Clarke still on course for Woods rematch
Darren Clarke survived a tense match with Jim Furyk to reach the quarter-finals of the Accenture World Match Play Championship at La Costa in California.
Winner of the million-dollar title three years ago, when he beat Tiger Woods in the final for the finest moment of his career so far, the 34-year-old Ulsterman beat Furyk on the last green.
He next meets Peter Lonard - and if he makes it through to Sunday's 36-hole final again it might be Woods once more that he faces.
In a spectacular performance, the world number one and top seed crushed Stephen Leaney by a record-equalling seven and six - after winning six of the first seven holes and holing both a chip shot and a bunker shot.
Clarke had himself matched that record in demolishing Davis Love in the second round, but after going to the turn in 33 and then collecting a fourth birdie of the day at the 11th to stay one-up the Irishman's sure touch deserted him.
He bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 16th and it was only because Furyk also dropped a shot at the last two of those that they were on terms with two to play.
Crucially, Furyk bogeyed again on the 483-yard par-four 17th and could not birdie the 558-yard last. Clarke was in a greenside bunker for two and came out to three feet.
Woods' next opponent is Scott Hoch, who beat Japan's World Cup winner Toshi Izawa four and three.
Jay Haas, the 49-year-old American, knocked out Nick Price at the second extra hole - he almost holed-in-one there - and next meets young Australian Adam Scott, who beat defending champion Kevin Sutherland two and one.
David Toms overcame Alex Cejka and now faces Jerry Kelly, who beat third seed Phil Mickelson three and two.
