Cabrera dashes dream of match-play glory for Simon Dyson (From York Press)

Cabrera dashes dream of match-play glory for Simon Dyson

11:43am Saturday 31st October 2009

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YORK’S king of clubs Simon Dyson saw his world domination prayer dashed by an Angel.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, the reigning US Masters title-holder and 2008 US Open champion, turned on a blistering display of putting to end the challenge of Dyson in the group stages of the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Spain.

It was Dyson’s second defeat of the day at the Finca Cortesin course in Casares on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Dyson had earlier lost his second round-robin match to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

After an opening Group ‘C’ win over world number seven Henrik Stenson, of Sweden, on the first day of the lucrative tournament, Dyson went down by two holes to McIlroy and, with Cabrera toppled by Stenson, all four players were on two points apiece knowing that victory in their final match could seal the lone top spot to take them into today’s 36-hole semi-finals.

Dyson however was unable to get up any momentum against Cabrera, who took command of their critical clash at the very first hole.

The Argentinean, who is ranked 28th in the world to Dyson’s 48th, posted a birdie three while Dyson bagged a bogey.

Cabrera gradually chipped away at 31-year-old Dyson’s resolve with further birdies on the third, fourth, eighth and ninth holes so that he was five up at the mid-point stage and six up after 11.

The inward nine was far more equal with the opponents matching each other shot for shot. Then, when Dyson cut the deficit to five shots with five to play, hopes of mounting a monumental rally were swamped at the 14th hole which Cabrera won to go an unassailable seven holes to the good.

The measure of Cabrera’s round was that he posted no fewer than eight birdies in a scintillating round of 64, while Dyson’s round was still a creditable level par.

Earlier in the group, Dyson’s duel with McIlroy was drum tight.

The York-born ace, whose capture of the Alfred Dunhill Links championship a month ago had earned him the invitation to the prestigious event, went a hole up at the third only for the 19-year-old Irishman to wipe out that advantage at the next hole.

But at the fifth Dyson went ahead again and the Malton & Norton GC ace held that one-shot bonus right through to the 15th hole before world number 16 McIlroy struck to level the match again.

McIlroy then pinched the lead with an audacious putt from over 30ft on the 17th before sealing a two-holes win after taking the 18th.

Dyson still had a chance of making the last four if he could see off Cabrera but the two-time Major champion proved to be in inspired form to clinch top spot, while McIlroy beat Stenson.

Dyson’s reward for finishing bottom of the group was 120,000 euros.

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