McIlroy charges through but Woods crashes out

GOLF:THE TASTY prospect of Rory McIlroy meeting Tiger Woods in today's third round of the WGC Accenture Matchplay Championship evaporated yesterday when the world number one crashed out 4 and 2 to South Africa's Tim Clark.

But McIlroy showed all his class to birdie four of the last six holes, including the 17th and 18th, to beat US Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahon on the last.

McIlroy was two down with six to play before producing a sterling run of form to overtake Mahan and set up a meeting with Clarke.

It was a fascinating day’s play in the spectacular Sonoran desert 20 miles north of Tucson, Arizona.

Playing solid but unspectacular golf, Woods trailed a sensational Clark by three holes with five to play, before holing a 55-foot bunker shot to win the 14th in birdie and reduce the deficit to two down with four remaining.

But Woods then drove out of bounds at the short par four 15th to go back to three down with three to play.

And the South African hit his tee-shot at the short 16th to six feet, while Woods missed the green, failed to get up and down and conceded the hole to go down 4 and 2.

In the match immediately behind on the course it was even tighter for McIlroy, who birdied the par-five 13th to get back to just one down to US Ryder Cup star Mahan with five to play in a game that was lacking in quality but high on emotion.

And McIlroy levelled the match with a par at the 14th.

The 15th was halved in birdie threes and 16th in par threes, before the young man from Co Down closed out the match with that final brace of birdies.

McIlroy finished the round with four consecutive threes.

“It was a tough match out there today and Hunter is a great player,” McIlroy said. “He was missing greens and getting up and down. He wouldn’t go way and got two up on me and I really had to dig deep. I played my best golf when I needed to and that was very satisfying.

“You have to really concentrate and play every shot as if it were your last and I did that today.”

Asked about missing out on his “dream” showdown with Woods, he added:

“It is probably a good thing. I would probably be the first to say it, if I stood on the first tee with Tiger Woods I would be intimidated. He has been a hero of mine for the past I don’t know how many years.

“But Tim obviously had to play great to beat the world number one. He has done that today and it will be a tough match.

“I’ve met Tiger a few times before, and he said well done to me on the range about yesterday’s match and my first win in Dubai. It would have been great to play him, but maybe another time.”

Woods looked likely to dominate from the moment he hit an amazing, 286-yard hook with a three-wood to 28 feet and two-putted for the win to go one up.

But Clark hit back to level the match at the sixth by holing a remarkable, 68-foot putt, and then edged one up at the short sixth, where Woods was plugged in a greenside trap and bogeyed.

The American superstar showed his class by bouncing back straight away with a winning birdie three from just seven feet to square the match again.

Yet while they halved the eighth in birdie fours, Clark took advantage of a wayward Woods drive at the par-five 11th to win that hole with a birdie and go one up, before hitting a stunning iron to seven feet at the short 12th to double his advantage to two holes.

At the par five 13th, Clark showed that accuracy trumps power every time when he made a two-putt birdie and Woods lipped out with a 10 footer to go three down with five to play.

But Woods responded with a trademark “sandy” at the 14th to give the South African food for thought over the closing holes.

McIlroy and Mahan didn’t set the course alight with their play but it was the Texan who was the more clinical player, especially around the greens.

McIlroy had a chance to go one up at the opening hole, but with Mahan in trouble off the tee, he missed the green and failed to make his par four.

At the par-three third, McIlroy and Mahan found sand off the tee, but it was the Texan who got up and down for the win to go one up.

McIlroy levelled things with a birdie at the fourth, where he hit a wedge to eight feet, and then halved the next three holes in par.

But Mahan won the eighth with a birdie, and then doubled his advantage at the 12th with an incredible approach that finished just 15 inches from the hole, before McIlroy’s power gave him the 14th with a two-putt birdie and his charge began.