MARANA, Ariz. --- The Match Play Championship has at least one thing going for it this week. No one has to fret when the biggest stars don't make it to the final match, or even the weekend.
That's because they're not here.
Anyone who has paid attention over the past 11 years should know that even if Tiger Woods were not embroiled in a sex scandal and Phil Mickelson was not on a vacation with his family, there would be no guarantee they would last long, anyway.
Woods is the only three-time winner of this fickle tournament, yet he has made it to the weekend only four times in 10 starts. The longest Mickelson ever lasted was Saturday in 2004, and he was gone before lunch.
This World Golf Championship brings together the best 64 players available.
For one week, it is hard to distinguish them from top to bottom.
Lee Westwood is the No. 2 seed and opens today against Chris Wood. The only time Westwood played on Friday was in 2005, and only because the tournament started a day late at La Costa because of rain. He has never made it past the second round, although he came close last year until losing to Stewart Cink in 23 holes.
There were years when Westwood wondered if it was even worth the trouble to fly all the way from England. And when he packed his bags on Sunday night and his 5-year-old daughter asked him when he was coming home, Westwood wasn't sure what to say.
"Historically, Thursday," he told her. "Optimistically, Monday."
No one has a better record in the Match Play Championship than Geoff Ogilvy, the defending champion, who has won nearly 90 percent of his matches. He has won twice, was runner-up and had the odd year when he lost in the first round.
As he stood on the putting green Monday night at his home course of Whisper Rock north of Phoenix, he asked another member if he would be around on Sunday to play host three friends who wanted to play. Then came an awkward pause, for Ogilvy knows full well that he might be able to join them.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
