- News>
- Golf
Defending champion joins Woods in third round of WGC Championship
Carlsbad, Feb 28: Defending champion Kevin Sutherland, as well as number one seed Tiger Woods were among those to advance to the third round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
Carlsbad, Feb 28: Defending champion Kevin Sutherland, as well as number one seed Tiger Woods were among those to advance to the third round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
Top seed Tiger Woods had little trouble winning his second-round contest Thursday at the Match Play Championship. A day after second seed Ernie Els was eliminated, Woods hardly made a mistake to ensure he did not suffer the same fate on the waterlogged La Costa course.
For the second straight day, Woods did not drop a shot as he was simply too good for South Korean K.J. Choi, winning 5 and 3 in conditions that at times were barely playable due to torrential rain that left the course resembling a water park.
Woods will meet Australian Stephen Leaney in Friday's third round after Leaney hammered Justin Leonard, 6 and 5.
Defending champion Kevin Sutherland continued his love affair with La Costa as he outlasted young Englishman Justin Rose, 1-up. Sutherland should have closed out the match at the 17th hole, but he missed a six-foot putt, only to win at the 18th when Rose failed to make birdie.
The first player to win Wednesday was Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who blitzed Davis Love, 7 and 6. Among the bad breaks Love endured was a lost ball at the third hole.
Clarke said the water had made it difficult to judge shots but insisted the course was playable. Rather than halt play, officials made a decision on a match-by-match basis, depending on the condition of each hole.
However, it was almost farcical at times as players had to wait for the greens to be dried before they could putt.
Among other results, American Scott Hoch beat Padraig Harrington of Ireland, 3 and 2; Japan's Toshi Izawa defeated Argentine Eduardo Romero, 3 and 1; Australian Adam Scott eliminated American Rocco Mediate, 1 up; Jim Furyk rolled past fellow American Steve Lowery, 6 and 5.
Also, David Toms won another all-American battle, 1-up over Chris Riley; and Germany's Alex Cejka knocked out Argentina's Angel Cabrera, 4 and 2.
Bureau Report
The first player to win Wednesday was Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who blitzed Davis Love, 7 and 6. Among the bad breaks Love endured was a lost ball at the third hole.
Clarke said the water had made it difficult to judge shots but insisted the course was playable. Rather than halt play, officials made a decision on a match-by-match basis, depending on the condition of each hole.
However, it was almost farcical at times as players had to wait for the greens to be dried before they could putt.
Among other results, American Scott Hoch beat Padraig Harrington of Ireland, 3 and 2; Japan's Toshi Izawa defeated Argentine Eduardo Romero, 3 and 1; Australian Adam Scott eliminated American Rocco Mediate, 1 up; Jim Furyk rolled past fellow American Steve Lowery, 6 and 5.
Also, David Toms won another all-American battle, 1-up over Chris Riley; and Germany's Alex Cejka knocked out Argentina's Angel Cabrera, 4 and 2.
Bureau Report