Wetterich Out of Match Play, Oberholser Says He's In
A shoulder injury has caused Brett Wetterich to withdraw from the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship next week and casts doubt on the long hitter's entire 2008 season. Wetterich played the 2007 season with a sore left shoulder and injured it further when he slipped on some ice in the off-season. An initial MRI showed a torn labrum. An operation could sideline him for 6-9 months, but Wetterich is seeking a second opinion.
Anthony Kim is the immediate beneficiary of Wetterich's withdrawal from the Match Play. The 66th-ranked player in the world now qualifies for the matches at The Gallery at Dove Mountain in Tucson and gets the unenviable task of playing Tiger Woods in the first round. (Ernie Els had already announced his intention to skip the event, getting 65th-ranked J.B. Holmes into the field.)
Arron Oberholser, who withdrew from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am because of bursitis in his right shoulder, was considered a candidate to skip the Match Play, but he said Monday afternoon that he's going to play. "I'm going to play for sure," he said. "In my mind there's no doubt. Sooner or later I have to test it out in competition."
Barring more withdrawals before the championship begins Feb. 20, here's a look at first-round matchups:
Tiger Woods vs. Anthony Kim
Arron Oberholser vs. Tim Clark
K.J. Choi vs. Rod Pampling
Scott Verplank vs. Soren Hansen
Vijay Singh vs. Brad Dredge
Paul Casey vs. Nathan Green
Aaron Baddeley vs. Justin Leonard
Lee Westwood vs. David Toms
Sergio Garcia vs. Peter Hanson
Niclas Fasth vs. Boo Weekley
Justin Rose vs. Brendan Jones
Toru Taniguchi vs. Nick O’Hern
Geoff Ogilvy vs. Robert Allenby
Trevor Immelman vs. Brandt Snedeker
Steve Stricker vs. Pat Perez
Stuart Appleby vs. Andres Romero
Adam Scott vs. Daniel Chopra
Richard Sterne vs. Woody Austin
Angel Cabrera vs. John Senden
Martin Kaymer vs. Nick Dougherty
Henrik Stenson vs. Jerry Kelly
Stewart Cink vs. Shingo Katayama
Jim Furyk vs. Jonathan Byrd
Retief Goosen vs. Charles Howell III
Rory Sabbatini vs. Colin Montgomerie
Stephen Ames vs. Robert Karlsson
Padraig Harrington vs. Camilo Villegas
Iam Poulter vs. Miguel Angel Jimenez
Zach Johnson vs. Anders Hansen
Luke Donald vs. Mark Calcavecchia
Hunter Mahan vs. Mike Weir
J.B. Holmes vs. Phil Mickelson
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