Chad Campbell’s one-up triumph over Tiger Woods on Friday was the most spectacular surprise on a day that saw a string of upsets at the WGC Accenture Match-Play Championship.
Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson were also eliminated from the $7,5-million tournament, as seven of the eight matches were won by the lower-seeded player.
Campbell got the ball rolling with his third-round victory over Woods, the top seed and a two-time winner of the event.
Woods had a chance to square the match on the 18th hole, but he missed a 12-foot birdie putt characteristic, he said, of his day.
”I thought I did pretty good today,” Woods said. ”I didn’t make a bogey and lost the match. It’s frustrating because I had my opportunities. I didn’t make anything on the greens today.”
Woods had opened the tournament with a bang on Wednesday, his nine and eight rout of Stephen Ames the most lopsided victory in the event’s history.
On Thursday, he had to work for a one-up victory over Australian Robert Allenby.
”That’s match play,” Woods said. ”You’ve got to make putts. All my opportunities to put pressure on him by making putts, I didn’t do it. Consequently, he had free runs at putts.”
Campbell, the 17th seed, won despite a bogey and a double bogey.
”Match play is crazy,” he said. ”That’s definitely a big accomplishment, beating the number-one player in the world. I’m proud of myself right now.”
Fiji’s Singh, meanwhile, bowed out when he bogeyed the first extra hole to hand Irishman Padraig Harrington a one-up victory.
Englishman David Howell was too good for Mickelson, cruising to an emphatic three and one triumph.
In a dramatic comeback, Australian Geoff Ogilvy came from four down with four holes left to beat Canada’s former Masters champion Mike Weir one-up with an eagle at the third extra hole.
”I didn’t think I had any chance,” Ogilvy said.
In Saturday’s quarterfinals, Ogilvy will face Howell, Harrington will meet Davis Love, South African Retief Goosen will clash with Zach Johnson and Campbell will meet Tom Lehman.
Lehman, the United States Ryder Cup captain, dusted defending champion David Toms four and three. — Sapa-AFP