bali, Indonesia, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee won the Indonesia Open for his record 11th Asian Tour title and first European tour win in four years, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory. Thongchai broke a tie with compatriot Thaworn Wiratchant for the Asian Tour’s victory record, finishing at 12-under 276.

• In Fingal Australia, Alistair Presnell of Australia won the Moonah Classic, birdieing the 18th hole for 4-under 68 and a one-stroke victory over Peter O’Malley. He earned $108,000 and full satellite Nationwide Tour status for the rest of the season.

Citizen Staff Writer

Citizen Staff Report

With one swing of the bat, Holly Ridley put an end to the University of Arizona softball team’s 12-game winning streak.

Ridley’s walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth gave No. 21 Texas A&M a 6-5 win over No. 10 Arizona on Friday night in College Station, Texas.

UA (13-3) led 5-2 going into the bottom of the sixth before the Aggies scored three times to tie the game.

Sarah Akamine (7-1) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs in five innings.

Starter Lindsey Sisk was pulled after giving up two runs on five hits in three innings.

Sam Banister, Stacie Chambers and Lini Koria all homered for UA.

Banister went 5 for 5, while Brittany Lastrapes went 3 for 4 for the Wildcats.

The teams meet again at 5 p.m. Saturday and 11:15 a.m. Sunday.

UA women’s swimming

The Wildcats are in second place with one day left in the Pac-10 meet in Federal Way, Wash.

California leads the Wildcats by 53 points.

UA women’s tennis

The visiting Wildcats (5-3) dropped their Pac-10 opener on Friday, losing 4-3 at Oregon.

Sarah Landsman (No. 3) and Ariane Masschelein (No. 4) picked up UA’s singles wins.

Pima softball

The Aztecs went 3-1 Friday during the first day of the El Paso (Texas) Community College Tournament.

Jordan Trujillo (Sierra Vista Buena) picked up two wins on the mound for the Aztecs, while Elisa Stensby (Buena) had nine hits on the day.

The tournament continues Saturday.

Pima women’s hoops

No. 3-ranked Pima lost 72-66 at No. 4 Mesa on Friday night to conclude its regular season at 24-5.

Tia Morrison scored 21 points and hauled in 16 rebounds to lead Pima, while teammate Abyee Maracigan (Flowing Wells) had 21 points and four boards.

The Aztecs will host a playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.

Citizen Staff Writer
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP

Citizen Staff Report

Tucson High School’s defense was able to hold the Mesa Mountain View girls basketball team to 28 points through the first three quarters Friday night in the Class 5A Division I quarterfinals.

Unfortunately for the visiting Badgers, the home team scored 22 points in the fourth quarter, erasing Tucson High’s lead and rolling on to a 50-42 semifinal win.

Tucson High ends its season 24-3, but didn’t go quietly. The Badgers led 33-28 heading into the final quarter. Christine Clark led the Badgers’ charge with 13 points and teammate Anyela Lopez scored 11.

Mountain View was led by 18 points from Jennifer Schlott and a 12-point, 12-rebound effort from Brittany Conger.

Wrestling

The Sunnyside Blue Devils will put their 11-year streak of state championship trophies on the line Saturday in the Class 5A Division II team championship at Phoenix Shadow Mountain High School.

Sunnyside established itself as the overwhelming favorite after last week’s individual championship tournament. Sunnyside has won 26 state wrestling titles.

Ironwood Ridge is seeded No. 3 in the 5A-II tournament, which begins at 11:30 a.m., with semifinals at 2 p.m. and finals at 6 p.m. Mountain View is the No. 7 seed.

In the 4A-I tourney, Cienega (No. 1 seed), Pueblo (No. 2) and Cholla (No. 7) will battle for the crown that Pueblo won in 2008.

Southern Arizona’s hopes in the 4A-II tournament ride on No. 6 Rio Rico and No. 7 Amphi.

The 4A-I and 4A-II tournaments take place at Peoria High starting at 10 a.m. for 4A-I and 11:30 a.m. for 4A-II, with championship rounds starting at 6 p.m. for both.

Boys basketball

Ironwood Ridge, the No. 1 seed in the 5A-II state tournament and defending state champion, hosts No. 8 Yuma at 7 p.m. Saturday in a 5A-II quarterfinal game.

The Nighthawks beat No. 16 Scottsdale Horizon 72-51 on Thursday in the tournament’s opening round.

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY GOLF

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

If it’s up to the “no-names,” the talk about the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain course being punishing and treacherous is just excuse-making.

British golfers Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher blistered the course, relatively speaking, to convincing wins Thursday, combining for 13 birdies and no bogeys.

Wilson sent wunderkind Anthony Kim home, and Fisher defeated Pat Perez 6 and 5.

The relative part comes with the excessive amount of pars, some by playing it safe, some by gambling and others by shrewd calculation.

“It’s important to make pars a lot of the time,” said Phil Mickelson, who survived another opponent’s rally and beat Zach Johnson on hole No. 18.

