Bittersweet 16 at Match Play
CARLSBAD, Calif. -- A funny thing happened on the way to this year's edition of the Accenture Match Play Championship.
It was a trend that began in earnest three years ago. Following fluky winners Jeff Maggert, Steve Stricker and Kevin Sutherland (plus bonafide champ Darren Clarke in 2001), came a pair of victories by top-ranked Tiger Woods and one by David Toms, a popular American player with a major title under his belt.
The pattern continued. Journeys to the center of the bracket by such ancillary players as Pierre Fulke and Andrew Magee were replaced by similar -- and more highly-anticipated -- jaunts from guys with their own clothing lines and car commercials.
For whatever reason, the world's elite players started winning more matches and the expectations of this tournament were elevated as a result.
Of course, the Match Play won't be confused with any of the four majors. Never has been, never will be. But with big-time players angling for a big-time payday in such a unique format, it's become must-see weekend TV for three years running.
Entering Friday's Sweet 16 matches, the stars were aligned for another VIP weekend on this grand stage, but instead the show went dark. Six of the world's top 10 players started their day with a golf match at luminous La Costa, but only one of them wouldn't have the need for an airplane by sunset.
First to jet was Toms, the defending champ who owned a 20-5 career match-play record in this event before he bowed out to U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman. Toms lost three of the six holes played on the back nine before Lehman ended the match with a birdie on the 15th hole.
Then came the major blow, as Woods was sent packing by Chad Campbell, despite a bogey-free round of 3-under 69 that would have left him smiling were this a medal-play event. Instead, Tiger couldn't best Campbell's pars on the final four holes and was eliminated from the competition on the final green.
Next up on the chopping block was Phil Mickelson, a San Diego native and one of the few players to profess his adoration for this course. Lefty fell at the competent and underrated hands of David Howell, an Englishman who tallied six birdies during the round.
Soon thereafter saw the downfall of Chris DiMarco, a guy who has a reputation as a gritty competitor, based on his runner-up finish here last year and three other second-place results in the last five majors. "There might be guys that are better than me," he said on Thursday, "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." On this day, Davis Love III did indeed have that, beating DiMarco, 3 and 2.
Last -- but certainly not least -- came the ousting of the world's No. 2-ranked player, Vijay Singh. He promptly celebrated his first third-round excursion in seven attempts by losing to Padraig Harrington with a bogey on the first extra hole.
Let's just say if you invested your Match Play bracket in some of the game's familiar faces, your portfolio took a mighty dip on Black Friday.
Unless you stocked up on blue-chipper Retief Goosen, of course.
The only player in the world's top 10 to reach the quarterfinals, the Goose simply went about business in his usual workmanlike way, dismantling opponent Luke Donald, 1-up, in a match that remained close throughout.
That he is the sole survivor from golf's elite stratosphere hardly gives Goosen pause for contentment entering the weekend.
"Even the 64th guy can win this tournament," said Goosen, who placed third last year. "All of these guys can play. There's very few bad players out on this tour now and it shows."
What we'll see throughout the next two days is the face of an event only a diehard golf fan could love. Goosen will face Cinderella story Zach Johnson on Saturday morning. The 15th-seeded American has defeated three worthy opponents, including Jim Furyk in the first round, but the clock may be close to striking midnight.
Love faces Harrington in a pairing of two no-nonsense second-tier stars who have been labeled as underachievers throughout the careers, with only one major championship title between them.
On the other side of the bracket, Howell squares off against Geoff Ogilvy, who extended a third straight match to extra holes before beating Mike Weir on Friday.
And then there's Lehman and Campbell. You'd think the latter would have things set on cruise-control after knocking off the world's No. 1 player, but he knows better than that.
"The tournament is not over yet, just because you beat one guy," Campbell said after the match. "I wish it was. I wish they gave the trophy away today, but they don't."
Jason Sobel is ESPN.com's golf editor. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com
