On the links

On the links

Thursday’s pro golf results

MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

MARANA, ARIZ.

Getting to the round of 16 in the Match Play Championship was all that mattered Thursday.

Jordan Spieth made it look like child’s play. Graeme McDowell aged another 10 years with another stunning escape. And it proved too difficult for Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, who lost in extra holes on another wild day at Dove Mountain.

One day after he rallied from 3 down with three holes to play to win in overtime, McDowell was two holes behind on the 15th tee when he made an 8-foot birdie, halved the next hole with a 10-foot par, won the 17th with a birdie and then holed a 6-foot par putt on the 18th for a 1-up win over Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

In two matches, McDowell has stood on the tee with his match all square only four times — and two of those were at the start of the match.

Jason Day already has played 40 holes in two rounds. He won a tough match against Thorbjorn Olesen in the opening round, then rallied from 3 down early in his match against Billy Horschel and beat him 22 holes.

LPGA THAILAND

PATTAYA, THAILAND

Anna Nordqvist holed out from 60 yards for eagle on the par-4 15th hole Thursday and made a short birdie putt on No. 17 to take a one-stroke lead over Michelle Wie after the first round of the LPGA Thailand.

Nordqvist, the 26-year-old Swede who won both of her LPGA Tour titles in 2009, shot a 6-under 66 on Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course. She eagled No. 15 after making two straight bogeys.

Wie had six birdies and a bogey in her 67.

Americans Angela Stanford, Lexi Thompson and Jennifer Johnson shot 68. Stanford had a hole-in-one on the 135-yard eighth hole. She used an 8-iron.

Associated Press