Day of shocks at Paul Lawrie Match Play

Richie Ramsay lost to England's Oliver Fisher in his last-16 match at Archerfield Links. Picture: PA

It definitely wasn’t what the tournament promoters were looking for, but that’s the unpredictable nature of match-play golf for you and, on the positive side, the Scottish Open champion survived the cull.

It started in the morning’s second round, where Ryder Cup contender and top seed Chris Wood lost 2&1 to fellow Englishman Daniel Brooks after finding himself six down with eight holes to play on the East Lothian coast.

Wood birdied the 11th, 12th and 14th as he threatened to pull off a stunning fightback before that was halted when the 17th was halved in par-3s.

Around the same time Paul Lawrie was losing at the first extra hole to Australian left-hander Richard Green after the Scot had been two up with three to play.

Lawrie was then joined on the casualty list in the afternoon by the last two remaining Scots, Marc Warren and Richie Ramsay, as well as another Hazeltine hopeful in Matt Fitzpatrick.

Warren, a semi-finalist at Murcar Links 12 months ago, had been three up early on his last-16 clash with Haydn Porteous before the South African roared back to claim a one-hole victory.

“It’s always a tough game against a Scotsman in Scotland, but the spectators were great and gave me the odd clap when I deserved it,” said Porteous, this year’s Joburg Open winner.

Ramsay, who’d made an eagle and seven birdies in his morning match, managed just two birdies as he went down 3&1 to former Walker Cup team-mate Oliver Fisher.

“Richie is a good match player so I’m deligted to beat him,” admitted the Englishman.

Fitzpatrick had followed his first-round win over Ryder Cup vice captain Thomas Bjorn by producing an equally impressive performance in crushing Matt Ford 6&5 in the morning.

But his hopes of landing a win that would probably have secured an automatic spot in next month’s match in Minnesota were then killed off as he lost 4&3 to Spaniard Alejandro Canizares in the third round.

“I played great - the best so far this week,” said Canizares after being seven-under and flawless for 15 holes.

Second seed and Scottish Open champion Alex Noren saved the day from being a total disaster in terms of crowd pullers as he dug deep to beat Spaniard Nacho Elvira 2&1.

“The last time I played match play was in the WGC three years ago, so I’ve been looking forward to this week,” said the Swede.

Results

Second-round

Marc Warren (Sco) bt Magnus Carlsson (Swe) 3&2

Haydn Porteous (SA) bt David Horsey (Eng) 3&2

Michael Hoey (NIre) bt Matthew Southgate (Eng) 2&1

James Morrison (Eng) bt Graeme Storm (Eng) 4&3

Richie Ramsay (Sco) bt Roope Kakko (Fin) 2 holes

Oliver Fisher (Eng) bt Simon Khan (Eng) 2&1

Chris Paisley (Eng) bt Prom Meesawat (Tha) 1 hole

Johan Carlsson (Swe) bt Robert Rock (Eng) 2&1

Anthony Wall (Eng) bt Richard Bland (Eng) 6&4

Richard Green (Aus) bt Paul Lawrie (Sco) at 19th

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng) bt Matt Ford (Eng) 6&5

Alejandro Canizares (Esp) bt Eduardo De La Riva (Esp) 4&3

Daniel Brooks (Eng) bt Chris Wood (Eng) 2&1

Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) bt Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 2 holes

Alex Noren (Swe) bt Renato Paratore (Ita) 4&3

Nacho Elvira (Esp) bt Craig Lee (Sco) at 20th

Third round

Porteous bt Warren 1 hole

Morrison bt Hoey 4&3

Fisher bt Ramsay 3&1

Carlsson bt Paisley 4&3

Wall bt Green at 19th

Canizares bt Fitzpatrick 4&3

Kieffer bt Brooks 2&1

Noren bt Elvira 2&1

Quarter-finals

7.50am Kieffer v Fisher

8.00am Wall v Porteous

8.10am Noren v Carlsson

8.20am Canizares v Morrison