Anyone who thought Phil Mickelson was going to roll Pat Perez on Wednesday was sorely mistaken. #63 gave #2 the scare of this short season yesterday at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson.
Mickelson jumped out to the early start, winning the the first two holes and going 2U. Perez bounced back, taking #3. Both players halved #4 before Mickelson took #5 and remained 2U until #9, which went to PP.
1U at he turn, it remained that way until #13 when Mickelson pushed it back to 2U.
PP fired back with monster putts on #13 and #14, winning both holes, pushing it back to AS and tied up entering #15. Mickelson fired back with a lengthy monster putt of his own, winning the hole and being the difference maker in this match up. Perez and Mickelson halved the final two holes, with #2 needing to make a final putt on #18 for the halve and to take the match.
Winning is obviously goal number one on tournament day. If you're not going to pull the upset, you can't really hope for much more than what Perez accomplished on Wednesday. Toe-to-toe with #2 in the world, Perez never backed down. His scrappy, fiery play was almost enough to take out the winner of last week's Northern Trust Open.
Perez made a name for himself Wednesday and proved his game on a worldwide level.
Next up, the Florida swing and a handful of events where PP has found much recent success. Stay tuned for what could be a very exciting month in the Sunshine State and potentially that long-awaited first PGA Tour victory.
Pat Perez earned his seat at the head table. Cruising in just under the wire after Pebble Beach, PP is currently #58 in the World Rankings but will be the #63 seed entering this week's Accenture Match Play.
#63 takes on #2, which has Perez pitted against second-ranked Phil Mickelson, fresh off his first-ever win at Riviera (Northern Trust Open).
While second versus second-to-last sounds like an insurmountable task, history shows otherwise. Regarding the Accenture Match Play Championship, #63 has actually had some success against the #2 seed, winning 9-of-20 match ups. Crazy as it sounds, Perez mathematically has a 45% chance of knocking off his fellow San Diegan and Arizona State alum on Wednesday.
Some more numbers? The #59, #60 and #62 seeds all have winning records - meaning #3, #5, and #6 seeds all have losing records.
This week's Match Play event almost has that 'March Madness' feel to it - and we all know the NCAA tourney is all about upsets, shockers and underdogs.
The Perez v. Mickelson showdown is definitely one of this week's most intriguing match ups. The parallels regarding the San Diego upbringing, Junior Golf success and the ASU connection are hard to ignore.
Will PP pull a shocker this week? We'll see. The odds aren't in the kid's favor, but you also can't count him out. Not at this level. Anything can happen when you're talking about Tour players not named 'Woods'.
PP has the game - but he also has a purpose. This could be a breakout week. Perez needs this win more than Mickelson. We're not talking about 72 holes. This is one round of golf. 18 holes. #63 needs to be better than #2 for one afternoon. A handful of hours.
How's this one going to play out? Check back on Wednesday. Things could get interesting in Tucson.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiger Woods was the last player to enter and will be the No. 1 seed in the Accenture Match Play Championship, which starts Wednesday in Arizona with a 64-man field and the fewest number of Americans ever.
The surprise was Ernie Els, who has never advanced beyond the second round of Match Play in America. He had said in interviews and on his Web site that he would skip the tournament and not make his PGA Tour debut until Florida, then changed his mind.
The field, determined by the world ranking, will not be set until 5 p.m. Monday. If anyone withdraws after that, his opponent will get a pass into the second round. For the second straight year, it will be held at The Gallery north of Tucson.
Woods, who has lost only once in the first round in his eight appearances, will play FBR Open champion J.B. Holmes, who is No. 65 and got into the World Golf Championship when Brett Wetterich withdrew because of a shoulder injury.
Phil Mickelson (No. 2) will face Pat Perez in a match between two players from San Diego. Steve Stricker (No. 3) will play Daniel Chopra, a rematch of sorts from the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when Chopra beat Stricker in a four-hole playoff. Els is the No. 4 seed and would play Jonathan Byrd.
The 64-man field consists of only 20 Americans, the fewest since this event began in 1999 and 40 Americans were in the field (including Brian Watts and Andrew Magee, whose parents lived out of the country when they were born).
