Tiger stays in title hunt as Mickelson, Singh lose

MARANA, Arizona, Feb 23 (Reuters) Tiger Woods stayed in the hunt for an eighth consecutive PGA Tour title but Masters champion Phil Mickelson was knocked out in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington also exited as the tournament was left with only two of the top 10 seeds after the hottest day of the week at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club yesterday.

World number one Woods, making his first Tour appearance since winning last month's Buick Invitational, cruised to a 5&4 victory over South African Tim Clark on another clear day in the Arizona desert.

Champion in 2003 and 2004 when the event was played at La Costa Resort, Woods won five of the first six holes before clinching victory at the par-three 14th.

''I'm pleased with how it went,'' a smiling Woods told reporters.

''You've got to keep your opponent under as much pressure as you can and he was far enough back where he had to be aggressive.'' Left-hander Mickelson, one up after nine holes against Justin Rose, lost 3&1 after the Briton sank a 35-foot birdie putt at the par-four 15th.

''The key was holing that putt, the first long putt I've made all week,'' Rose said. ''It was a nip-and-tuck game and I finally got my nose in front coming down the back nine.'' Australia's Geoff Ogilvy remained on track for a successful title defence, beating Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal 2&1, while Canada's Stephen Ames defeated Fijian Singh, the seventh seed, at the 19th hole.

World number two Furyk led fellow American Chad Campbell by two after 14 holes before also losing on the 19th, Campbell having rolled in a 17-foot birdie putt at the last to take the match into extra time.

SURPRISE WINNER In other upsets, Swede Niclas Fasth beat sixth seed Goosen one up, Australia's Aaron Baddeley squeezed past eighth-seeded Briton Donald by a similar margin and Irishman Harrington, the 10th seed, lost to American Stewart Cink, also by a hole.

US Open champion Ogilvy, surprise winner when the event was held at La Costa for the final time last year, came back from two down to Olazabal after eight holes.

The 29-year-old sealed victory with birdies on 16 and 17 and will face Fasth in Friday's third round.

South Africa's Trevor Immelman knocked out US Ryder Cup player Chris DiMarco 3&1 and Ian Poulter overcame fellow Briton Bradley Dredge by the same score.

Reuters AY DB1038