Clash of the Irish at WGC

Rory McIlroy will play Shane Lowry in the first round of the WGC Match Play Championship in Arizona.

The Northern Irishman, who was beaten by American Hunter Mahan in last year's final, plays Ireland's Lowry who gained his place when Phil Mickelson withdrew.

Three-times winner and world number two Tiger Woods takes on fellow American Charles Howell III on Wednesday.

England's Luke Donald plays Germany's Marcel Siem, while Justin Rose starts against South Korea's KJ Choi.

Donald, who won the title in 2011, is ranked third and heads the Sam Snead quarter of the draw while McIlroy and Woods are the top seeds in the Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan sections.

The fourth bracket is led by number four seed Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa.

The top 64 players in the world are eligible to play in the tournament, which pits golfers against each other in a series of knockout matches - Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker's decision to pull out, opened the door for Lowry and Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson, who will play reigning Open champion Ernie Els.

Defending champion Mahan opens his campaign against Matteo Manassero of Italy, while other stand-out ties include England's 2010 champion Ian Poulter playing Scotland's Steven Gallacher and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell taking on Ireland's Padraig Harrington.

Full draw:

Bobby Jones bracket

Rory McIlroy (NI) v Shane Lowry (Ire)

Rickie Fowler (US) v Carl Pettersson (Swe)

Dustin Johnson (US) v Alexander Noren (Swe)

Graeme McDowell (NI) v Padraig Harrington (Ire)

Bubba Watson (US) v Chris Wood (Eng)

Jim Furyk (US) v Ryan Moore (US)

Charl Schwartzel (SA) v Russell Henley (US)

Zach Johnson (US) v Jason Day (Aus)

Gary Player bracket

Louis Oosthuizen (SA) v Richie Ramsay (Sco)

Branden Grace (SA) v Robert Garrigus (US)

Keegan Bradley (US) v Marcus Fraser (Aus)

Ernie Els (SA) v Fredrik Jacobson (Swe)

Justin Rose (Eng) v KJ Choi (Kor)

Bill Haas (US) v Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)

Sergio Garcia (Spa) v Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)

Matt Kuchar (US) v Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn)

Ben Hogan bracket

Tiger Woods (US) v Charles Howell III (US)

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) v Francesco Molinari (Ita)

Webb Simpson (US) v David Lynn (Eng)

Peter Hanson (Swe) v Thomas Bjorn (Den)

Lee Westwood (Eng) v Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa)

Martin Kaymer (Ger) v George Coetzee (SA)

Jason Dufner (US) v Richard Sterne (SA)

Hunter Mahan (US) v Matteo Manassero (Ita)

Sam Snead bracket

Luke Donald (Eng) v Marcel Siem (Ger)

Paul Lawrie (Sco) v Scott Piercy (US)

Steve Stricker (US) v Henrik Stenson (Swe)

Nick Watney (US) v David Toms (US)

Adam Scott (Aus) v Tim Clark (SA)

Jamie Donaldson (Wal) v Thorbjorn Olesen (Den)

Ian Poulter (Eng) v Steven Gallacher (Sco)

Bo Van Pelt (US) v John Senden (Aus)

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East London Good for Higgins

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David Higgins enjoyed a better second week in South African, and on the Eastern Cape on Sunday finished in the twenty despite a final two over par round of 74 on Sunday at East London Golf Club.

As the only Irish player in action on Sunday the current Irish PGA Champion carded three bogeys in what was a good week overall and Higgins collects a cheque for €10,500 nonetheless, and shows improved from last week at the Jo burg Open where the Waterville man failed to make the cut.    

Darren Fichardt overcame some late jitters to seal a fourth European Tour title at the Africa Open and ensure the trophy remained in South African hands for another year.

The 37 year old began the final round tied at the top of the leaderboard with compatriot Jaco Van Zyl, and there was initially no separating the pair until Fichardt pulled four shots clear around the turn.

Three bogeys in four holes left the door open for Van Zyl, but he was unable to take full advantage and Fichardt’s one under par 71 and 16 under total gave him a two shot victory over Van Zyl and France’s Grégory Bourdy.

It represented a fourth straight victory for the home nation, after Charl Schwartzel (2010) and fellow Major Champion Louis Oosthuizen (2011 and 2012) won the first three stagings.

Both players in the final group completed regulation birdies at the first, and it was Van Zyl, chasing his first European Tour victory after 12 top-ten finishes, who stole an advantage at the short second when he holed his birdie putt from off the green.

His lead was short lived, however, as Fichardt picked up a shot at the par five third and then went ahead for the first time with a 20 foot birdie effort on the seventh.

He turned two clear after Van Zyl bogeyed the testing ninth, and went three ahead as his playing partner duffed his chip at the 12th and failed to get up and down.

Fichardt, whose last European Tour title came in St Omer last season, looked to have the race sewn up when he holed a 20 footer for birdie at the 13th.

