Holder Graeme McDowell and his Ryder Cup team mate Jamie Donaldson were the big name casualties as the group stages of the Volvo World Match Play Championship drew to a close on Friday evening at the London Golf Club.

Defending champion McDowell crashed out as he lost to Dutchman Joost Luiten, who came from three holes down after 8 to complete a perfect group campaign with victory by two holes.

Luiten levelled the match by winning three of the next four holes, before McDowell went back in front by birding 13. The Dutchman rallied again though in some style and won three of the last four holes to secure a famous win and clean sweep of the group.

The exiting Champion McDowell was quoted as saying “(I’m) very disappointed of course by my defence but (there’s) quality golf out there. The golf course is set up to be ripped apart and unless you’re shooting 64, 65, you’re going home.”

The sole American representative Patrick Reed made it to the weekend knockout and he sent European Ryder Cup hero Donaldson crashing out.

Reed, who was the top scorer for the United States at Gleneagles, beat the Welshman 3 and 2 to progress and was never behind, and carded five birdies but was also crucially gifted the 11th when Donaldson three-putted from close range.

Birdies on 12 and 14 took the American four up with four to play and, although Donaldson halved the deficit by almost holing his second at 15 (a par 5), and then on the par 3 16th hitting his tee shot to two feet. Sadly for Donaldson, Reed also made birdie on 16 to seal the win.

The scoring battle of the day came in the match between Paul Casey and Jonas Blixt fought a magnificent contest that that saw their match halved with ten under par 62s.

Sadly for Casey, who won this event in 2006, he found water on the first sudden-death extra hole to cruelly crash out as Blixt advanced to the last eight.

Blixt said: “Paul played great, especially on the back nine. He definitely put a lot of pressure on me and snuck away with a couple holes. I snuck away with a couple holes.

Victor Dubuisson who went into Friday as the only already weekend qualifier lost his unbeaten record as already eliminated Stephen Gallacher won.

At least the Scotsman had something to take away from his short stay in the county as he left on a semi high at least signing off with a win and a bogeyless round, beating the Frenchman 2 and 1.

Pablo Larrazábal joined Dubuisson in advancing from the group thanks to the same scoreline versus Shane Lowry. In a real ding dong fight, Larrazabal went two up early on only for Lowry to peg the score back and took his only lead of the day courtesy of a birdie 4 at the 13th.

Back though came the Spaniard winning 14, 15 and 16 and when the 17th was halved Larrazabal was into the last eight.

Mikko Ilonen joined Luiten in advancing from that pool thanks to a one hole defeat of Alexander Levy.

World number five Henrik Stenson went through from the Palmer Group by clinching a 2 and 1 win over last year’s runner up Thongchai Jaidee in some style as Stenson stunningly finishing the match by holding out from the 17th fairway, and afterwards said: “I felt like if I can stick my lob wedge in there a little bit past and try to spin it back, and came out with a nice flight and knew it was going to be pretty good but (it was) a bonus that it went in the hole and spectacular way to finish.”

The Swede is joined in progressing from the Palmer pool by South African George Coetzee, despite the South African losing 2 and 1 to Francesco Molinari.

 

The quarter-final line-up is confirmed

11.40 Coetzee against Reed
11.55 Dubuisson versus Ilonen
12.10 Luiten against Larrazábal
12.25 Stenson versus Blixt

KSN will be providing live twitter updates of the quarter finals on Saturday