Too Much Left to Do says McIlroy

Rory McIlroy admitted he didn't have his best game with him during the Accenture Match Play Championship which saw him miss out on the chance to leapfrog Luke Donald in the world standings.

McIlroy needed to beat Hunter Mahan to take the number one spot but suffered a 2&1 defeat. The 22 year-old played the last seven holes of the match in five under par with an eagle and three birdies, but that all came after he had three bogeys and a double-bogey in a front-nine 39.

"I just left myself too much to do," McIlroy said, whose next chance to dethrone Donald comes in this week's Honda Classic in Florida.

"It wasn't to be, but I didn't have my best game with me this week."

There was still plenty to admire over the weekend, though, not least his semi-final win over Lee Westwood, who finished the event with double defeat after having also lost the third-place play-off to Mahan's compatriot Mark Wilson.

Westwood led McIlroy by three after four, but the youngster hit back with six birdies in eight holes and won 3&1.

"I'm happy with how I'm playing and hopefully it won't be long before I'm winning again," added McIlroy. "I've got two more tournaments before The Masters and that's what I'm building up to."

It was at Augusta last April, of course, that he led by four with a round to go and then crashed to an 80.

The disappointment of that was more than made up for by winning his first major title only two months later, but becoming the youngest-ever winner of a World Golf Championship since they began in 1999 would have been another feather in his cap.

Mahan now has two of them. He won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron in 2010, although that was rather forgotten two months later when his defeat to Graeme McDowell at Celtic Manor handed Europe the Ryder Cup.

Nobody can say he had an easy path to the trophy last week. He beat three of his cup team-mates in Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker and Matt Kuchar, former USPGA champion YE Yang, Wilson and then McIlroy.

And he said afterwards: "It feels good. I didn't realise how difficult it is to win this week because it is six matches and you're playing against the best players in the world."

And he believes McIlroy is destined to top the rankings sooner or later, and joked: "Deep down I wanted to postpone that crowning of the number one player in the world for Rory.

"He'll get there. He's phenomenal, he's really talented. He'll be number one eventually."

Westwood said after his semi-final loss: "I think we both played well - it was just one of those typical match play games that went a lot with momentum."

He considered the long 11th critical. The Ulsterman's wild second shot was heading for the desert and possibly out of bounds, but hit a cart path and finished on grass near the green. It was halved in birdies.

"That sort of thing can change a match," said Westwood. "Go back to level there, it's a different kettle of fish. I thought it was big turning point.

"But I'm playing great. I've shot four or five under every day and that's pretty good golf."

Mahan Holds Off Match Play McIlroy

Hunter Mahan denied Rory McIlroy the chance to become World Number One by beating the 22 year old in the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in Tucson.

After the joy of beating Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood from three down before lunch, McIlroy's bid to dethrone Luke Donald fell flat when he lost the final 2 and 1 to American Mahan.

The Northern Irishman will try again at this week's Honda Classic in Florida - Donald is not playing - but he will be back to facing nearly 140 players there compared to just one.

McIlroy went from playing some sublime golf against Westwood to making several errors early on against Mahan.

And despite rediscovering his flair on the back nine his opponent - the man whose defeat to Graeme McDowell at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2010 handed Europe the Ryder Cup - made sure it was too late and fully earned his second World Golf Championships title.

McIlroy said: "I played a great back nine, which was nice, but just left myself too much to do.

"When I didn't eagle the 15th I knew it was going to be tough because he is very solid from tee to green.

"It wasn't to be. I didn't have my best game with me this week, but I'm happy with how I'm playing and hopefully it won't be long before I'm winning again.

"I've got two more tournaments before the Masters and that's what I'm building up to."

The US Open Champion had already halved two holes in bogeys when Mahan, conqueror of compatriot Mark Wilson in his semi-final, broke the deadlock with a tee shot to two feet on the sixth.

But McIlroy then double-bogeyed the 486 yard next, seeing a chip come back to him after both men had rolled down the slope in front of the green with their approaches, and then had another six on the long eighth after driving into a bunker and going long with his third.

Mahan went three up there despite three-putting for par and when both parred the next he had turned in a level par 36 to McIlroy's 39.

The gap became four when he missed from nine feet on the tenth after 29 year old Mahan had almost holed his approach and only did McIlroy spark into life.

