Geoff Ogilvy was dubbed the marathon man after winning the 2006 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Australian has followed a similar pattern to reach the quarter-finals at this year’s event.
The world number eight needed extra holes to win his first two matches at Dove Mountain before beating Colombia’s Camilo Villegas 2&1 in Friday’s third round.
Three years ago, Ogilvy completed a tournament record of 129 holes over the five days, a significant factor he felt in his path to victory at La Costa in Carlsbad, California.
“I think it helps,” Ogilvy told reporters after reaching the last eight at the event for the third time in four years.
“At La Costa it really helped. I went four extra holes the first four days in my first four matches and you definitely feel stuff.
“You get a feeling like I’m going to win in any situation because I keep hitting shots when I need to hit them, making putts that I need to make.
“You start feeling really good about it. You get so much out of just one putt, a 10-footer or a four-footer that you have to make. When you do that a lot, I think it helps later in the week.”
Ogilvy will face British teenage sensation Rory McIlroy in Saturday’s quarter-finals, an opponent he holds in high esteem.
“I’ve never played with him but he’s obviously a great player,” the 31-year-old Australian said. “I’ve been hearing all the stories and I’ve seen him hit it. I’m sure I’m going to have my work cut out, and it will be fun to play with him.”
Northern Irishman McIlroy, who clinched his maiden European Tour title at this month’s Dubai Desert Classic, reached the last eight by outplaying South African Tim Clark 4&2.
Although Ogilvy has greater matchplay experience, he is wary of a 19-year-old opponent, who has already climbed to 17th in the world rankings.
“I’ve been in quite a lot of extra holes and down-the-stretch kind of situations in this tournament, and he obviously hasn’t been in many,” said Ogilvy, who needed 19 holes to beat both American Kevin Sutherland in the first round and Japan’s Shingo Katayama in the second.
“But he’s a great player and he’s already ranked in the top 20 in the world. I’m sure he’s not going to be too afraid of me on the first tee.
“Whoever plays best wins. Experience sometimes could hold you in good stead but, if you play well, experience probably doesn’t matter that much.”
