Golf: Garcia joins list of fallen

Sergio Garcia has joined the long list of fallen stars at the Accenture World Matchplay Championship in California.

Following the first day exits of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval, the 22-year-old found himself favourite for first prize.

Sadly, the Spaniard lost on the final green to Scott McCarron.

Garcia had only himself to blame, though. He had putts of eight, four and nine feet to win the 15th, 16th and 17th, but could not take any of them.

With McCarron in the heart of the 18th green for two Garcia was left needing a birdie, but his approach came up short and once his 30-foot putt missed there was no realistic hope left and McCarron did not let him off the hook.

"I played well, but I just couldn't get the ball in the hole," said Garcia.

Spanish hopes were left with Jose Maria Olazabal and he stood one up with two to play on Mark Calvavecchia, while Niclas Fasth went into extra holes against Paul Azinger.

It might not have been necessary, though. Azinger chipped in for a half at the 17th and then Fasth missed an eight-foot chance for victory on the last.

First men into the quarter-finals were Bob Estes, Tom Lehman and Brad Faxon - they beat Nick Price, Matt Gogel and John Cook respectively - and after McCarron's success the fifth American winner became Kevin Sutherland.

McCarron did not wait long to show Garcia he was in good putting form, holing from 15 feet to win the first.

They halved the second in birdies, then Garcia bogeyed the fourth to go two down and it took him until the eighth to get one back.

McCarron drove badly down the 538-yard ninth, but after getting a drop away from the cart path he was the one to birdie the hole.

They shared another hole in birdies at the long 12th, but Garcia almost spun his pitch in at the 410-yard 13th and looked set to be all square when his opponent, conqueror of Colin Montgomerie in the first round, missed the green on the next.

McCarron's long putt for a half was a real body blow, though, and Garcia could not get back on terms.