He chipped in for eagle at the 11th and had a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th. That was the good news for his fans, but the bad was that Mahan matched two of the birdies and after lipping out for victory from 15 feet on the short 16th another par on the next settled it.

Mahan felt he had beaten "the best player in the world right now for sure" and added: "I felt great with my game coming in, switched putters and was able to run it out.

"We didn't have our best stuff early, but I was able to capitalise on a few miscues."

Earlier Westwood had won three of the first four against McIlroy, but opened the door by bogeying the fifth and then saw his former stablemate birdie six of the next eight, all but one of them for wins.

Westwood, now three down, then produced an 18 foot eagle putt after driving the green on the 343 yard 15th, but missed from similar range at the next and conceded defeat after bogeying the 17th.

The afternoon also went America's way in the third place play-off, Wilson never trailing either as he beat Westwood on the final green.

No 1 Battle for Westwood and McIlroy

Rory McIlroy will play Lee Westwood in the semi-finals of the WGC Match Play in Arizona after both players recorded comfortable wins in the last eight.

Should either player win the tournament, they will replace England's Luke Donald as world number one.

Westwood lost the first hole against Martin Laird but beat the Scotsman 4&2 while McIlroy won three holes on the back nine to beat Sang-Moon Bae 3&2.

Hunter Mahan will play fellow American Mark Wilson in the other semi-final.

Mahan defeated compatriot Matt Kuchar 6&5 while Wilson saw off the challenge of Sweden's Peter Hanson, winning 4&3.

The more intriguing last-four clash will be England's world number three Westwood against Northern Ireland's world number three McIlroy, though.

McIlroy rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt to take the first hole but hit his tee shot on the par-three third into the lake as Bae squared the match.

The 22-year-old then birdied the eighth to go one up but Bae was level again when his par was good enough to win the 10th.

However, McIlroy won three of the next five holes to move clear and Bae conceded defeat on the 16th green after failing to hole his bunker shot.

"For the most part I felt I played pretty well," said the US Open champion. "I hit a couple of loose drives, but apart from that I thought it was some of my best golf of the week."

Westwood also won his game on the 16th green but he was given a scare early on after Laird won the first hole.

"He started how I wanted to start," conceded Westwood. "He could have been three up after three but he gave me a couple [of holes] around the turn and you can't do that at this level."

Laird bogeyed the sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th to gift Westwood a three-shot advantage and, although the Englishman handed a hole back after three-putting the 11th, his three-shot lead was restored when his Scottish opponent took three to get out of a bunker on the 14th.

Both the semi-finals and the final will be played on Sunday and Westwood admitted he was looking forward to playing his Ryder Cup team-mate.

"I hope it will be a great match, that we both play well and make a lot of birdies," he said.

McIlroy added: "It's obviously what I wanted and I think it's the match everybody wants to see.

"I know I will need to play my best. It's going to be a big day, but I can't get too far ahead of myself. I've just got to concentrate on beating Lee Westwood and that's a tough enough task in itself."

Quarter-final results (US unless stated, UK players in bold):

Hunter Mahan beat Matt Kuchar 6&5

Mark Wilson beat Peter Hanson (Swe) 4&3

Rory McIlroy (NI) beat Sang-Moon Bae (Kor) 3&2

Lee Westwood (Eng) beat Martin Laird (Sco) 4&2

Westwood Enjoying Arizona Sun

Lee Westwood continued his unprecedented run at the WGC Match Play by moving into the quarter-finals with a victory over Nick Watney.

The Englishman, who had never made it beyond the second round in 11 previous attempts, beat the American 3&2.

He will face Martin Laird, who beat fellow Scot Paul Lawrie 3&1, in Saturday's last-eight match.

Like Westwood, Rory McIlroy, who beat Miguel Angel Jimenez 3&1, will be world number one with a victory this week.

Northern Irishman McIlroy meets Sang-Moon Bae after the South Korean overcame John Senden with a one up win.

Westwood led from the start and lost only two holes on his way to a comprehensive victory.

Beaten by Watney in the last two years, the Englishman got off to a flying start by winning the first two holes.

American Watney halved the deficit on the third but fell further behind as the world number three won three holes in a row from the eighth to go four up.

