Day reaches Match Play quarters with win over Watson

AFP
Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot on the 5th hole at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 23, 2013

MARANA, Arizona (AFP) –

Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot on the 5th hole during the third round of the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 23, 2013 in Marana, Arizona.

Australia’s Jason Day powered past Masters champion Bubba Watson 4 and 3 on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship.

Day was 3-up heading to the 15th at Dove Mountain, a driveable par-four. Watson ended up conceding the hole to end the match, sending Day into an afternoon quarter-final conest with Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.

Former US Open champion McDowell ended Irishman Shane Lowry’s dream run with a 3 and 2 third-round victory.

Lowry had toppled world number one Rory McIlroy in the first round, then became the first 64th seed to reach the third round in the 15-year history of the event with a convincing 6 and 5 victory over Carl Petterson.

McIlroy led a parade of top seeds out of the tournament in the first two rounds.

Three-time champion Tiger Woods, the world number two and second seed, also exited in the first round, while the overall third, fourth and fifth seeds — Luke Donald, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose — all lost in the second.

Defending champion Hunter Mahan made it safely through to the quarters with a 5 and 4 victory over Germany’s Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer, runner-up to Donald in 2011, was 2-down after four holes as he was unable to birdie either of the opening par-fives on the course.

Mahan plays reigning US Open champion Webb Simpson, a 2-up winner over Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Ian Poulter of England advanced with a 5 and 3 victory over South African Tim Clark, setting up a clash with US Ryder Cup foe Steve Stricker — who edged Scott Piercy 1-up.

Robert Garrigus, who ousted former Masters champion Oosthuizen in the second round, advanced with a 3 and 1 victory over Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson.

He next faced fellow American Matt Kuchar, who beat Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts 4 and 3.

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Edited by Staff Editor