Golf: Putter does job for Tataurangi

By WYNNE GRAY and AGENCIES

Phil Tataurangi lauded his putter after he derailed the world's hottest golfer, Ernie Els, in an extra-hole shootout in the $10.72 million world matchplay championships.

The New Zealander rolled in an 8m putt on the 18th hole yesterday to square his opening-round match before Els conceded the match two holes later.

Tataurangi did not need his putter on the second extra hole after his six-iron shot finished by the hole while Els could not sink his bunker shot.

"Phil said his putter was his best club. He made a number of putts which allowed him to hang in there," his wife, Melanie, told the Herald.

"He was not always on the fairways but his putting, especially that one on the 18th, was very strong."

Tataurangi qualified for the tournament near San Diego only when several injured players withdrew.

After initially drawing world No 1 Tiger Woods, he was pitted against world No 2 Els, who had won four of the five tournaments he has entered this year.

While fellow New Zealander Michael Campbell was rolled by former US PGA champion Jeff Sluman, Tataurangi provided the biggest shock at the La Costa course.

His victory against Els trumped upset losses for other leading players Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia.

"I've got to go home and iron another shirt," Tataurangi told a media conference. "I hadn't planned on playing tomorrow."

In that second round he will meet Australian Peter Lonard, who beat American Kenny Perry.

Tataurangi's win wrecked any ideas that Els would survive to duel with Woods in the final.

"I'm sure Ernie didn't play as well as he would have liked. I would like to have seen an Els-Woods final too, had I not been playing," said Tataurangi.

"I'm 66th in the world and Ernie is winning everything he's looking at right now, yet over 18 holes everyone can compete.

"I was proud of the way I hung in on the holes I didn't play very well."

It was the first matchplay event Tataurangi had played as a professional and he said it reminded him of his amateur days.

His game had been coming together in the past few weeks, he had been working regularly with coach John Griffin and fellow Kiwi Steve Alker.

Tataurangi joined China's Lian-Wei Zhang as the only two golfers to have beaten Els in tournaments this year.

"Sometimes you need a bit of luck and I haven't had any today," Els said.

"I struck the ball well. I putted well. I thought I played pretty decent golf."

Woods, who suffered an opening-round defeat last year, was behind early to Sweden's Carl Pettersson but recovered by the sixth hole and never trailed again en route to a two-up win.

"I had no bogeys, three birdies and didn't really put myself in danger of making a bogey at all today," Woods said.

Defending champion Kevin Sutherland recovered from three down with eight holes left to sneak past Garcia and head for a second-round meeting with England's Justin Rose.

Third-seed Phil Mickelson avoided the cull of top players with a one-up victory over Sweden's Robert Karlsson despite carding three bogeys and a solitary birdie.

"We struggled a little bit today," Mickelson said.

"If it were a strokeplay tournament, we would both be quite a ways back. But it's matchplay and we start even tomorrow."

* Second-round television coverage today, Sky Sports 2 live from 8am.