Love holds slender lead over Tiger

Davis Love today carved out a slender lead over Tiger Woods at the halfway stage of the all-American final of the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Love, who beat Darren Clarke on the third extra hole in Saturday’s semi-finals, twice led by two holes but Woods hit back with a crucial birdie on the 18th to go into lunch just one behind at La Costa.

Woods is the only player to win all four of the WGC’s annual events, completing the clean sweep here 12 months ago.

Ireland’s Darren Clarke, the winner in 2000 and 2003 NEC Invitational champion, is the only player to have won more than one WGC title.

Five victories this week have taken Woods’ record in this event to 19 wins and just three losses, and he is in his third final in five attempts.