Woods burned in the desert
Watney beats former No. 1 in second round
MARANA, Ariz. — Tiger Woods was ousted from the Match Play Championship on Thursday, as Rory Mcilroy and Lee Westwood remained on track for a shot at the world No. 1 ranking.
Nick Watney took care of Woods 1-up in a relatively tight all-american tussle in the World Golf Championships-accenture event, while Northern Ireland’s Mcilroy never trailed on the way to a 3 and 2 win over Denmark’s Anders Hansen.
England’s Westwood destroyed Swede Robert Karlsson over the first 10 holes to lead 5-up and held on for a 3 and 2 win.
“I’ve played great over the first couple of days,” Westwood said. “I’ve been solid, come out quick, made a lot of birdies early on and not really given each of the opponents too much of a chance.”
Woods pulled within one hole when he coaxed in a five-foot par putt on the 16th to beat a Watney bogey.
After halving the penultimate hole, the former world No. 1 looked odds-on to to send the match to extra holes when he stiffed his approach on the last to just 5½ feet.
But the ball dived underneath the cup to ensure Woods would not add to his three previous Match Play Championship titles.
Round two ended with 13 of the 16 matches going according to seeding.
The upsets came when 41st-ranked John Senden hammered fellow Australian and world No. 7 Jason Day 6 and 5, and Korean Bae Sang-moon, ranked 44 in the world, took down Masters champion and world No. 11 Charl Schwartzel of South Africa 1-up.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, ranked 52nd, surprised America’s Keegan Bradley with a 2 and 1 win.
Mcilroy faces Jimenez in the final 16 while Westwood has booked a date with Watney.
Scottish pair Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird eliminated young guns Ryo Ishikawa (1-up) and Matteo Manassero (2 and 1) to set up a thirdround duel.
Ernie Els, who eliminated world No. 1 Luke Donald on Wednesday, couldn’t maintain his form and was given a 5 and 4 lesson from Swede Peter Hanson.