World Match Play: Giants make early exit

Once again - after just one day - the talk at the Accenture World Match Play Championship is not about who is left, but who is missing.

Top three seeds Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval were nowhere to be seen when the second round took place at La Costa in California today.

And nor, for that matter, were Darren Clarke, winner on the course two years ago, Scots Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie, 11th seed Padraig Harrington and Welshman Phil Price.

The sole Irish representative left is Paul McGinley.

Three years ago, when the €5.7m event was introduced at the same course, nine of the world’s top 10 failed to survive their first two matches.

Twelve months later six of the top 10 were out by the same stage and last year most of the big names - Woods, Mickelson, Duval, Clarke and Montgomerie included - did not even bother to play when the championship switched to Melbourne in the first week in January.

Results such as the two and one toppling of Woods yesterday by Australian Peter O’Malley, playing only because Jose Coceres pulled out last week, will have left all 32 survivors believing that the million-dollar first prize could be theirs on Sunday.

Paul McGinley thrashed American Joe Durant five and four - with seven birdies in the process. The performance has restored the Dubliner’s confidence after a shaky start to the season.

McGinley was expecting to play Open champion Duval today, but from two up with two to play Duval lost at the second extra hole to his compatriot Kevin Sutherland.

It was in more senses than one a dream win over Durant. Unhappy with his putting, 35-year-old McGinley dreamt about a different type of putter, then found it in one of the travelling workshops.

‘‘There was one sitting there and it was my length, so I took it and putted beautifully,’’ he said. ‘‘So thank you sub-conscious.’’

As for facing Sutherland rather than Duval, McGinley added: ‘‘To be quite honest it does not matter. Anydody can shoot any score and a lot of reputation and form goes out of the window, as you saw today.’’

Three other Europeans are also still alive Jose Maria Olazabal, Niclas Fasth and Sergio Garcia, who as the number four seed carries the favourite tag.

He now meets fellow 22-year-old Charles Howell, the US Tour’s Rookie of the Year last season, while Fasth plays ninth seed Vijay Singh and the revitalised Olazabal is involved in what could be the match of the round against US Open champion and European tour number one Retief Goosen, the seventh seed.

Clarke blamed poor putting for his two and one defeat to Matt Gogel and Harrington blamed rustiness for losing three and two to Steve Flesch.

It was his first appearance of the year and he said: ‘‘As far as I’m concerned it was the usual start of the year stuff from me.

‘‘I had low expectations, but I was hoping to get lucky and didn’t. My concentration was very average, but it’s very hard to be sharp at this stage of the season. The practice ground is no substitute for the real thing.

‘‘It’s a one-day tournament for me again!’’ In three attempts at the event he has yet to win a match.

Montgomerie and Lawrie were happy with how they played against Scott McCarron and Mike Weir respectively, but it was not enough.

Montgomerie was 18 inches from a hole-in-one at the 14th, but the shot lost him the hole because McCarron had aced it.

‘‘Never mind,’’ he said. ‘‘Less than four weeks ago I would have given myself no chance of being here because of my back.

‘‘I said success would be hitting the shots I wanted to and I did.’’

McCarron had attracted a noisy following from his home state fans and heading into the clubhouse Montgomerie passed some Americans and, according to them and a nearby security guard, gave them a parting shot that there was only one thing worse than losing.

What was it? Staying in their country another day, apparently.

Tee-off times in the second round of the World Golf Championships Accenture match play championship at La Costa, Carlsbad, California

Thursday (USA unless stated, all times Irish, seeded position in brackets):

1720 (8) Davis Love v (25) Paul Azinger

1730 (9) Vijay Singh (Fij) v (41) Niclas Fasth (Swe)

1740 (5) Ernie Els (Rsa) v (28) Tom Lehman

1750 (53) Matt Gogel v (44) Steve Lowery

1800 (7) Retief Goosen (Rsa) v (26) Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa)

1810 (10) Chris DiMarco v (23) Mark Calcavecchia

1820 (6) David Toms v (27) Rocco Mediate

1830 (54) Steve Flesch v (43) Kirk Triplett

1840 (64) Peter O’Malley (Aus) v (32) Nick Price (Zim)

1850 (16) Scott Verplank v (17) Bob Estes

1900 (4) Sergio Garcia (Spa) v (61) Charles Howell

1910 (13) Mike Weir (Can) v (45) Scott McCarron

1920 (63) John Cook v (34) Lee Westwood (Gbr)

1930 (50) Adam Scott (Aus) v (47) Brad Faxon

1940 (62) Kevin Sutherland v (30) Paul McGinley (Irl)

1950 (14) Jim Furyk v (19) Toshi Izawa (Jpn)

Collated results in the first round of the World Golf Championships Accenture world match play championship, La Costa, Carlsbad, California

(USA unless stated, seeded positions in brackets):

(1) Tiger Woods lost to (64) Peter O’Malley (Aus) 2 and 1

(32) Nick Price (Zim) bt (33) Angel Cabrera (Arg) 2 and 1

(16) Scott Verplank bt (49) Frank Lickliter 3 and 2

(17) Bob Estes bt (48) Stuart Appleby (Aus) 1 hole

(8) Davis Love bt (57) Phillip Price (Gbr) 2 and 1

(25) Paul Azinger bt (40) Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 1 hole

(9) Vijay Singh (Fij) bt (56) Toru Taniguchi (Jpn) 3 and 2

(24) Michael Campbell (Nzl) lost to (41) Niclas Fasth (Swe) 2 and 1

(4) Sergio Garcia (Spa) bt (61) Lee Janzen 3 and 2

(29) Stewart Cink lost to (36) Charles Howell 4 and 3

(13) Mike Weir (Can) bt (52) Paul Lawrie (Gbr) 3 and 2

(20) Colin Montgomerie (Gbr) lost to (45) Scott McCarron 2 and 1

(5) Ernie Els (Rsa) bt (60) Jeff Sluman 4 and 3

(28) Tom Lehman bt (37) Hal Sutton 2 and 1

(12) Darren Clarke (Gbr) lost to (53) Matt Gogel 2 and 1

(21) Scott Hoch lost to (44) Steve Lowery 5 and 4

(2) Phil Mickelson lost to (63) John Cook 3 and 2

(31) Shingo Katayama (Jpn) lost to (34) Lee Westwood (Gbr) 3 and 2

(15) Bernhard Langer (Ger) lost to (50) Adam Scott (Aus) 2 and 1

(18) Kenny Perry lost to (47) Brad Faxon 7 and 6

(7) Retief Goosen (Rsa) bt (58) Billy Mayfair 4 and 3

(26) Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) bt (39) Justin Leonard 1 hole

(10) Chris DiMarco bt (55) Steve Stricker 3 and 2

(23) Mark Calcavecchia bt (42) Jerry Kelly 3 and 2

(3) David Duval lost to (62) Kevin Sutherland at 20th

(30) Paul McGinley (Ire) bt (35) Joe Durant 5 and 4

(14) Jim Furyk bt (51) Billy Andrade at 20th

(19) Toshimitsu Izawa (Jpn) bt (46) Pierre Fulke (Swe) 4 and 3

(6) David Toms bt (59) Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 1 hole

(27) Rocco Mediate bt (38) John Daly 5 and 4

(11) Padraig Harrington (Ire) lost to (54) Steve Flesch 3 and 2

(22) Robert Allenby (Aus) lost to (43) Kirk Triplett 3 and 2