England's Fisher though to final as Kim wins his grudge match with Allenby

Published on Saturday 31 October 2009 20:11

ENGLAND'S Ross Fisher, his sights still set on becoming the European Tour's No.1 this year, and American Anthony Kim will contest the final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today.

And it looks like advantage Kim with Fisher forced into a 39-hole marathon before he overcame Masters champion Angel Cabrera last night. Kim had earlier thrashed Australian Robert Allenby for the second time this month.

A 5&4 victory for the 24-year-old from Los Angeles came three weeks after he beat Allenby 5&3 at the Presidents Cup.

Fisher, who lost to Paul Casey at the last-four stage of the Accenture World Match Play in Arizona in February, had gone from two up to one down with five to play.

He then won the 32nd and 33rd, but paid the price for laying up at the par-five last with Cabrera making birdie from the rough. They had to return to the final tee three more times in sudden death before Fisher hit a brilliant fairway wood to 12 feet and Cabrera, bunkered and then over the green, conceded defeat.

At stake today is a first prize of almost 676,000 with 405,000 for the runner-up.

There appeared to be no love lost between Kim and Allenby. After their cup duel Allenby made accusations of late-night drinking by his opponent. They have since held "clear-the-air" talks and say they have finished discussing the matter, but former European Tour player Wayne Riley said after watching their morning round: "I'm looking forward to the shake (of hands] at the end – will it be a shake with a left uppercut?"

In the end there was just the handshake and no more. In fact, they exchanged few words throughout. At lunch Kim was questioned about asking Allenby to hole some short putts but said: "I don't really think I have. Maybe a 2-footer, but it had a little break to it. Let's just say I am pretty focused on my game and if that slides by me that's a mistake."

Allenby responded: "That's match play. It does not matter, I will putt them all out if he wants. I'm happy to, I'm not going to miss them. I gave him four-footers but it does not bother me."

They were level at the break and with 13 to play, but then Kim won five of the next seven, four of them with twos. Three were birdies and he also pitched in from 101 yards for an eagle two at the 27th.

Ian Poulter's mood matched that of the weather as the flamboyant Englishman saw his five-stroke halfway lead at the Barclays Singapore Open disappear after just six holes of his third round before the latest thunderstorm halted play. Frenchman Thomas Levet and Japan's Kodai Ichihara took full advantage of an ambitious approach from Poulter to claim a share of the lead at eight under par before another long day at Sentosa Golf Club was brought to a sudden halt. The loss of more time has raised the real possibility of a Monday finish.

In glorious sunshine, Poulter had earlier completed a brilliant bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to establish a seemingly commanding lead over Sweden's Daniel Chopra and qualifier Chan Yih-shin of Chinese Taipei. But after three-putting the first green in the third round to card an opening bogey, Poulter opted to use a fairway wood from the edge of a greenside bunker on the fourth in an ambitious attempt to reach the green and only managed to find the water.

Following a drop, he finally made the green in four before three-putting from 60 feet to see his lead diminish.

He was in a jovial mood as he stood on the fifth fairway waiting for the group ahead to clear the green, but that soon disappeared as he trudged off the course after missing a six-foot par putt a hole later which would have maintained his lead shortly before an approaching thunderstorm halted play. It means six hours have been lost already this week, with the prospect of more tomorrow. Levet played his opening seven holes in two under and is relishing the battle for a another title after claiming May's Open de Espana.

China's Liang Wen-chong and Australia's Andrew Dodt played their front nines in two under to claim a share of fourth at seven under. Hong Kong Open champion Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, Richard Finch and Sweden's Niclas Fasth all managed to tie for sixth place, a further shot off the pace.

Anders Hansen, Ross McGowan, Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell completed the top ten at five under.

Peter Whiteford returned to the European Tour in style last night with a play-off victory in the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final on Italy's Adriatic coast.

The 29-year-old from Kirkcaldy rolled in a birdie putt of eight feet for a three on the first extra hole to pip Australian Andrew Tampion to the 46,400 top prize after both players had finished locked on five-under 279s.

Whiteford, who holed a vital eight-footer for par on the 18th in a four-under 67 to finish at the head of the field, lost his place on the main tour at the end of last season but will have a full card for the 2010 campaign after rising to fifth on the Challenge Tour's final money list.

"I was 15th on the rankings coming into this and I just wanted to consolidate my position," said Whiteford, who became only the second Scot, after David Drysdale in 2004, to win the Grand Final. "But to move up to fifth is tremendous and means I can focus on the main tour next year.

"I didn't play well on the European Tour last year but I've responded well this season with some consistent performances and I've saved the best until last."

Glasgow's Andrew McArthur was also celebrating last night as his share of fourth place on a two-under 282 after an eventful one-over 72 earned him promotion to the main tour after three years of agonising near misses.

The former Scottish Amateur champion looked set for more end of season disappointment when he found water at 14 and made a triple-bogey seven before spilling another shot at the 15th.

A brave putt from 15-feet at 16 to save par was followed by birdies at 17 and 18 as he repaired some of the damage and rose from 21st to 17th on the rankings, three places inside a top-20 spot needed to gain a European Tour place.