Fisher defeats Kim in Volvo World Match Play final
Monday 02 November, 2009
Ross Fisher moved to a new career high in the world rankings and significantly enhanced his chances of making Europe's Ryder Cup team next year after defeating Anthony Kim in the final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
Having previously topped Group D earlier in the tournament, Fisher claimed a victory over reigning US Masters champion Angel Cabrera at the third extra hole in the semi finals, before winning the 36-hole final 4&3 to climb to 17th in the world.
The 28-year-old Englishman was in command in the final from the first hole with his Titleist Pro V1x golf ball and never looked back to claim the €750,000 winners' cheque.
He revealed afterwards that he tried to replicate the playing style of world number one Tiger Woods and go for his shots with his golf irons and golf wedges.
Fisher said: "This course was very physically demanding and I don't think I am the fittest of blokes out here. I know I need to work a lot more in the gym.
"I think this format suits me. I'm quite an aggressive player and sometimes it's caught me out in the past but the best player in the world is an aggressive player and he hasn't done too badly."
Meanwhile, Kim was looking to become the event's youngest ever winner after clinically beating Australian Robert Allenby 5&4 in his semi final.
However, the Nike SQ Dymo golf driver user failed to get the job done in the final, despite being seven under par through the 33 holes played.
Kim added: "Ross played great. I obviously made a couple of mistakes. I felt like on hole number eight, I gave one to him, and seven - I kind of gave one to him there. Really, that was the turning point.
"It was an up and down battle all day and I never seemed to get anything going. I never seemed to make a string of three or four birdies in a row and that's what cost me today. I gave it all I had."
Elsewhere, Ian Poulter sealed his first European Tour victory since 2006 after nervously winning the Barclays Singapore Open by one stroke from China's Liang Wen-chong.
Poulter had built up a healthy tournament lead following opening rounds of 66 and 64, but back-to-back closing rounds of 72 left him looking over his shoulder at the chasing pack.
Graeme McDowell temporarily took over the top of the leaderboard during the final round but fell away after three successive bogeys, while Liang was left to rue some disappointing shots with his golf driver.
Poulter knew standing on the final tee that a par would hand him victory and he holed out with his golf putter to gain an eighth career European Tour victory.
He said: "I made some mistakes as well on the front nine and back nine to make it too close for comfort.
"But to stand on the last knowing I had to make five, I was pretty happy."
Ross Fisher moved to a new career high in the world rankings and significantly enhanced his chances of making Europe's Ryder Cup team next year after defeating Anthony Kim in the final of the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
