CARLSBAD, Feb 25: Nine of the top 10 seeds reached the second round of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship on Thursday as the delayed first round produced a rash of minor upsets but few major surprises.
The lower-ranked player won 12 of the 32 matches played in sloppy conditions at rain-soaked La Costa, where play began 24 hours behind schedule. Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen - the top four seeds overall who are all seeded first in their brackets - were among those to advance, but fifth seed Mike Weir lost 1-up to US veteran Kirk Triplett.
Singh, Woods and Mickelson found their way into the second round fairly smoothly, but fourth-ranked Goosen had to battle to subdue persistent Australian Stephen Leaney 1-up.
Woods never trailed in his match against 48-year-old Nick Price of Zimabwe, who bogeyed the first hole and never really recovered. The two-time defending Singh was similarly untroubled against Japan's Shingo Katayama, also winning 4 and 3.
Mickelson also never trailed in a 3 and 1 win over the short-hitting Loren Roberts. Close matches were the exception rather than the rule, with two needing extra holes and 14 others decided at the 18th. Among the narrow winners was 48th seed John Daly, who edged Justin Leonard 1 up.
Graeme McDowell was a 1-up winner over fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke. McDowell was never ahead until he birdied the par-five 18th from 10 feet. He won the 16th hole when Clarke missed a putt of less than five feet.
A more emphatic winner was sixth seed Sergio Garcia of Spain, who scored a 4 and 2 victory over Germany's Alex Cejka. Australian Robert Allenby, who had the honor of posting the tournament's first victory when he dusted off British Open champion Todd Hamilton, 6 and 5, described conditions as "disgusting."
FIRST ROUND RESULTS: Vijay Singh bt Shingo Katayama 4 & 3 Kenny Perry bt Thomas Levet 3 & 2 Jerry Kelly bt Scott Verplank 1 up Chad Campbell bt Fredrik Jacobson 2 up Mark Hensby bt Stephen Ames 7 & 6 Luke Donald bt Zach Johnson 4 & 3 Miguel Angel Jimenez bt Rod Pampling 3 & 2 John Daly bt Justin Leonard 1 up Chris DiMarco bt Tim Herron 1 up Padraig Harrington bt Jeff Maggert 1 up Craig Parry bt Tim Clark 1 up Kirk Triplett bt Mike Weir 1 up Sergio Garcia bt Alex Cejka 4 & 2 Stewart Cink bt Fred Funk 2 up Robert Allenby bt Todd Hamilton 6 & 5 Lee Westwood bt Steve Flesch 4 & 3 Davis Love III bt Chris Riley 1 up David Howell bt Shigeki Maruyama 6 & 5 Graeme McDowell bt Darren Clarke 1 up Ian Poulter bt Jim Furyk 3 &1 Rory Sabbatini bt Thomas Bjorn 6 & 5 Stuart Appleby bt Joakim Haeggman after 1 extra hole Adam Scott bt Trevor Immelman 2 up Tom Lehman bat 25-K.J.Choi 4 & 2.
O'MALLEY SHARE LEAD
WELLINGTON: Australians Peter O'Malley and Jarrod Lyle grabbed a share of the halfway lead at the New Zealand PGA in Christchurch on Friday. The pair finished the second round tied for the lead at 10-under-par 134 after O'Malley followed up his opening round 66 with a 68 and Lyle shot a second consecutive 67.
Overnight leader Steven Bowditch finished a shot off the pace at nine-under after carding a 71 to be level with American Jeff Gove who signed for a 68. Canadian Jon Mills and Colombia's Camilo Villegas were tied for fifth at eight-under with a group of four Americans a further shot back.
The Australasian tournament is co-sanctioned by the U.S. PGA's secondary tour. Lyle, who turned professional in October after making a full recovery from leukaemia, did not drop a shot in a round that featured five birdies.
SECOND ROUND SCORES
134 Peter O'Malley) 66 68, Jarrod Lyle 67 67
135 Steven Bowditch) 64 71, Jeff Gove 67 68
136 Jon Mills 66 70, Camilo Villegas 69 67
137 Jim McGovern 71 66, Jason Schultz 68 69, Johnson Wagner 68 69, Brandt Snedeker 69 68
138 Brent Schwarzrock 66 72, Jaxon Brigman 69 69, David Smail 69 69, Ricky Barnes 68 70. -Reuters
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