Warren eagles 1st extra hole to reach match play semifinals

ABERDEEN, Scotland (AP) — Marc Warren of Scotland holed an approach shot from 59 yards for eagle on the 19th to beat Tyrrell Hatton in an action-packed quarterfinal at the Paul Lawrie Match Play on Saturday.

Hatton had required a birdie on the 18th to force the extra hole, with Warren admitting it had been a fitting end to one of the strangest matches of his career.

“It started on the first with poor tee shots from both of us into a bunker and he ended up holing out from 100 yards for a birdie”.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who defeated compatriot Johan Carlsson 4&3 in the previous round, will go up against Howell in the second of the last-four matches after recording a one-hole victory over Scot Richie Ramsey. “It had a bit of everything – some good golf, some awful golf, some holed shots and lost balls”. “The physio barely laid his hands on me and my back started cracking”.

Ramsay had a seven-footer to get it back to all square on the 17th, but it didn’t drop and a par at the last was enough to send Karlsson through. It’s been a joy to play and everyone has enjoyed the straight knockout match play format as it’s first time in many years we’ve had it on the Tour.

“I was up against it at that point but made a lovely birdie on the fifth and things went my way from then on”. I would like to get to that final and have a chance to win.

“A couple weeks ago I didn’t really want to come here”, former European number one Karlsson said. “I know that sounds amusing and I would have loved it to carry on, but when things like that happen I can’t control what he’s doing, I can only control what I’m doing”. “The fairytale wasn’t there”.

Wood birdied the first two holes of his last-32 contest against Spain’s Jorge Campillo, who beat two-time major victor John Daly in the opening round, and was conceded another when Campillo found trouble on the third.

The 40-year-old has finished second three times this season and admitted he was not sure if he could cope with the demands of a possible six rounds in four days.

“I still feel like I’m not reaching the potential, which is frustrating”, he added “I’m not getting to where I feel I should be I’ve probably got to sit down and analyse it a bit”.