Harrington rues sensational Love ending

Padraig Harrington and David Howell, Europe's last two survivors, were on the wrong end of two dramatic finishes in the Accenture World Match Play Championship quarter-finals.

All square with one to play, having been two down with four holes remaining, Harrington witnessed the shot of the week from Davis Love - a 111-yard wedge that spun into the final hole for an eagle three.

Moments later Howell, who had been one up with one to go, went out when Australian Geoff Ogilvy sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole. Incredibly, it was the fourth time in four matches that Ogilvy had won in sudden death.

The two results completed an unlikely line-up for the semi-finals that followed - 52nd seed Ogilvy against 41st seed Tom Lehman, America's Ryder Cup captain this year, and 23rd seed Love against fellow American Zach Johnson, ranked 59th of the 64 players who began the tournament.

It was in keeping with the event that Ogilvy then beat Lehman four and three, but the favourite did come through in the other game. Love, runner-up to Tiger Woods two years ago, won four and two.

Lehman's revival just shy of his 47th birthday sets up the intriguing possibility of him qualifying for his own team.

He has not yet ruled out either giving up the captaincy or trying to be a playing-captain at the K Club in September, something nobody has done in the Ryder Cup since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

The decision will not have to be made until August, but the former Open champion's four wins this week take him from 15th place in the standings into the 10th and last automatic spot.

Lehman had required 21 holes to beat Tiger Woods' conqueror Chad Campbell in the morning - a 20-footer on the 18th had kept him alive - and he turned in a tired-looking 39 against Ogilvy.

The gap was four and while he got it back to two with birdies at the 12th and 13th Ogilvy, who had been four down with four to play to Mike Weir in the third round, replied in kind on the next.
"I'm just glad I didn't have to go to extra holes again," he said after closing it out on the 15th.

A record 17 Europeans teed off on Wednesday, but Harrington and Howell had been the only two to make the last eight and they could go no further. They still earned almost £138,000, but with all the superstars out they were left to reflect on what might have been.

Sunday's winner goes home with almost £750,000.

Harrington said of Love's magical finish: "It's actually not a tough way to lose. It's a good way if you're going to.

"I was expecting Davis to get up and down and I'd have to hole mine (he had pitched to 12 feet). I was prepared for that, but maybe not for him holing out."

Love won three of the first four holes, but when Harrington pitched to five feet on the 15th and made the putt he was only one down.
The American then flew the green at the 17th, left his chip way short and allowed Harrington back on level terms. But it was only for a few brief minutes.

"I played better than I had earlier in the week, but it's hard to give him three holes," added the Dubliner. "Pity about that."

Before teeing off again against Johnson, Love stated: "I visualised it going up real close for a tap-in. I didn't expect to make it - it's just once in a while you get lucky.

"I knew when it was in the air it was going to be real good, but you never know how much it's going to spin. It was great to win that way, hitting the perfect shot after hitting the wrong club on 17."

Howell trailed Ogilvy by one after 10, but birdied the long 11th to level, halved the 13th and 15th in birdies and then went ahead with a 16-foot putt on the short 16th.

Having putted beautifully on the back nine Howell gave him 12-foot chances to win on the last two greens, but both missed and Ogilvy, who holed an eight-footer to stay alive on the 17th and then two-putted the 18th for birdie, made him pay.

Howell commented: "The 17th was obviously a big moment, but I didn't stamp my authority on the front nine and that's where I needed to. He drove terribly and I just didn't take advantage.

"It's disappointing really after being one up one to play. I just ran out of gas. I've had a good week, but there's no-one out there at the moment that you feel you couldn't beat. All the big guns are gone and I fancied my chances."

Lehman beat Woods' conqueror Chad Campbell at the 21st in another thriller. Campbell holed from 25 feet on the 18th, but Lehman followed him in from 20 and a par three at the third extra hole - the short 16th - put him through.

Johnson had the most convincing and the most unexpected quarter-final win. Retief Goosen was the only top 10 seed left in, but the world number three lost three and two - and that after winning the first two holes with birdies.

Goosen would have gone to number two by taking the title, but it was not to be.