BUBBA WATSON (5) def. J.B. HOLMES (6), 19 holes
If you wanted to see two of the PGA TOUR's biggest bombers crush one long drive after another, then you got your wish in Saturday's quarterfinal between Holmes and Watson.
If you wanted to see a wacky, incredible turn of events ... well, you got that too.
Watson rallied from 5 down on the back nine to win in 19 holes in a match that had as many ups and downs as it did huge drives.
"It happens," Holmes said about losing in such a tough fashion. "It happens every year to somebody. It hurts a little bit, but I'll get over it."
Watson advanced to face Martin Kaymer in the Saturday afternoon semifinal.
Holmes, a late addition to the Accenture Match Play Championship field, was cruising and in control of the match after a birdie at the 10th hole put him 5 up.
But things began to unravel at the next hole when he couldnt contain himself off the tee and drilled a 378-yard drive that found the desert. Then at the par-5 13th, his second shot also found the desert, giving Watson the chance to win with a birdie.
Watson, whose body language seemed to be so defeated just a few holes earlier, now had new life. Asked after his match if he had ever experienced a match like that, Watson just shook his head.
"No, nothing like that," he said. "You're really close to being out of the game. I was 5 down with 8 to go. So you're not looking too good. And then I got lucky -- he hit a 3-wood that went almost 400 yards into the desert. I won 11.
"Then I birdied a couple of holes coming down and just caught him."
He maintained the momentum by winning the next two holes with a conceded birdie at the 14th when his approach shot landed inside four feet, then a birdie at the 15th when his wedge on his second shot landed inside five feet.
Watson then squared the match at the 18th when Holmes again found the desert with his approach that resulted in bogey.
Holmes then completed his downward spiral at the extra hole, the 10th, when he was forced to take a penalty stroke after a poor tee shot, eventually resulting in bogey, with Watson winning the hole and the match with par.
It was only the third hole all week in which Holmes -- who was only in this event because Tim Clark had to pull out with an injury on Tuesday -- found himself trailing.
Holmes said if he could have one shot back, it would be that tee shot on the extra hole.
"I hit it in the bunker there, and the wind was not enough to carry it," he said. "I hadn't hit a knockdown driver all day. And my knockdown went left, and it put me in a difficult spot."
The match certainly lived up to its billing as the battle of the big bombers, with Watson leading the PGA TOUR in driving distance and Holmes ranking third.
On Saturday morning, Holmes hit drives of 413 yards (second hole), 400 yards (fifth hole), 396 yards (10th hole) and 378 yards (11th hole). Watson, meanwhile, produced drives of 375 yards (fifth hole), 368 yards (10th hole) and 350 yards (11th hole).
Holmes took the early advantage with an eagle at the par-5 second. That 413-yard drive set up a 129-yard second shot, which he nailed to within three feet.
For Watson, it was the first time all week that he had trailed in a match. In fact, he had led after every hole in his first three matches.
Two holes later, Holmes moved to 2 up. He found the greenside bunker at the par-4 fourth with his drive, then blasted out to inside three feet for birdie.
Watson then gave away the fifth when he bogeyed after finding the rough with his first two shots and missing his par putt from four feet.
At the par-4 seventh, Holmes hit his approach shot to four feet for birdie. Then at the 10th, Holmes' approach shot landed within five feet for another birdie. All of the sudden, he was 5 up.
"My caddie kept saying you're playing great, you're playing great all week," Watson said. "Just keep doing your thing. If he beats you, he beats you. If you make birdie and he beats you, what can you do?"
It was at that point that the nightmarish finish for Holmes was about to begin.
MATT KUCHAR (4) def. Y.E. YANG (11), 2 and 1
Kuchar wasn't at his best in Saturday morning's quarterfinal match against Yang. But he didn't need to be.
Yang struggled on the front nine, allowing Kuchar to take control. The American then held off a late rally to put himself him in the Saturday afternoon semifinals against Luke Donald
"I've been improving every day," Kuchar said. "I keep getting steadier and steadier."
Kuchar had four birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey in a somewhat messy match for both players. Yang, who had three birdies, three bogeys and one double, said he didnt get much sleep the night before.
"There was a party going on right in the back of my hotel, so I didn't get to sleep until about 12," Yang said. "But not to make any excuses. Kuchar played really well. I just think my game ended up being a bit shaky."
Both players halved the par-5 second with birdies and the par-3 third with double bogeys after they each found the water protecting the green.
But Kuchar took the lead on the next hole with a well-struck approach shot to five feet for birdie. He won the next hole with another birdie, this time from inside 12 feet.
Starting at the seventh, Yang went through a stretch in which he bogeyed three consecutive holes, and by the turn Kuchar was 4 up and firmly in command.
Yang responded by winning the 10th with a birdie and then Kuchar gave away the par-5 13th with a three-putt bogey.