The 38-year-old's bogey at 12 reduced his lead to three shots and after seeing his drive roll off the green on the par-four 15th, the Englishman pitched to just a couple of feet but Watney birdied to extend the match.

But after Watney's tee-shot on the par-three 16th flew off the back of the green, Westwood, who has led after 48 of his 49 holes this week, made no mistake with two putts to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.

He said: "It's all new to me this. He has beaten me the last couple of years so it was nice to get my own back. I played well and made a lot of birdies

"If you can get off to a quick start momentum is with you and by making a couple of birdies early on it's tough for anyone to get back in the match.

"I feel in control of nearly every part of my game. I'm confident with the way I'm playing, I'm hitting it straight and giving myself a lot of chances to fire at flags."

McIlroy only lost one hole on the way to building a three-hole lead by the ninth but had to wait until the 16th hole to seal his victory over veteran Spaniard Jimenez.

He said: "It felt a lot better than the first two days. I hit some really good iron shots and didn't' take advantage of some of the opportunities I gave myself.

"Miguel doesn't go away and even when I was three up through nine he just hangs in there and hangs in there but I was able to hold him off long enough.

"At the end he said 'Well played' and that he hopes I go all the way and I'm number one this week."

Last year's runner-up Martin Kaymer was comfortably beaten 4&3 byMatt Kuchar.

He will face Hunter Mahan after the American's 4&3 victory over Steve Stricker.

Swede Peter Hanson thrashed Brandt Snedeker 5&3 to book his place against Mark Wilson, who thumped Dustin Johnson 4&3.

Saturday's quarter-finals

Peter Hanson (SWE) v Mark Wilson (USA)

Matt Kuchar (USA) v Hunter Mahan (USA)

Rory McIlroy (N Ire) v Sang-Moon Bae (South Korea)

Lee Westwood (Eng) v Martin Laird (Sco)

Picture of the Week - Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods reacts on the second hole during the second round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on February 23, 2012 in Marana, Arizona. (February 22, 2012 - Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America)

Westwood Wins as Woods Fails

Lee Westwood finally made the last 16 of the Accenture Match Play Championship at the 12th attempt thanks to a solid victory over Robert Karlsson on Thursday.

Needing to win the title on Sunday to regain the world number one spot from the already-departed Luke Donald, the 38-year-old third seed saw off Karlsson 3&2 in the second round at Dove Mountain near Tucson.

And Westwood does not have to face Tiger Woods to make further progress.

The three-time winner missed a six-foot birdie putt on the last and went out to fellow American Nick Watney - the man who has defeated Westwood the last two years.

Through to the third round as well are Rory McIlroy, also with a chance to go to number one by winning, and Scots Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird, who now go head-to-head for a quarter-final place.

Uncharted territory

"What's going on? This is uncharted territory for me," said Westwood. "I played very well apart from one real schoolboy mental error. Now I've got a chance to get revenge."

Six under par in defeating Nicolas Colsaerts on Wednesday, he won four of the first six holes against Karlsson but had to go far further than seemed likely when he moved five clear at the 10th.

Without a bogey in his first 27 holes, the Worksop golfer suddenly made a mess of the long 11th and then saw the Ryder Cup Swede chip in for eagle at the 583-yard 13th.

Westwood was in the desert scrub again off the tee at the driveable 15th and Karlsson did not even have to putt to be only two down.

But a par on the short next was good enough when Karlsson failed to get up and down from sand and Westwood then had to wait to see if it was Woods he faced for a place in the quarter-finals.

For the second day running Woods was involved in a tight encounter. After edging out Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano on the final green, Woods trailed Watney by two with three to play but took the 16th with a par.

After missing a chance to take it into sudden death, however, he said: "Something I was fighting all day was blocking my putts and I blocked that one."

It is the fourth year in a row that he will not be in the Friday action. He lost his opening match to Thomas Bjorn last year, did not play in 2010 and went out to Tim Clark in the second round the previous season.

McIlroy silences Hansen

McIlroy overcame Dane Anders Hansen on the 16th, while Lawrie followed up his first-round victory over England's Justin Rose by taking out 20-year-old Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa, again on the final green.

Laird got the better of 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero 2&1 - and had no fewer than eight birdies in the process.