Australia had 10 players qualify, with Adam Scott (No. 5) the highest seed. He would face Brendan Jones of Australia in the opening round. South Africa and England each had six players. Eighteen countries are represented in the field.
The odd man out is Anthony Kim, who was poised to play Woods until Els changed his mind and entered.
"It did surprise me," Kim said of Els entering the Match Play. "But he deserves to go, and I don't. I just have to play better." Players making their debut in the Match Play Championship include Holmes, Chopra and Brandt Snedeker, who won the U.S. Public Links Amateur in 2003.
"I've never played match play as a pro," Chopra said. "I haven't played it since the India Amateur when I was 17 or 18 years old. I lost the match on the last hole and said, 'That's it. I'm turning pro.'"
Henrik Stenson, the defending champion, is the 13th seed and would play Robert Allenby in the first round. Woods is the only player to have won the Accenture Match Play Championship twice, in 2003 and 2004. He was beaten last year in the third round by Nick O'Hern.
Els is a seven-time champion of the World Match Play Championship in England, which is contested over 36 holes, but he hasn't fared well in the 18-hole matches of this WGC event. The only time he came close to winning was 2001 in Australia, when he lost to Pierre Fulke in the semifinals.
Pat Perez likes Riviera Country Club. After an eighth place finish in 2007, PP picked up where he left off last February and opened with a 69 at the newly named Northern Trust Open.
Perez netted five birdies on the day, putting him at T7th in that category. A double bogey on #5 was the only blemish on the front nine. Birdies on #2 and #9 had him even at the turn.
On the back nine, back-to-back birdies on #11 and #12 had PP at -2, but a bogey on #15 sent him back to -1.
Perez went on to birdie the 18th - which was ranked the day's most difficult hole - and closed out with a 69.
Friday's tee time is set for 1:04pm PT. Tune back in for the latest...
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Pat Perez has the best of both worlds. He's in the Accenture Match Play Championship, and he doesn't have to play Tiger Woods.
The opening round of matches continued to evolve Monday when the world ranking listed Perez at No. 64, up one spot from where he was Sunday night.
Then, the PGA Tour disclosed that Brett Wetterich withdrew last week because of a shoulder injury. Ernie Els, at No. 4 in the world, already said he is not playing.
That means Anthony Kim would face Woods in the first round. J.B. Holmes would play Phil Mickelson and Perez would play Steve Stricker.
The 64-man field for the Match Play, to be played Feb. 20-24 in Tucson, Ariz., will not be final until next Monday.
T24th, a XXX payday and paling around Pebble Beach with Kelly Slater - and we haven't even gotten to the good part regarding the latest on Pat Perez.
64. That's the magic number.
The new World Rankings were released today and PP edged out Anthony Kim for the 64th slot a week before the Accenture World Golf Championship in Tucson, Arizona next weekend.
Barring a late withdrawl - a highly unlikely occurance as last place earns $40K - No. 64 Perez will go toe-to-toe with No. 1 Tiger Woods. Should another player pull up limp, No. 2 Phil Mickelson would be the consolation prize.
Next week will mark Perez's first World Golf event to date - on a grand stage, against an all time great. Tune in to see how it all plays out.
Until then, a trek back to Los Angeles, another crack at the Nissan Open and a chance to build on last year's 8th place finish.
"Perez feeling like a long shot in upcoming Match Play Championship"
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Pat Perez left Pebble Beach feeling as if he had no chance to get into the Accenture Match Play Championship. He barely qualified Sunday, but that seemed to be little consolation.
Provided no one withdraws, he gets Tiger Woods in the first round.
"The last person I want to play is Tiger," Perez said. "I don't want to embarrass myself right now."
This was the final week to become eligible for the 64-man field, and Perez closed with a 72 to tie for 24th, earning just enough ranking points to improve one spot to No. 65. Ernie Els has said he would not play, paving the way for Perez. The field for the Match Play, to be held Feb. 20-24 in Tucson, Ariz., is not set until 5 p.m. Monday of the tournament. If anyone withdraws after that, his opponent gets a pass to the second round.
