Playing without world No. 1 Tiger Woods, host Isleworth fell behind rival Lake Nona 6-4 after Monday’s first round of the Tavistock Cup between US PGA players from private clubs.
England’s Ian Poulter and Justin Rose went seven-under par to beat Australian Nick O’Hern and the US’ J.B. Holmes by four strokes after the rival clubs split the first four matches in the two-day tournament.
Duos used a unique four-ball format on Monday with the two-person team with the low 18-hole better-ball total winning each two-point match.
In yesterday’s final round, a four-ball singles format was to be used with each player in each group playing against each member of the opposing duo. Singles wins are worth one point with 20 points at stake yesterday for a total of 30.
Aussies Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby of Isleworth were five-under par to edge South Africans Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman by a shot in their match.
Isleworth moved ahead 4-0 when the US pair of Mark O’Meara and John Cook beat England’s Ross Fisher and American Ben Curtis four-under to two-under.
Isleworth leads the rivalry 3-2 with one drawn.
Woods had considered playing in the event, but said his preparations to return from a golf were not far enough along to allow him to compete.
Woods will make his comeback in two weeks at the Masters, the year’s first major championship at Augusta National Golf Club.
Two of his practice partners said Woods is in “vintage” form, driving the ball further than ever and fully capable of winning next month’s US Masters.
He practiced on Monday at Augusta National Golf Club, the site of next month’s Masters, the Golf Channel and ESPN reported.
Cook, who has 11 PGA Tour wins, said he had played rounds with Woods.
Asked where he would place Woods in the Masters, Cook said: “Vintage, I’d be hard pressed to see anyone beat him, that being said, you have to go up to the first green and mark your ball and you have to finish out and sign your name at the end of the day, that’s a whole different deal.”
Atwal, who said he had played almost every day last week with Woods, said he was driving the ball even further than he had in his last appearance in November.
Poulter, though, said it was pointless guessing what Woods could or could not do at Augusta.
“We are all speculating, I just hate this nonsense talk of speculation, we don’t know how he is going to play, I just hate all the chit-chat, I’m bored of it,” Poulter said.
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