Wilson and Kim cloned shots until Kim hit his drive on No. 8 awry, although not by much. Wilson was true, got the birdie and the lead and went on to birdie six of the next nine.

“There’s so many calculations out there to make, for us especially (strangers to desert courses),” Wilson said. “The ball is going miles, sometimes 350, 360 off the tee, which is good fun.

“It’s not a long hitter’s course, even though it’s nearly 8,000 yards. It’s about shaping shots, distance control and short game, and those are my strengths.”

Mickelson is even more apt to turn things into science.

“I think it’s a challenge on and around the greens,” he said, “because it’s difficult to get the ball close. If you’re able to, you have good birdie chances, but if not you’ve really got to be creative with your short game.”

“No-name” stature comes from Wilson and Fisher’s unfamiliarity with American players. But that seems to be changing.

“I still feel sometimes I come out and a lot of the U.S. players kind of sit down at the table, and I feel like nobody really knows me but they actually do,” Wilson said. “They sort of say, ‘Hey, how are you, Ollie?’ I’m still getting used to that.”

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

Tiger is gone, so is Boo Weekley with all his hilarity. Vijay Singh? He blew it on the last hole Thursday.

Now it’s up to golfers such as ex-UA Wildcat Jim Furyk to keep interest high in the Accenture Match Play Championship as the event heads to its third round Friday.

Gentleman Jim has been steady the past two days and never was in trouble Thursday in an easy 4 and 2 victory against Germany’s Martin Kaymer.

“It’s never easy,” insisted Furyk. “I got off to a quick start (today). I birdied three of the first five. The one hole I bogeyed in there, so did he.”

Just one more birdie followed, plus an eagle on No. 13, to offset a couple of bogeys for the round. But Furyk was always in control.

Furyk made his 2009 debut Wednesday and will be in the third round of Match Play for the first time since 2003.

The battle, he says, will be mental.

“(Match play) is a lot more stress,” he said. “Every hole you’re jockeying for position, trying to win a hole or just trying to stay in it and halve it. I think there’s a lot more stress and a lot more pressure in this format.”

He’s got the touch

Geoff Ogilvy went 19 holes to beat Shingo Katayama, a win that gives notice to how Match Play might proceed the next three days.

Ogilvy has that “Match Play touch,” as he won the event in 2006 and was runner-up here in 2007.

“It was a bit of substandard ball-striking day,” he said. “I hit a lot of drives into the desert. I hit some good shots the last few holes when I needed to. I got lucky when he bogeyed the 18th (to tie it), then he hit the junk on the 19th.”

His opponent Friday, Camilo Villegas, had seven birdies Thursday in a 5 and 4 win over Miguel Jimenez.

Ogilvy is hoping karma will play tricks Friday.

“Hopefully, it’s the day I come out and I’m playing well and maybe he doesn’t, maybe he’s due for a bad one.”

A familiar foe

Rest for the mind and body is a formula for veteran Stewart Cink, last year’s runner-up.

“I need to conserve my energy,” he said. “I know that from last year.”

Cink will meet Phil Mickelson, a familiar face, on Friday, although the two have never met in match play.

“Obviously with his play and what he’s done. . . . He has the ability to play really bad for a while and then (play) as well as anybody in the world,” Cink said. “So who knows what’s going to happen?”

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

University of Arizona alum Jim Furyk received plenty of “Bear Down” cheers Wednesday, befitting a man who proudly bleeds red and blue and backs it up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to the school.

Nothing would please him more than to stay in the field the rest of the week at the Accenture Match Play Championship.

“It’s obviously a lot of fun to be back in Tucson,” said Furyk, after his 2-and-1, first-round win over Anders Hansen at the Ritz- Carlton, Dove Mountain course.

Furyk earmarked $85,000 for UA after the U.S. Ryder Cup victory, and the PGA of America donated $200,000 to Furyk’s charities. He has now contributed like amounts after five Ryder Cup appearances.

He came back to UA in the fall for a fundraiser and to hang out with UA golf coach Rick LaRose

“I hung out with the team,” Furyk said. “I’d like to get back more than anything to watch the football and basketball games.”

His opponent Thursday is German Martin Kaymer, with both equally mystified by the Ritz- Carlton course. Furyk is confident a second competitive time on the course should calm things.

“If you haven’t figured it out by three, you’re not going to,” he said. The greens – so convoluted and undulating they resemble unfurled flags – are everybody’s problem.

“There’s a lot going on on them,” Furyk said. “There’s a lot of slopes and undulations, a lot of pockets and places where they can tuck pins.”

The weather has been dry and warm, giving hope to stroke artists such as Furyk.

“You have to subtract for the altitude, dry air and balls running so much on the fairways,” he said.

“If this place were soft, it would be a bomber’s paradise, but I’m going to bet a lot of the bombers are going to walk in here and tell you they’re hindered or limited off the tee because the ball is bouncing through the fairways and along the doglegs.”

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

Sometimes referred to as the “master of choke,” Phil Mickelson turned fate around Wednesday. And for the third straight year, he advanced to the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Mickelson nailed a 3-foot putt on the 19th hole to beat gritty Argentinian Angel Cabrera in the first round Wednesday after losing a 4-up lead with five to go.

