Harrington goes down fighting against Tiger
Darren Clarke fired two eagles in four holes as he booked his place in the semi-finals of the Accenture Match Play Championship today.
Clarke, winner of the title four years ago, beat Jerry Kelly five and three at La Costa and will face Davis Love for a place in the final after the American’s last-hole victory over Phil Mickelson.
But Padraig Harrington bowed out in the quarter-finals, Harrington beaten two and one by world number one Tiger Woods.
Harrington eagled the 11th this morning but ultimately it was not enough to prevent him losing to defending champion Woods.
Harrington was two over par and four down at the turn but hit a superb second to seven feet for eagle at 11 and then pegged another hole back when Woods bogeyed the 15th.
He then had a great chance to get within one hole but missed from 10 feet for birdie on the 16th, and Woods parred the next to complete victory.
“I struggled with my game as I had done all week,” admitted Harrington.
“The first few days I got through by making pars but today I was still struggling and didn’t hole the putts and it was always going to be difficult under those circumstances.
“It’s hard to raise your game and I just wasn’t there today. It’s good to get through a few rounds here, which I haven’t done in the past, but I really did not play that well this week and scrambled my way through.”
