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Tiger finishes off Ames at match play
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-24 10:45
The best rally came from Padraig Harrington, who birdied the last three holes
to send his match into overtime, then beat Angel Cabrera with a par on the first
extra hole.
Woods had to labor to join them.
He opened with six straight birdies and smoked Ames in the first round, a
victory so resounding that the match lasted the minimum 10 holes. Against
Allenby, it took him that long simply to get his first lead, stuffing an
approach into a foot on the 10th for a 1-up edge.
"We both battled," said Allenby, who developed cramps in his right calf over
the final three holes.
The Aussie got a bad break from his bad swing on the 18th. Not only did he
leave himself no room for his chip with the pin to the right of the green, the
grass was trampled and firm.
"I couldn't afford to get delicate with it," Allenby said.
His wedge bounced off the hard ground and sailed 40 feet beyond the pin.
Woods blasted out to 7 feet, and after Allenby missed, he rolled the birdie putt
into the center of the cup.
Woods next plays Chad Campbell, who won the 18th hole with an 8-foot birdie
to beat big-hitting Henrik Stenson of Sweden. Stenson never made a bogey in two
days, but still had to check out of La Costa.
Defending champion David Toms made it to the third round for the fifth
consecutive year with three straight birdies on the back nine to surge past Jose
Maria Olazabal, 2 and 1. Toms will play Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, who holed
out from the sixth fairway for eagle on his way to a 1-up victory over Adam
Scott.
"You've got to be ready for everything," Toms said. "I know I've played well
here, and I know all you have to do is outplay the other guy."
The easiest day belonged to Chris DiMarco, who birdied five straight holes to
beat Arron Oberholser, 6 and 5. DiMarco lost in the finals a year ago.
"There might be guys that are better than me, but as far as competitiveness
and never giving up and always fighting and clawing, I don't think there's too
many guys that have that," he said.
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