The Live Report, Round 2: Accenture Match Play

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Tiger Woods struggled with his iron play, among other things, all day in a 4 and 2 loss to Tim Clark.

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The Live Report is on the scene at the Accenture Match Play Championship. Follow Tiger Woods' round live here and check back with us often for updates of all the matches throughout the day. (All timestamps are Eastern Time.)

Feb. 26, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM Staff

THE UNASSUMING MR. CLARK (6:15 p.m.): Tim Clark has played Tiger Woods before -- here in 2007, actually -- and he's even contended in a few major championships, but it's safe to say that this was the biggest victory of Clark's career to date, however sort of ho-hum he was about it afterward.

"It's just the second round," Clark said matter-of-factly. "Obviously it's a massive victory, he doesn't get beaten very often and to go out in that atmosphere ... there's not too much support for the other guy when we're playing him.

"I've played with Tiger a few times and you either let it get the best of you or you thrive on it. I knew I had to treat it like just another round of golf."

Just another round of Clark turned out to be really good. On a windswept day here at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club, he played in 6 under through 16 holes with nary a bogey on the card. Up next for Clark: Irish teenage sensation Rory McIlroy, who beat Hunter Mahan 1 up. -- Brian Wacker

DAY TWO WINDING DOWN (6:00 p.m.): The second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship is winding down with just three matches still on the course. However, all of them are even.

Hunter Mahan and Rory McIlroy are all square through 16, while the Charl Schwartzel-Ian Poulter and Boo Weekley-Sean O'Hair matches are square through 16. -- Brian Wacker

SILENCE (5:45 p.m.): A stunned silence came over the 16th green after Tiger Woods just conceded the match to Tim Clark. It was sweet revenge for Clark, who avenged a 5 and 4 loss to Tiger in the second round of this tournament in 2007. -- T.J. Auclair

TOP SEEDS GO DOWN (5:40 p.m.): Two top seeds went down yesterday when Sergio Garcia Padraig Harrington were eliminted and two more went down today with losses by Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods.

Singh was eliminated by Luke Donald in 19 holes when his short par putt to extend the match hung on the edge and didn't fall. Woods, meanwhile, was just eliminated by Tim Clark, 4 and 2.

This is the earliest in the 11-year history of the event that all four No. 1 seeds have been eliminated. The last time all the No. 1s went out previously was the third round in 2007. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER HOLES OUT FOR BIRDIE (5:18 p.m.): Both Tiger Woods and Tim Clark found trouble off the tee on No. 14. Woods was in a fairway bunker on the right and Clark in the deep rough on the right. Clark appeared to be in more trouble off the tee, but found the green with his approach, while Tiger finished in the right greenside bunker. Miraculously, Tiger holed his bunker shot for birdie and made the crowd go crazy. Clark missed his birdie putt and Tiger is now 2 down through 14 holes. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER 3 DOWN (5:02 p.m.): Tim Clark is one cool customer. He showed no emotion after his birdie on 12. A win against Tiger Woods today would surely be the highlight of Clark's career. He's had top-10 finshes in majors, but has never won on the PGA TOUR. Up on No. 13, Tiger and Clark each hit perfect drives with Tiger about 20 yards ahead of Clark. Looks like a missed chance for Tiger here to take advantage of his power. He missed the green on the right and had a so-so chip. Clark's eagle effort missed on the right and he was conceded birdie, Tiger's birdie try from 10 feet lipped out and Clark is now 3 up. -- T.J. Auclair

MATCH UPDATE (4:55 p.m.): Geoff Ogilvy just beat Shingo Katayama in 19 holes to advance to the round of 16 after Katayama found the desert on his approach shot. He wasn't able to recover and conceded the hole and the match to Ogilvy, a former winner here.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood and Stewart Cink have just gone to their 22nd hole of the day. Oliver Wilson rallied to beat Anthony Kim 2 and 1, while Peter Hanson, Ross Fisher and Paul Casey also moved on. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER IN TROUBLE (4:46 p.m.): Tim Clark is pouring it on now, sticking his tee shot at the par-3 12th to within 7 feet. Tiger Woods found trouble off the tee again, sending his shot short and right of the green. From a tight lie, Tiger hit a low spinner past the hole that stopped about 5 feet from the hole. Clark's birdie putt for a 2-up lead dropped, giving him the biggest lead of the match. -- T.J. Auclair