Anthony Kim was No. 64 going into the week, but did not play Pebble Beach after four straight weeks, and is playing his hometown tournament next week at Riviera. He slipped to No. 66, a mere 0.006 points behind Perez.
Other preliminary matches in the opening round look like reruns on the PGA Tour this year.
Phil Mickelson (No. 2) would face J.B. Holmes, who beat Lefty in a playoff at the FBR Open last week. Steve Stricker (No. 3), would play Daniel Chopra, who beat him in a four-hole playoff at the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship. Adam Scott would be the No. 4 seed and face Brendan Jones, whose closing 69 for a tie for 12th in the India Masters on Sunday enabled him to qualify for the Match Play.
Perez has never played in the World Golf Championship, and he has not competed in match play since he was a junior. Told that anything can happen over 18 holes didn't brighten his optimism.
"If I'm playing Tiger, anything would need to happen," Perez said. "I don't think he's going to be too worried about anybody he plays."
Woods has won the Match Play twice, but was eliminated in the third round last year.
The more Perez thought about the prospects of facing Woods, however, the better it sounded. Last year, those who lost in the first round still earned $40,000.
"It would be a free show for me, watch him play," he said. "Unbelievable, this guy. I can't lose either way. If I beat him, I'm a hero. If I don't, I'm not supposed to win. If I beat him, I may quit, just pack in it. If anybody asks, 'When was the last time you played? Aw, I beat Tiger. I'm done."'
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - One Pat is already having a good week.
With the NFL's New England Patriots set to play in the Super Bowl on the other side of the valley on Sunday, Pat Perez shot up the leaderboard Friday in the second round of the FBR Open.
Teeing off after a 90-minute frost delay, Perez sizzled around the par-71, 7,216-yard TPC Scottsdale course in 65 strokes to move to 8-under 134.
Perez trails 2006 FBR champion J.B. Holmes, Doug LaBelle II and Camilo Villegas by one shot.
Play was suspended due to darkness with 45 players, including Villegas, on the course. But Perez's golf game has seen the light after the 11-year pro decided late last year to include a rigorous fitness program into his daily routine. Employing the services of fitness trainer Joey Diovisalvi, who used to work with Vijay Singh, Perez has his waistline and game going in the right direction.
He hasn't lost much weight - "I've transferred (weight) from the stomach up, which is what you want," he said - but has noticed a difference in his golf game. He's longer. A lot longer.
He's hitting 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-irons into par-5s this week, something he rarely did in the past.
He's also driving the 332-yard par-4 17th hole.
"It's just a lot easier," Perez, 31, said about his game, one reason he elected to hire Diovisalvi. "I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of being overweight. I'm not getting any younger and it's not getting easier to lose weight. It's a whole bunch of things. I want to make (the Ryder Cup). I want to play in all the bigger tournaments."
If he keeps up his recent form, he will. Perez, still looking for this first Tour win, ended his 2007 season with three top-30 finishes, including a tie for sixth in the Fry's Electronics Open in his last start. He then began this year with a tie for fourth at the Sony Open before missing the cut in last week's Buick Invitational. He's righted the ship this week, however, with 11 birdies and three bogeys.
"I've been working hard on my fitness and working hard on my swing, so they're both starting to come around," Perez said.
Working hard on his fitness is an understatement. Diovisalvi is not one for light workouts. He emphasizes speed drills with power chords and exercise balls. Perez likens his workouts to boot camp.
"I got lucky to get Joey," Perez said. "He's real serious about it, and he believes in me and what we can do, and we're going to have a good team."
Of equal importance is Perez's new attitude on the golf course. Whereas he was once the hottest chili pepper on Tour, with a temper that raised eyebrows, smashed clubs, made obscene gestures and provoked some fines from the Tour office in Florida, Perez is now in control of his emotions.
He's not Mr. Cool, he'll tell you, but he isn't Mr. Hot Head anymore, either.
After finishing his first round Thursday with a three-putt for par on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th, Perez could have stewed for days. Instead, he came out Friday and birdied his first hole.
"I was not in the greatest of moods when I left here," Perez said of his first day. "But I knew I was playing well, so I came out to get them today.
