CARLSBAD, Calif. – So much for that dream match between Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods. Their only contest at the Match Play Championship on Friday was who was the first to clean out their lockers.
Singh continued his dubious streak of never advancing beyond the second round.
Woods lost for the first time in 13 matches, his two-year reign ended by a little-known Aussie.
By the end of a marathon day at soggy La Costa Resort, they were joined at the check-out line by Phil Mickelson, the No. 3 seed and hottest player in golf who got knocked out in the third round. As quickly as 1-2-3, the biggest stars disappeared in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
“That’s the beauty of this tournament,” David Toms said after eliminating Mickelson. “Phil and I were talking today, when he shot that low round at Spyglass (62), you get a big lead on the field. Here, you can do that in one match. And the next match, if you don’t play well you’re gone.”
The highest seed remaining after a wild day at La Costa was U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who rallied from 3 down with eight holes to play and beat hard-luck, worn-out Chad Campbell on the 19th hole.
Wie remains in contention
KAHUKU, Hawaii – Michelle Wie shot a second straight 2-under-par 70 Friday to get within three shots of the lead heading into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening SBS Open.
The 15-year-old Wie, playing on her home island of Oahu, moved to 4-under 140 as one of the early starters who were forced to deal with intermittent showers and ocean winds whipping up to 20 mph.
She’s three shots behind clubhouse leader and playing partner Reilley Rankin, who had a 6-under 66 to reach 7-under 137.
Calcavecchia takes lead at Tucson
TUCSON, Ariz. – When Mark Calcavecchia gets on a roll, the cup seems to get bigger. That was certainly true in the second round of the Chrysler Classic of Tucson.
Calcavecchia made a 50-foot eagle putt on the next-to-last hole Friday and used the two-shot swing to vault over Billy Mayfair and into the lead with a 15-under-par 129.
He followed up his opening-round 64 with a 65 on Friday.
“I knew I was hitting it decent enough to make some birdies out here,” he said.
Mayfair shot a 67 early in the round and sat atop the leaderboard most of the day. That was before Calcavecchia, who started on the back nine, capped a five-birdie round with his gem on No. 8.
Rain delays play in Outback Steakhouse
LUTZ, Fla. – Tom McKnight was rolling along, oblivious to threatening weather conditions.
The Champions Tour rookie birdied three straight holes and was about to tee off on No. 14 at the TPC of Tampa Bay when lightning and heavy rain suspended play Friday during the first round of the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
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