"I needed all of them. That was a great match," said the US-based Laird. "That's as good as I've played in a while."

A quarter-finalist on his debut in the event 12 years ago - he was Open champion at the time, of course - Lawrie is making his first appearance since 2003.

Winner of the Qatar Masters earlier this month and on course for a return to the Ryder Cup side after a 13-year gap, the 43-year-old from Aberdeen was one ahead on three separate occasions before he finally got into a two-up lead when Ishikawa bogeyed the ninth.

His opponent refused to let him get away, though, and Lawrie's bogey on the 17th meant it went the distance. Ishikawa had a 15-foot chance to take it into extra holes, but missed.

Lawrie told Sky Sports: "I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The positive is that I'm hitting the ball good, but I'm struggling a bit with the blade (putter)."

England's Robert Rock failed to repeat his performance against world number eight Adam Scott, going down 3&2 to American Mark Wilson.

The biggest win of the week so far came from American Dustin Johnson, who after coming from three down to defeat Ryder Cup team-mate Jim Furyk thumped Italian Francesco Molinari 7&5.

Steve Stricker, another of the home contingent and winner in Australia in 2001, was in danger of going out to South African Louis Oosthuizen on his 45th birthday.

But Stricker, behind for much of the day, sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the last and then saw the 2010 Open champion miss from 13 feet.

Ernie Els, having hammered Donald 5&4, was on the receiving end of the same scoreline against Swede Peter Hanson - a big blow to his hopes of qualifying for the Masters in April.

Els will remain outside the world's top 50, but has until the end of next month to get there and earn a place at Augusta.

Big Easy Knocks Donald Out

Luke Donald's defence of the WGC-Accenture Match Play title lasted only 14 holes in Arizona on Wednesday as he fell to a resounding 5&4 defeat against a resurgent Ernie Els.

England's world number one, who made no fewer than five bogeys, became only the third top seed to lose in the first round as he was hammered by this week's number 64 seed - Els was not even in the event until Phil Mickelson decided to go on holiday rather than make the trip to Tuscon.

Donald joins Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in making an instant exit as top seed, they lost to Peter O'Malley and Ross McGowan respectively in 2002 and 2010.

Elsewhere, Robert Rock sprung another big surprise as he beat Adam Scott to advance to the second round, while an erratic Woods battled his way past Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Neither Rock nor Scott was more than one hole up over the course of a scrappy match, but the contest turned at the driveable par-four 15th when the Australian gifted his opponent the hole with a wild tee-shot into the desert.

Rock then edged ahead after producing a birdie at the short 16th and held his nerve over the closing two holes to secure a notable scalp with a 1up victory.

Woods lost the opening two holes of his encounter as his Spanish opponent raced out of the blocks with two birdies, but would produce birdies of his own at seven and eight to lead at the turn.

However, the 14-time major champion followed a double-bogey at ten with a bogey at 11 to fall behind again and was fortunate that Fernandez-Castano did not take advantage of further opportunities to stretch his lead.

A bogey from the Spaniard at 16 saw Woods creep back ahead and the American then produced a brilliant up-and-down from a bunker at the last to close out a 1up triumph and secure a second-round showdown with compatriot Nick Watney who thrashed Open champion Darren Clarke 5&4.

A relieved Woods said afterwards: "Neither one of us had our best stuff - I was just surviving."

Rory McIlroy's dual with George Coetzee was the very last match of the day to finish, the Northern Irishman made hard work of closing out victory and was ultimately grateful to see the South African miss a short putt on the final green to confirm a 2up success.

Early exit for McDowell

YE Yang was the first man to book his place in the second round as he beat Graeme McDowell 2&1, thus overcoming the Ulsterman for the second year running at the event having also defeated the 2010 US Open champion in the third round 12 months ago.

After a see-saw start, the Korean moved ahead at the seventh and - despite a battling performance from McDowell - never trailed again, closing out victory on the 17th green after holing from three feet for birdie.

The second man through to the last 32 was 20-year-old Japanese player Ryo Ishikawa who knocked out FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas - winner of the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Haas bogeyed the last to lose after standing three-up with five to go meaning Ishikawa will now take on Paul Lawrie, whose revival in the last two years continued with a last-green victory over Justin Rose.

