Top seeds sent tumbling

Golf World Matchplay Championship: Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods, the top two seeds, were both sent tumbling out of the Accenture World Matchplay Championship in California yesterday.

Woods, winner the last two years and with another chance to regain the world number one spot from Singh again this week, lost three and one to Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern.

Singh, meanwhile, went down by the same margin to 51-year-old American Jay Haas - and so in six attempts he has still to progress beyond the second round of the event.

It made Phil Mickelson the new favourite for the title. Seeking a third successive US Tour victory, Mickelson beat Argentina's Angel Cabrera four and three after holing a bunker shot, a chip and a putt of nearly 50 feet.

O'Hern trailed Woods off the tee almost as much as Britain's Gary Wolstenholme did in the 1995 Walker Cup at Porthcawl. Wolstenholme won there, though - and O'Hern joined Jeff Maggert, Darren Clarke and Peter O'Malley in eliminating him from the matchplay.

Woods, never ahead, said: "He made all the putts he had to, and I didn't make any. That was the difference.

"Nick plods along. He's very solid and has an amazing short game."

Padraig Harrington, seeded seventh, was another casualty - going down three and one to South African Rory Sabbatini - and Lee Westwood, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and David Howell went out as well.

But Ian Poulter won in convincing fashion again.

McDowell, having beaten fellow Ulsterman Clarke with a last-green birdie in the first round, lost on the final hole to Australian Robert Allenby after being two up early on.

Howell came from three down to all square with Adam Scott but lost two and one.

Westwood suffered a record-equalling seven-and-six defeat to last year's runner-up Davis Love. But Poulter was almost as impressive as Love in crushing Australian Stuart Appleby six and five.

Seven under in beating Jim Furyk, Poulter finished six under this time after a magical run from the sixth.

After four successive birdies, he sank a 132-yard nine-iron to the 10th for an eagle two and then birdied the next.

"Holing that second shot obviously helped - but for the large majority of that round once again my game was flawless, incredible," said the Milton Keynes golfer, a quarter-finalist on his debut last year.

"I looked away every time he was hitting his shots and just concentrated on making sure I hit the fairways. I feel good - I'm rolling my putts in, which is obviously going to upset your opponent.

"That's what you've got to do as early as possible."

Westwood said: "At least I have a few days at home with the family now before going to Dubai. Every cloud has a silver lining.

"I didn't play well at all. For some reason I'm not comfortable with my swing - I feel a little bit trapped on the way down - but the course suits Davis down to the ground." Westwood gave Love a helping hand on the opening two holes, going from rough into water at the first and then bunkering his tee shot on the short second.

But the American, runner-up to Woods last year, then moved into over-drive.

After Westwood had made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 575-yard third, Love followed him in for a half from 15 feet and at the sixth produced a marvellous eagle two.

The tee had been moved forward 50 yards to tempt players to go for the green.

Love accepted the challenge and hit his drive 305 yards to within 10 feet of the flag - while Westwood found sand.

Love then birdied four of the next five holes to be seven under for 11, and a half at the next finished off his deflated opponent.

It was the seventh seven-and-six margin of victory in the championship's short history. Love's name appears on that list, but he will prefer the second entry - he was thrashed by Clarke two years ago.

Harrington said: "It's not often you walk off not too bothered about losing, but that's the case. Rory deserved to win, no question about that.

"When you are not that competitive early in the season (it was only his second tournament) it's difficult to raise your game. I was struggling - stuck in first gear almost." The Dubliner did birdie two of the first three and was still two up after seven, but Sabbatini birdied four of the next five and turned things round.

McDowell told a similar story.

"I fell victim to the momentum of matchplay," he said.

"Robert holed a bunker shot on the 14th, and that turned it.

"I felt like everything I did was just not good enough."

A par five at the last was good enough for Donald who went through to face O'Hern, while Poulter faced Sabbatini.

Sergio Garcia came from two down with four to play to beat Jerry Kelly, his first-round conqueror last year, at the 19th.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, two down with two to play against Chad Campbell, birdied them both to force extra holes as well. The pair then shared the 19th in par fours. Jimenez was involved in the third longest match in the event's history, but lost at the sixth extra hole after driving into the rough. Fifteen Europeans started the event, but there was a danger last night of none reaching the last eight.