With his lead cut in half, though, Kuchar steadied the ship, ending the match with four consecutive pars that Yang could not beat.
"It got down to a 2-up lead from a 4-up lead," Kuchar said. "I said that's still a good place to be."
MARTIN KAYMER (1) def. MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ (6), 1 up
Kaymer is now one match win away from claiming the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.
By beating Jimenez, Kaymer has now advanced to the Accenture Match Play semifinals for the first time in four starts in this event. He will play the winner of the J.B. Holmes-Bubba Watson match.
Should the German win his semifinal match, he not only will move into Sunday's final, he'll also assure himself of overtaking Lee Westwood at the top. Kaymer is currently No. 2 but only needs to reach the finals (not win it) to become No. 1.
The German put on a shot-making and putting clinic early, then had to withstand a furious rally by his Ryder Cup teammate from Spain down the stretch.
"The way I played golf, at least for the first 14 or 15 holes, was very good," Kaymer said.
Kaymer hit 11 of his first 12 greens in regulation and also rolled in three putts outside 25 feet. The last of those came at the par-5 11th when Kaymer produced a birdie despite having to take a penalty stroke after his tee shot found the desert.
Kaymer ended up winning the hole, even though Jimenez had the huge advantage after their tee shots. "Absolutely crazy," Kaymer said of the turn of events. "He made a mistake with the chip that he didn't give himself a chance for birdie and I holed a 25‑footer for birdie, so this was just very fortunate."
After 14 holes, Kaymer was a bogey-free 5 under and led Jimenez 4 up.
But suddenly, Kaymer started hitting loose shots and the Spaniard clawed back into the match.
At the drivable par-4 15th, Kaymer found a greenside bunker with his tee shot and couldn't get on the green with his second shot. Meanwhile, Jimenez rolled in a birdie putt from outside 13 feet -- his only birdie on the back side -- to win the hole.
Kaymer then bogeyed the par-3 16th when he failed to get up and down from the primary rough after a poor tee shot. He bogeyed the 17th after another poor tee shot, followed by an approach that came up short of the green.
With Jimenez winning three straight holes, the match surprisingly went to the 18th hole, but Jimenez failed to find the green in regulation, giving him no chance at a birdie to extend the match.
"You kind of think its over, then all of the sudden, you make a couple of mistakes," Kaymer said. "It was a little shaky in the end."
LUKE DONALD (3) def. RYAN MOORE(12), 5 and 4
Donald has reached his first Accenture Match Play semifinal after a dominating performance in which he rolled in four putts of 11 feet or longer in beating Moore.
Donald also threw in a hole out from 67 feet to win the sixth hole. He even added another hole-out with a chip on the 11th hole for birdie, although he lost the hole to a Moore eagle.
"I got off to a great start, got off early, and I think that chip in on 6 was a big turning point," Donald said. "It looked like a tough up and down."
In all, Donald posted seven birdies against just one bogey. Moore, meanwhile, had a rollercoaster morning, with one eagle, two birdies and four bogeys. Moore carded just five bogeys combined in his first three matches.
The Englishman will now play Matt Kuchar in Saturday afternoons semifinals. Kuchar, who finished second in the FedExCup last year, beat Y.E. Yang 2 and 1.
"Matt obviously had a great year last year and has continued this year," Donald said. "He's played strongly, I'm excited to be there, and hopefully I can continue the good work."
Donald had never made it past the third round in six previous appearances here, but he's been arguably the most consistent performer through the first four rounds here. He has yet to trail in any of his four matches and has led for all but four of the holes he's played this week.
"He played great," Moore said. "I knew I had to play well against him. I just made him a little too comfortable."
Donald opened the match much like the previous two days, with a birdie at the first when he found the cup with an 11-foot, 11-inch putt.
Moore gave away the par-3 third when he found the water, but gained the hole back with a birdie at the fourth. Two holes later, Donald holed out with a chip-in from the fairway to go 2 up. Two holes later when he rolled in a birdie putt from 11 feet, 10 inches at the par-5 8th, he went 3 up and never looked back.
Moore didn't help his cause by also giving away the ninth hole when he missed a four-foot putt for par. Another birdie putt from Donald at the 10th, this time from 11 feet, 9 inches, put him 5 up.
Moore won the 11th with an eagle, even though Donald produced his second chip-in of the match from the rough after he chunked it out of the bunker.
And just for good measure, Donald denied Moore a win at the 12th hole by saving par with a putt from 11 feet.
"I didn't put too much pressure on him early on and kind of gave a couple of holes to him," Moore said. "You can't give holes away. I did that a couple of times early and let him pad his lead and from there, I think he just cruised."
On the 14th hole, Donald then closed out the match with a birdie putt from just inside nine feet.
"The short game has been good, and it has been tidy," Donald said. "I haven't given up too many holes this week. I made a bunch of birdies, too."