Rose's close friend Ian Poulter also crashed out, the Englishman falling at the first hurdle for the second year running as he was soundly beaten 4&3 by Korea's Bae Sang-moon.

But there was better news for another Englishman as Lee Westwood put in a solid display to beat Belgium's in-form Nicolas Colsaerts 3&1, the world number three will next face Robert Karlsson who was a runaway 5&4 winner over fellow Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

Last year's beaten finalist, Martin Kaymer, comfortably saw off Australian Greg Chalmers 4&2 and will face an assignment against David Toms who got the better of a thrilling all-American affair with Rickie Fowler to emerge triumphant at the last.

Martin Laird was another to win on the final green as he outgunned Alvaro Quiros in a battle of the big-hitters, while experience won the day in the Spanish clash between Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garcia as the cigar-smoking veteran won out 2&1.

Laird now faces the youngest man in the field, Matteo Manassero, after the Italian's hugely impressive success over Webb Simpson, while Jimenez will take on Jason Day who came from three down with three to play to edge out another Spaniard, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, at the first extra hole.

Thomas Bjorn, conqueror of Tiger Woods at the 19th last year, went 20 holes on his return to the tournament - and then lost when Italian Francesco Molinari chipped in for an eagle.

American Ryder Cup team-mates Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk went two extra holes as well, Johnson - who had been three down earlier on - had to take a penalty drop from a bush there, but scrambled a par and won when his opponent three-putted.

Tiger Bites Back at Being Beatable

Tiger Woods has shrugged off Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano's comments that the former world number one is 'beatable' ahead of their opening-round match at the WGC World Match Play.

The American, who has now recovered from a cold, begins his bid for glory in Arizona against the in-form Spaniard on Wednesday.

His opponent has spoken in the run-up to their meeting about his confidence going into the event, insisting that Woods is "probably not at his best", although he did admit he would still be the underdog.

The 14-time major champion opted to see the lighter side of the matter when asked for a response, instead saying that he is no longer motivated by the things other players say about him.

Matured

He said: "I feel exactly the same way as he does - I feel he's beatable too!

"It used to motivate me quite a bit when I was younger, but as I've matured and gone beyond that it's just an opinion.

"It's their prerogative, what matters is how I go out and play and how I'm progressing in my game.

"At the end of the day when I'm retired, I think I will have mastered a pretty good record."

Woods will be bidding to win for the first time on the PGA Tour since the 2009 BMW Championship, although he did triumph at the limited-field Chevron Challenge at the end of last year.

The 36-year-old has won the Match Play tournament three times before - in 2003, 2004 and 2008 - but went out in the first round in 2011, losing to Dane Thomas Bjorn.

"It is a sprint. You have to get off to quick starts. Generally if you get down early, two or three down, you rarely come back," he said of the format.

"Any guy can win any match - we've seen that over the years. That's what makes it so interesting for us as players and I'm sure for the fans as well."

Donald Draws Els in World Match Play

World number one Luke Donald has been drawn to meet three-time major winner Ernie Els in the Accenture World Match Play Championship this week.

Donald, the defending champion, will be hoping to reproduce his incredible 2011 form when he won all six of his matches before the 18th hole.

Tiger Woods will play Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in Wednesday's opening round at Dove Mountain.

Rory McIlroy begins his campaign against South African George Coetzee.

Lee Westwood faces Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts at the Arizona course, while Sergio Garcia takes on fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Bill Haas, winner of Sunday's Northern Trust Open, tees off against Japan's Ryo Ishikawa while Dustin Johnson meets his US Ryder Cup team-mate Jim Furyk.

Donald, whose success came a year after his fellow Briton Ian Poulter won the tournament, needs to forget his disappointing showing in the Northern Trust Open last week.

The Buckinghamshire-based golfer slumped to a 56th place finish, carding 78 in his final round.

"I certainly have good feelings going back to Dove Mountain," he said.

"I have a pretty good matchplay record but you just never know with that format.

"I just try to be pretty good at not giving too many shots away, too many holes away, keeping the pressure on my opponents and taking it one match at a time.

"I have always had that inner belief that I could certainly play as well as I did last year and it's nice to see the hard work paying off but I feel like there is a lot more for me to achieve.

"There is a slight added burden of expectation but I feel I've dealt with that pretty well so far."

The first round matches will be played from 22-26 February.