Woods’s Comeback Ends With Match-Play Loss to Clark (Update1)
By Mason Levinson
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods’s return to competitive golf was spoiled after just two rounds.
Woods, playing his first tournament after an eight-month absence following reconstructive knee surgery, lost to South African Tim Clark in the second round of the World Golf Championships Match Play event.
The No. 1 golfer in the world lost 4-and-2 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain near Tucson, Arizona, meaning Clark had an insurmountable four-hole lead with two to play.
Clark, 33, made six birdies during his second straight bogey-free round to avenge a 5-and-4 second-round loss to Woods at the event in 2007.
“He made a bunch of birdies today and I just didn’t answer him,” Woods, who had four birdies and three bogeys, said in a televised interview. “I’m very pleased with the way I hit the ball, but I just didn’t make enough birdies.”
Woods became the fourth No. 1 seed to exit the $8.5 million tournament, which features the top 64 players in the world rankings split into four brackets. Unlike in stroke-play tournaments, match play pits two players against each other in an elimination format, with the lower score winning each hole.
Yesterday, Woods defeated Brendan Jones 3-and-2, while Clark won by the same margin over countryman Retief Goosen.
‘Very Proud’
“I knew I had to play out of my mind and for him to play not his best to beat him,” Clark said. “I’m very proud of how I played.”
Clark’s performance included a 67-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole to tie the match after Woods had taken a one-hole lead with a birdie at the second. Woods, whose 65 U.S. PGA Tour wins is third in history, never led again and fell to 32-7 in career matches at the event.
Clark, ranked 33rd in the world, will meet 19-year-old Rory McIlroy in the third round. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, ranked 17th, beat Hunter Mahan by one hole.
Woods, 33, was making his first appearance since a playoff win over Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open gave him his 14th major championship.
Woods told reporters he had no pain in his surgically repaired knee after today’s round.
“It felt really good,” he said at a news conference. “I just iced and elevated it and didn’t have any soreness, which was nice.”
Woods added that he was unsure when he’d return to competition.
Mickelson Advances
Phil Mickelson won by one hole over Zach Johnson after holding a four-hole lead with five to play. Yesterday, Mickelson held the same advantage over Angel Cabrera with five to play and needed 19 holes to win. Mickelson tomorrow will face Stewart Cink, who topped Lee Westwood in 23 holes.
In other matches, Camilo Villegas beat Miguel Angel Jimenez 5-and-4; Oliver Wilson overcame Anthony Kim 2-and-1; Paul Casey ousted Mathew Goggin 6-and-4; Justin Leonard defeated Davis Love III by one hole; Ross Fisher topped Pat Perez 6-and-5; and Geoff Ogilvy triumphed in 19 holes over Shingo Katayama.
Peter Hanson defeated Stephen Ames 2-and-1; Ernie Els beat Steve Stricker 2-and-1; Jim Furyk topped Martin Kaymer 4-and-2; Luke Donald defeated Vijay Singh in 19 holes; Sean O’Hair beat Book Weekley 2-and-1; and Ian Poulter was victorious by one hole against Charl Schwartzel.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: February 26, 2009 19:16 EST |