CLARK WINNING FANS AND MATCH AGAINST TIGER (4:36 p.m.): By the sound of things, Tim Clark is beginning to build nice the little fanbase. It sure isn't 50/50 with Tiger Woods, but the South African is getting some support -- who doesn't love the underdog? As for the match, Tiger's drive on 11 went exactly where it did yesterday ... The right bunker. Advantage Clark at the moment. And he made the most of it with a third shot to within 3 feet. Tiger took four shots to get on the green, leaving a long par putt. After missing the par try, Tiger conceded the birdie and Clark again took a 1 up lead through 11. -- T.J. Auclair

NEITHER PLAYER BUDGING (4:30 p.m.): Who's going to blink first? This match has had it all so far with both players making their share of birdies. The 10th hole is another long par 4, but both players have a look at birdie. It feels like Tiger Woods has been inside of Tim Clark all day long, but it hasn't mattered because Clark won't go away. Tiger is going to have to earn a win today, which he's certainly capable of. Two more pars and we remain all square through 10. -- T.J. Auclair

MICKELSON MANAGES WIN (4:15 p.m.): It didn't take 19 holes, but Phil Mickelson had a scare from Zach Johnson nonetheless before holding on to win 1 up.

"My swing's not exactly where I want it," said Mickelson, who employed Butch Harmon for another early-morning practice session. "But I feel as though it's closer today than it was yesterday. I feel like yesterday was closer than it was the day before."

Indeed. For a second straight day, Mickelson let a big lead slip away before surviving to advance. Johnson cut what was a 4 up lead to just 1 up with one hole to play.

Playing a difficult 18th -- there's a lot of wind on the hole, making it difficult to stop shots close to the pin -- neither player was able to get it close, however, and both made par. As a result, Mickelson moves on to the round of 16 for the first time since 2006. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER'S MATCH TIGHT (4:05 p.m.): This is a tense match and it's evident just looking at the players. There's hardly been any banter and Tim Clark and Tiger Woods are grinding. Clark, who's been scrappy all day, keeps getting tested, but also keeps answering the call. The match is still all square after two pars as we turn to the back nine. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER, CLARK BATTLE WIND (3:47 p.m.): Neither Tiger Woods or Tim Clark were able to get home in two on No. 8. I don't know if we're just reaching that part of the course, or what, but the wind is picking up again. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how that affects the match. Clark and Tiger are both lining up testy birdie putts after decent pitch shots. With a silky stroke, Clark made his putting the heat on Tiger again. Tiger's got about six feet... And it's in. Neither player is giving an inch here. -- T.J. Auclair

BIG PUTT (3:35 p.m.): Talk about action. Tiger Woods just made a slippery right-to-left birdie putt to win No. 7. The pendulum is swinging big time in this match. While the crowds are still noticably smaller than Wednesday, they're starting to swell again on No. 8 as this match is back to all square. -- T.J. Auclair

LOVE CUTS INTO LEAD (3:32 p.m.): Davis Love III finally cut into Justin Leonard's lead after he drove the green on the par-4 15th. Leonard was just off the back of the green, 29 feet away in two. Love putted first, cozying his 48-footer to 3 feet for birdie, while Leonard left himself 12 feet for par. Leonard missed so Love was only 1 down with three holes remaining. -- Helen Ross

MICKELSON LEAD SHRINKS AGAIN (3:32 p.m.): Phil Mickelson made par on 17, but it wasn't good enough as Zach Johnson sank a 4-footer for birdie to pull within 1 with one hole to play.

That means the day's first match will come down to the last hole on the course, the 485-yard, par-4 18th. Mickelson parred the hole yesterday, while Johnson has yet to play it after closing out his first-round match on the 17th. -- Brian Wacker

MICKELSON FINALLY MAKES A SHORT PUTT (3:25 p.m.): Phil Mickelson finally made a short putt to save par after missing from close range each of the last two holes. As a result, he keeps a 2 up lead with two holes to play against Zach Johnson.

In the bunker off the tee on the par-3 16th, Mickelson hit a beautiful shot out of the sand to just over 4 feet. Johnson, meanwhile, made his par before Mickelson followed suit.

Although it looks like Mickelson will be 1 up with one to play after Johnson just hit it tight on No. 17. Mickelson's approach shot, meanwhile, spun back ad is 33 feet away from the hole.

