Clarke thrashes Love but Harrington makes exit

DARREN CLARKE’S liking for La Costa continued yesterday as he thrashed Davis Love by a record- equalling margin but Padraig Harrington slipped up on the California course.

Winner of the Accenture World Matchplay Championship here three years ago. Clarke secured a place in the last 16 with a 7 & 6 victory.

The victory came while most of the other players had to wait for flooded greens to be cleared.

"Davis hit a few poor shots, but I got away with mine and got all the breaks but he had none," said Clarke.

It was a mixture of his own play and some unexpected mistakes from the Ryder Cup American, a winner on the US Tour only three weeks ago, seeded seventh and easy winner over Surrey's Paul Casey in the first round.

Clarke, who has pulled out of the Qatar Masters in a fortnight but will play Dubai next week, hit his tee shot to less than three feet on the short second, then Love lost a ball on the next.

At the 204-yard fifth he was only three feet away again and holed after his opponent had missed from five. Minutes later he chipped in and at the seventh Love was in rough and sand as he lost yet another hole.

Love was favourite to win the long eighth after three shots, but three-putted from only 12 feet and Clarke's chip hit the flag. The gap became seven when former US PGA champion Love found water in a lake rather than on the fairway at the 526-yard 11th and after a delay because of the conditions they shook hands on the next green.

While Justin Rose was fighting to stay alive against defending champion Kevin Sutherland he was one down with three to play Harrington went down 3 & 2 to Scott Hoch.

He found himself laughing minutes before falling behind. He and Hoch halved the first in par fours and after Harrington hit his tee shot to the second Hoch asked match referee Mike Shea if he was able to find out where the ball finished. Shea came back to say Harrington was off the green, but not in the bunker.

"I guess that means you're entitled to tell me," said Hoch, who then hit his own shot to five feet and won the hole when his opponent failed to get up and down.

Shea, senior director of rules for the US Tour, said: "I've never been asked that before and had to find out if I could supply that information."

Harrington , who until yesterday had never won a game in the event, promptly birdied the third to get back on terms, but Hoch's putts from 18 feet on the seventh and 38 feet on the 10th put him two-up.

The Irishman won the 11th, but was certainly not smiling when he three-putted the 14th and then found sand two holes later and bogeyed again to lose. Rose holed from eight feet at the second to take the lead against Sutherland, who knocked out Sergio Garcia yesterday.

The hole already had happy memories for the 22-year-old. Another birdie there had given him victory at the 20th hole over 2001 Open champion David Duval in the first round.