However, he three-putted the next, played a poor approach to the 16th and missed a six footer on the 17th as his lead eroded to a single shot.

A poor tee shot at the last followed, but after Van Zyl missed the green he hit a brilliant second over trees and into the heart of the green.

“I started losing focus,” admitted Fichardt after lifting the trophy. “I was four shots ahead and I started taking it for granted. 

“I was putting unbelievable and then I missed a short putt at the 14th and thought ‘what’s going on here?’

“This is one of my favourite tournaments. The golf course is second to none – you’ve got to hit a lot of knock down shots and irons off the tee.

"I always enjoy coming here, and obviously winning the tournament makes the week especially enjoyable.”

Bourdy briefly threatened to challenge when he sunk a 25 foot eagle putt at the third, but two bogeys and eight pars in his next ten holes ended his title hopes, before a late flurry of birdies earned him a share of the runner-up spot when Van Zyl failed to get up-and-down at the last.

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Lowry's Luck Spells Accenture

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Shane Lowry looks all set to face world No 1 Rory McIlroy in the opening round of next week's WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona thanks to some help from American duo Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed.

Mickelson, the world No 10, said last week that he would not be playing in the tournament, meaning the world No 65 would replace him in the event.

Leaving Lowry the lucky recipient of Leftie's absence with some needed work by Reed to stay ahead of Fredrik Jacobson in the World Ranking.

Jacobson looked likely to finish ahead of Lowry when he posted a closing 67 at Pebble Beach on Sunday to slip into seventh spot.

This would have been good enough for the Swede to qualify for the World Golf Championship event at Dove Mountain, had it not been for Reed holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the final green in California to join Jacobson in a tie for seventh.

This reduced the number of world ranking points he gained from the event, allowing Lowry to sneak ahead of him by just 0.0002 of a point.

Jacobson will now be the first alternate for the tournament and, if no other players withdraw between now and Friday, Lowry will earn a date next Wednesday against McIlroy.

McIlroy was beaten in last year's final by Hunter Mahan who has slipped to No 26 in the world.

The biggest jump of last week was made by Richard Sterne whose victory in Johannesburg moved him from 94th to 55th in the ranking list.

Players have until Friday to commit to play in the $8.75m tournament.

Tiger Woods will be the No 2 seed behind McIlroy with 2011 match play champion Luke Donald the current world No 3.

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McIlroy and Woods in Treble

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Tiger Woods has confirmed his entry for the Honda Classic in Florida later this month, setting up a three-event stretch playing against Rory McIlroy.

Woods will now appear in the same field as McIlroy in three straight tournaments, starting with next week's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

The world's top two players will then do battle at PGA National, where McIlroy held off a dramatic final-day charge from Woods to clinch the title last season.

Woods closed with a stunning 62, but McIlroy held his nerve to claim the first of his five victories last year by a two-shot margin.

The pair will also go head-to-head the following week in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral in Miami, where an Achilles injury forced Woods to withdraw during the final round last season.

"I'm excited to be playing in the Honda Classic again," Woods said. "I like the golf course and I came pretty close last year."

"It's part of a busy stretch for me, and I want to continue playing well."

Woods sauntered to his 75th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego a fortnight ago, while McIlroy has not played since he and Woods both missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship last month.

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Higgins Opens Year in Africa

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David Higgins made the cut comfortably at the Africa Open with rounds of 70 and 68 to finish in share of tenth place on Friday night on 9 under, in his first tournament of the season since regaining his full European Tour card last December at PGA Catalunya.

However fellow Irish men Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin missed the weekend 

But it was South Africans Darren Fichardt and Jaco Van Zyl who took over at the top of the Africa Open leaderboard midway through a fascinating third round.

With low scoring the order of the day, Adilson Da Silva saw his three shot overnight advantage disappear as the Brazilian covered the first eight holes in one over par.

That barely told the story, however. After two opening pars the 41 year old hit a splendid second to eight feet at the long third and holed the eagle putt to extend his lead to four shots.

Four straight pars followed, but a string of problems on the eighth cost the Sunshine Tour regular the lead.

Da Silva drove into a bunker, needed two shots to get out, duffed his fourth left into more sand at the side of the green then two-putted for a triple bogey seven.

At 13 under he was one behind Fichardt and playing partner Van Zyl.

Saint Omer Open winner Fichardt matched Da Silva’s eagle at the third and had four birdies in his first eight holes, while Van Zyl picked up three shots over the opening stretch.

Argentine Emiliano Grillo held the clubhouse lead on 11 under after a 64, and he was level in fourth place with England’s John Parry, France’s Gregory Bourdy and South African Oliver Bekker.

Things not get much better for Da Silva at the ninth – he missed the fairway with his tee shot, came up short of the green with his approach and failed to get up and down - turning in 39 as a result.

Fichardt bogeyed the same hole, leaving Van Zyl one ahead at the turn.