Mickelson led by as many as 4 up today before giving two holes back on the same exact holes that started his slide yesterday. Although to be fair, yesterday's opponent, Angel Cabrera, did make three straight birdies to erase that deficit. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER TRAILS FOR FIRST TIME (3:18 p.m.): Tim Clark is beginning to put on quite the short-game display. After airmailing the green from the tee on No. 6, he hit a beautiful flop from the rough to within a few feet. Tiger Woods sent his second from a bunker sailing past the hole. From 15 feet for par, Tiger missed on the left edge. Clark made his par from a couple of feet and went from 1 down to 1 up in two holes. Tiger clearly isn't happy, giving himself some choice words on the walk to No. 7 tee. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER, CLARK ALL SQUARE (3:08 p.m.): No. 5 is a beast, a 536-yard par 4. Both Tiger Woods and Tim Clark got there in two, but have lengthy birdie putts. Clark just gave Tiger and Stevie a good laugh, holing his unthinkable 60-foot birdie putt to put the heat on Tiger. Tiger couldn't convert, so Clark squared the match and joked walking off the green that the putt was easy. -- T.J. Auclair

MICKELSON GIVES BACK ANOTHER (3:05 p.m.): You have to wonder if yesterday's near-collapse by Phil Mickelson is starting to creep into the back of his mind. For the second straight hole, he lipped out a short putt. That brings his lead over Zach Johnson down to 2 up with three holes to play. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

CLARK UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE (3:00 p.m.): Just when it looked like Tim Clark had the advantage on No. 4, Tiger Woods nearly holed a chip after short-siding himself on the right side of the green. Clark blew a birdie putt past the hole from 12 feet and had work to do for par. Both players made par and Tiger stayed 1 up. Clark at least got a, "Good putt, kid!" from an appreciative spectator. -- T.J. Auclair

ANOTHER SLIDE IN THE MAKING? (2:53 p.m.): It might be a little premature, but Phil Mickelson just gave a hole back by power-lipping a short par putt on No. 14 -- the same hole in which his slide began yesterday.

Mickelson led Angel Cabrera 4 up coming to 14 on Wednesday when he missed a kick-in par putt. Cabrera went on to make three straight birdies and send the match to extra holes.

Today, Mickelson's par attempt lipped out and Zach Johnson climed to within three holes of Mickelson. Stay tuned. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER KEEPS LEAD (2:43 p.m.): It's unbelievable to think Tiger Woods has been away for eight months, but I guess it's simply a testament to his talent. He stuffed his tee shot to 6 feet at No. 3, but Clark dodged a bullet, something he'll hope to do all day, because you really can't make mistakes when playing Tiger. After two pars, Tiger remains 1-up. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER TAKES EARLY LEAD (2:33 p.m.): Tiger Woods got upset on the second tee, taking a check swing after being annoyed by the shutterbugs, but he regrouped and hit a perfect drive. Tiger's power could be the difference against a short-hitting Clark. Perfect example is here on No. 2. Tiger easily reached the par-5 in two, while it took three full shots by Clark to get there. It proved to be the back breaker for Clark -- easy two-putt birdie for Tiger and a 1-up lead. -- T.J. Auclair

ROUTS IN THE MAKING? (2:23 p.m.): Two other matches are shaping up to be potential whitewashes. In the day's first match, Phil Mickelson has taken a 3 up lead on Zach Johnson after Johnson was unable to save par on the par-3 12th.

Johnson missed the green long on No. 12 and was unable to get up and down, missing his 11-foot par putt.

Paul Casey, meanwhile, has a 3 up lead on Mathew Goggin, who is coming off an upset of Kenny Perry yesterday. Casey has just one birdie in seven holes, but Goggin is struggling a little bit. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

TIGER'S LENGTH OFF THE TEE (2:15 p.m.): Tim Clark outdrove Tiger Woods by 10 yards on No. 1, but he used driver to Tiger's 3-wood. Far less dramatics on No. 1 today. Two ho-hum pars for a halve. -- T.J. Auclair

ON THE TIGER TRAIL (2:05 p.m.): A caddie, who shall remain nameless, just said he was surprised by the smaller crowds for Tiger Woods today. He followed that up with, "then again, Brendan Jones lost yesterday, so I'm sure all his fans left." Early line of the day candidate. -- T.J. Auclair

MAKING THE TURN (2:00 p.m.): The match between Justin Leonard and Davis Love III just hit the back nine with Leonard holding a 2 up lead over his good friend and past Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teammate.

Leonard opened with a birdie before giving one back with a par at No. 5. Since then, however, it's been all Leonard. He birdied Nos. 8 and 9, hitting it to kick-in distance on his approach shots both times. -- Brian Wacker

Camilo Villegas

FIRST BLOWOUT ON THE BOARD? (1:45 p.m.): It looks like Camilo Villegas could be in for another short day at the office. A day after dispatching Rod Pampling 7 and 6, Villegas is 4 up through the first five holes of his match against Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Villegas has birdies on four of the first five holes, having hit it tight on all of them, except for No. 5, where he holed out from a greenside bunker. Meanwhile, Jimenez has just one birdie on the day, which came at the par-5 second hole. -- Brian Wacker