Six straight one-putts within 5 feet didn’t convince Mickelson he was a world beater, but a win is a win.

“It feels great to be able to put a performance up like that when I really didn’t play my best throughout the day,” he said. “But when I needed to, I was able to make a few birdies coming in.”

The big one came on the final hole. Cabrera, who had three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 after struggling with short putts, hit his second shot 35 feet to Mickelson’s sky drop 3 feet away. Mickelson sank his putt, but it almost lipped out.

Cabrera sent the match to the 19th with a 10-foot putt on No. 18. He won four straight holes, starting with No. 14, in his comeback.

“I give him a lot of credit for really gutting it out,” said Mickelson, who lost a five-stroke lead last week in the Northern Trust Open before recovering to win.

In a matchup of Masters winners, Mickelson will try to break a recent second-round jinx Thursday against Zach Johnson, who beat Graeme McDowell 2 and 1.

Mickelson predicted before the tournament that the short game and putting on the undulating greens would be a key. Johnson agreed. “I’m not going to blister a golf course with my power, that’s for sure,” he said. “I’ve got to play strategic golf and I think desert golf kind of lends itself to that, anyway. So I think it plays into my favor in that regard.”

Citizen Staff Writer
MATCH PLAY

BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

Anthony Kim helped lead the host of American victories Wednesday at the Accenture Match Play in Marana, but he was glad just to be on U.S. soil.

Count them – 47 hours of flying the last two weeks. Or maybe he shouldn’t; it tires a guy out just doing that.

The itinerary included Dubai, Malaysia and Australia. Kim, the newest American hero after guiding the U.S. to the 2008 Ryder Cup title, wanted to sample global golf before returning home to Los Angeles two days ago. His only home break since December was the recent FBR Open in Scottsdale.

“I got to pet my dog and see my parents. That’s all I needed,” Kim said of his brief stop at his own home before coming to Tucson.

Kim beat Wen-Tang Lin of Taiwan 7 and 5 Wednesday in the third match of the day, then retired for some rest.

“I don’t think I’ll be watching too much (more) golf today,” he said. “This is a long week – I need to be able to save my legs.”

His game showed some strain, including leaving a shot in bunker sand, but his opponent aided him with three straight early bogeys and five in the first nine holes.

“I didn’t play as well as the score showed,” said Kim, who has played mostly overseas this year, including in Australia, Dubai and Malaysia. “There are some things I need to tighten up with my short game and putting.”

Weekley down, then up

Boo Weekley did hot and cold Wednesday and survived Justin Rose with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

“Yeah, it was a pretty clutch putt,” Weekly said in rather mild “Boospeak.” “I kind of lost concentration there in about the middle of my round. I don’t know if it was because I ain’t played enough or what’s been going on, but I just kind of lost it.”

Weekly survived three bogeys in his round but had four birdies on the second nine.

He will meet countryman Sean O’Hair Thursday. O’Hair won 1-up over Adam Scott.

Garcia, Harrington lose

The upsets of the day were No. 63 Charl Schwartzel 1-up over No. 2 Sergio Garcia, No. 60 Davis Love III over No. 7 Henrik Stenson 3 and 2, and No. 59 Pat Perez’s 2-up victory over No. 3 Padraig Harrington, the 2008 Player of the Year.

Perez used an eagle-3 on No. 2 to spark a steady run that had just three birdies. He parred out on the last five holes.

“Obviously, winning is a huge confidence builder,” said Perez, “and once you start beating guys like him, the confidence just keeps going up.”

Schwartzel made a long second-nine birdie count in his win and Love overcame three bogeys.

Another major upset was No. 57 Mathew Goggin’s 2 and 1 score against No. 15 Kenny Perry, the latter haunted by three bogeys.

Singh not satisfied

Defending FedEX Cup champion Vijay Singh overcame an early birdie by Soren Kjeldsen and used 13 pars and no bogeys to win 2 and 1.

Another day at the office.

“I’ve got to play more aggressive,” Singh said.

“I think I get a little tentative in the beginning. I think I’ve got to be more aggressive tomorrow if I want to keep going.”

MATCH PLAY

Staff and Wire reports

First-round attendance Wednesday was 13,620 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain. That’s an increase from last year’s first round at The Gallery Golf Club, when there were 12,500 tickets sold.

Other tournament tidbits:

• A trend to remember for next year’s Accenture Match Play bracket pool: The better seed has won 19 of 32 first-round matches in seven of the past nine years, including Wednesday.

• Media credentials are up from last year, largely due to the interest in Tiger Woods’ comeback. There are 525 credentialed news people representing 187 news groups. There were 379 credentials for 128 outlets last year.

• As if losing to Davis Love III in 21 holes wasn’t painful enough, Henrik Stenson backed into a cholla cactus on the second extra hole during his second shot on the par-5, No. 2. As Stenson trudged back to the fairway, he had to pick a cluster of needles off his purple shirt. “I’ve got tweezers,” one fan called out.