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WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Marana, Ariz.
Schedule: Wednesday-Sunday.
Course: Dove Mountain, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club (7,791 yards, par 72).
Purse: $8.75 million. Winner’s share: $1.5 million.
Television: Golf Channel (Wednesday, noon-6 p.m.; Thursday, 1-6 p.m.; Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday, noon-2 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 2-6 p.m.).
Last year: Hunter Mahan won his second WGC title, beating Rory McIlroy 2 and 1 in the final. Mahan also beat Zach Johnson, Y.E. Yang, Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar and Mark Wilson.
Last weekend: John Merrick won the Northern Trust Open at Riviera in Los Angeles for his first PGA Tour title, beating Charlie Beljan with a par on the second hole of a playoff. Merrick is from Long Beach and played at UCLA. … South Africa’s Darren Fichardt won the Africa Open for his fourth European Tour title.
Notes: Tiger Woods, the 2003, 2004 and 2008 winner, will open against Charles Howell III. Woods won at Torrey Pines in his lone PGA Tour start of the year. … The top-ranked McIlroy will face Shane Lowry in the first round. … Phoenix Open winner Phil Mickelson and Pebble Beach champion Brandt Snedeker are skipping the tournament.
LPGA TOUR
LPGA THAILAND
Site: Pattaya, Thailand.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course (6,469 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.5 million. Winner’s share: $225,000.
Television: Golf Channel (Thursday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30-6 p.m.).
Last year: Top-ranked Yani Tseng successfully defended her title, with birdies on the final two holes to hold off playing partner Ai Miyazato by a stroke.
Last weekend: South Korea’s Jiyai Shin won the Australian Women’s Open by two strokes. Tseng was second and 15-year-old amateur Lydia Ko finished third.
Notes: Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen, Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr and Brittany Lincicome are making their first starts of the year. … Michelle Wie missed the cut in Australia with rounds of 74 and 73. Associated Press