Tiger update

COUNTDOWN TO TIGER (1:35 p.m.): Round two with Tiger Woods is about 30 minutes away. After a 3 and 2 win over little known Brendan Jones in Round 1, Tiger might have his hands full with Tim Clark of South Africa today. However, Clark did lose to Tiger in the second round of this very event in 2007. Tiger is currently on the range. Today's outfit? White hat, white shirt with orange and blue stripes, dark khaki pants, brown belt and gray shoes. Clark has also made his way to the range, about as far from Tiger as he could get. The crowd, while still thick, is far more subdued than in round 1, especially inside of the ropes. With hundreds of media on the range yesterday, I'm counting only about 10 at the moment. Surely it will increase when they head to the first tee. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER ON THE RANGE (1:10 p.m.): How do you know when Tiger Woods has arrived? Just look at the size of the gallery at the driving range.

Tiger Woods

Woods is out there now, practicing under the watchful eye of Hank Haney. There was pretty much total silence in Camp Woods as he hit a bunch of knockdown shots -- the wind is starting to pick up out here. It's expected to blow between 10-20 mph today and is already much more of a factor than it was earlier this morning. Woods plays Tim Clark in just under an hour from now. -- Brian Wacker

MATCH CHECK (12:54 p.m.): Of the seven matches on the course right now, only two of them are all square, while five others have someone 1 up.

The latest player to take an early lead was Camilo Villegas. He birdied the first hole in his match against Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Expect to see a lot of that today. The first two holes here at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club are two of the easiest on the course with the 460-yard, par-4 first ranking 14th with a scoring average of 3.806 and the 574-yard, par-5 second ranking 18th.

The toughest hole on the course so far? The 536-yard, par-4 fifth hole, which is playing to a scoring average of 4.306. -- Brian Wacker

AK OUT FAST (12:40 p.m.): A day after recording just three birdies all day, Anthony Kim already has two today. Kim birdied the par-4 first and par-5 second to take an early 1 up lead over Oliver Wilson.

Wilson is coming off a 3 and 1 win over K.J. Choi, while Kim won 7 and 5 over Lin Wen-Tang yesterday. -- Brian Wacker

ON THE RANGE (12:20 p.m.): Things are pretty quiet here right now, both in the practice areas and in the galleries. Fans are still filing in and only a handful of players are warming up.

There's not a cloud in the sky, but Vijay Singh had the umbrella out for a second straight day here. Singh had it planted in the ground about 6-8 inches almost directly in front of his ball as he was trying to work an inside path with the driver. It definitely looked like something from the don't-try-this-at-home category, unless you want a busted umbrella.

Over on the putting green, Camilo Villegas was working on the path of his putting stroke with a pair of tees placed close together in the ground directly behind his ball, while Steve Stricker worked on his own putting stroke about 20 feet away. -- Brian Wacker

WEATHER UPDATE (12:08 p.m.): We have another day of clear blue skies and bright sunshine here in Arizona, where it's currently 67 degrees. Temperatures are expected to climb as high as 81 degrees, but it should be a little cooler than it was yesterday. Also, the wind is expected to pick up a little bit, between 10-20 mph, during the afternoon. -- Brian Wacker

PHIL UP EARLY (12:00 p.m.): Phil Mickelson got off to a good start in his match against Zach Johnson, birdieing the first hole to take a 1 up lead through two holes.

Mickelson is coming off a win over Angel Cabrera in which he squandered a 4 up lead before winning on the first extra hole. -- Brian Wacker

FROM THE RANGE: (11:37 a.m.): Zach Johnson was little more than a solitary figure on the driving range before his match with Phil Mickelson this morning.

Mickelson hit balls under the watchful eye of Butch Harmon. At the other end of the range, Lee Westwood was accompanied by his caddy, agent Chubby Chandler and others. Johnson, behind fashionable sunglasses, spoke in hushed tones about his set up with long time caddy Damon Green and no one else.

The game plan in Johnson's attempt to take down the No. 3 player in the world is simple: Hit lots of fairways, laser your irons and keep a steady putter. That's what Johnson does best. -- John Maginnes

Matches We're Watching

Tee time	Players
2:02 pm ET (12:02 pm local)		Tiger Woods, Tim Clark Everyone knows this is a tough draw for Woods, even though he enjoys a tremendous power advantage over the South African.
11:30 am ET (9:30 am local)		Zach Johnson, Phil Mickelson This pair of Masters champions are both looking for their second win of '09. Both are expert putters, but Lefty has edge in length.
11:55 a.m. ET (9:55 a.m. local)		Justin Leonard, Davis Love III These two major champions both dispatched tough international opponents (Love beat Henrik Stenson; Leonard beat Andres Romero) on Wednesday.