"I've just gotten to the point where you're going to hit bad shots, they're going to come at wrong times, and you've just got to deal with it and move on."
"More fit Perez making weight, strong performances"
By Mark Spoor, PGATOUR.com Coordinating Producer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Pat Perez has been putting together some solid finishes, as of late. He finished last season with three top-30s in a row and already has a fourth-place finish this season at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
The biggest contributor to his success? A weight transfer.
"I've transferred from the stomach up, which is what you want," he said. "I've just gotten a lot stronger."
He's up on the leaderboard at the FBR Open, as well. After a 65 on Thursday, he sits at 8-under-par and well within contention for his first PGA TOUR victory at what is a hometown tournament for him.
Perez has spent a lot of time recently with Joey Diovisalvi -- "Joey D," as he is known on TOUR -- who spent several years training Vijay Singh.
The pairing paid immediate dividends.
"I just happened to bump into another buddy of mine, and he said Joey is looking for another guy. I said, 'perfect.' This was Hawaii. We started on Tuesday and I finished fourth. I said, 'hey, we've got to make this happen. If this is how it's going to be, then I'm all yours.'"
But Perez is also quick to point out that the partnership has created a lot more work for him.
"It's like boot camp with him, it really is," Perez said of Diovisalvi. "It's early morning, then golf, and then at night. It's twice a day, and he's on top of it. He's real serious about it, and he believes in me and what we can do, and I think we're going to have a good team."
Perez said he just came to a realization that something in his routine needed to change.
"I'm tired of being tired," he said. "I'm tired of being overweight. I'm not getting any younger and it's not getting easier to lose weight. It's a whole bunch of things."
Perez says the new fitness routine has him not only feeling good off the course, but not having to work so hard on it.
"I've noticed a huge difference," he said. "I was hitting 40 by guys the last two days. I can see a huge difference from where I was. Last year on this course and this year on this course, the numbers I had in was just a lot easier.
"Par-5s I've got 4-irons into. I've got 6-iron into 3. I've got 3-iron into 15. It's just a lot easier. I can drive 17. It makes your game -- it definitely makes it a lot easier."
Which, in turn, Perez hopes, will give him many more opportunities to play -- like as a member of U.S. team for this year's Ryder Cup competition, for example.
"I want to play on Azinger's team this year for sure," he said. "That's one thing. I love Zinger, he's great. I think he's going to be an unbelievable coach. But I need to take certain steps to get there."
One of those steps is making the field for the Accenture Match-Play Championship in a couple of weeks in Tucson. Perez is on the bubble for that event now and needs a good finish either this week in Scottsdale, or next week at Pebble Beach to secure his position.
He hopes to be able to end the suspense this weekend.
"If I play well this week I won't have to play next week," he said. "If I was even close, let's say I was 62 or 61, I probably wouldn't play next week just to get in."
Will the new, fitter Perez -- known as a bit of a partier -- be able to celebrate with a beer should he be holding the winner's trophy on Sunday night?
Buick Invitational - practice round photo gallery...
Here are some outside the ropes shots of Pat Perez's practice round at the 2008 Buick Invitational. It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Torrey Pines and PP took in 18 holes on the North Course with Tour buds Tommy Armour III and Jason Gore.
Double P closed out his Friday round with 65. It proved to be the second lowest score of the day. Only Doug LaBelle and Briny Baird went lower (64).
After starting out with four birdies in the first six holes and a bogey on #16, PP responded with birdies on three of the next five holes. Down the stretch, it was six straight pars and some clutch play to close out one of the day's best rounds.
Saturday's tee times are still yet to be announced due to some players not finishing their Friday round. As soon as the information is made available, we'll post it on the homepage.
Four birdies in the first six holes had Pat Perez at -6 and in first place early out the gate on Friday. A quick bogey on #16 dropped him back to -5 and second place, but safe to say we're in for an exciting Friday. Stay tuned...
Anyone who thought Phil Mickelson was going to roll Pat Perez on Wednesday was sorely mistaken. #63 gave #2 the scare of this short season yesterday at the Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson.
