Accenture Match Play Championship Day 2

Tiger Woods cruised, Colin Montgomerie clawed his way through and Phil Mickelson crashed out of the second round of the eight million-dollar WGC Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday.

World No. 1 Woods, who had a narrow escape in Wednesday's first round, was never in trouble in a 3 and 2 victory over Arron Oberholser.

"I played a lot better today," Woods said. "I did some work last night on the range, then did some work in the room and came out today with a game plan of what I need to do to warm up."

Woods said he worked "in front of the mirror to make sure that what I'm feeling is actually what I'm doing.

"In this game, feel and real are usually two different things. I was making sure what I did last night on the range was exactly what I thought I was doing."

Woods will next face Australian Aaron Baddeley, who advanced without hitting a shot when scheduled opponent David Toms conceded the match because of a a back ailment.

Second seed Phil Mickelson was eliminated, beaten 2 and 1 by Australian Stuart Appleby in a well-played match.

Montgomerie, Europe's Ryder Cup hero, produced a blistering back nine to hold off American Charles Howell.

Howell took the lead with four straight birdies from the 10th hole, but Montgomerie birdied three of the next four holes en route to a one-up victory.

Montgomerie, 59th seed, who only barely qualified for the World Golf Championships event, was delighted to get through to the final 16.

"That's a good effort," he said. "Charles birdied the 11th to go all square and my caddie said, 'Right, Mr. Montgomerie, it's Ryder Cup mode.' I was four-under from then on, so he should say that more often in stroke play events.

"We're in the last 16 and delighted. I look forward to playing again tomorrow."

Montgomerie said the 14th hole was key. He hit a six-iron to three feet to win the hole and square the match.

"It gave me the initiative to birdie 15 as well," he said.

Both players battled on the tougher front nine at Dove Montain, but each made five birdies coming in.

"The front nine, the pins are extremely tight, and that's why you'll find that today the scoring is perhaps better on the back nine," Montgomerie said.

Montgomerie will get a shot at another potential US Ryder Cup opponent, Stewart Cink, who beat Ireland's Padraig Harrington 2-up.

Paul Casey was the only other Briton to join Montgomerie in the third round, outlasting fellow Brit Bradley Dredge 2 and 1.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia also bowed out, falling 3 and 1 to American Boo Weekley...

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Accenture Match Play - Montgomerie beat Furyk

Colin Montgomerie gained a major confidence boost by beating American Jim Furyk 3&2 in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship first round on Wednesday.

The eight-times European number one came from one down after two holes, a run of three birdies in four holes from the 12th helping him seal victory on the 16th green.

"I'm very, very happy," a smiling Montgomerie told reporters after advancing into the second round of the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event for the fifth time in eight appearances.

"I believe Jim Furyk, after Tiger (Woods) really, is one of the U.S.'s strongest match players and the toughest guys to beat. His Ryder Cup record suggests that.

"I've learned that I can still compete and I can still play this game. I've just beaten one of the U.S.'s top, top match players and toughest opponents. It's done wonders for me and done wonders for my confidence."

Montgomerie, whose world ranking has slipped to 62nd, was delighted to record five birdies and a lone bogey in 16 holes at Dove Mountain's Gallery Golf Club.

"I played particularly well," the 44-year-old Scot added. "I hit the fairways and got inside of him (on the greens) a number of times. And when I did that I took advantage a number of times...

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Scotland Win their first Golf World Cup

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren will take the World Cup back to the home of golf for the first time after beating the United States on the third hole of a sudden death playoff on Sunday.

A fourth par of the day at the 18th proved enough for the Scots to defeat overnight leaders Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum, pick up a cheque for $800,000 each and make amends for their own playoff defeat by Germany last year.

"To come back after a playoff loss last year and win is superb, particularly as my playoff record is rubbish," Montgomerie told reporters after finally getting his hands on the John Hopkins trophy at the ninth attempt.

The Americans had looked set for victory when the Scots twice found the sand on the first extra hole but Warren nailed a 12-foot putt for par and Slocum just missed a seven-foot birdie effort.

Slocum had successfully drained a birdie putt just two feet shorter at the same green to force the playoff, giving the Americans a five-under 67 to match the Scots, who had shot a superb six-under 66, on 25-under for the tournament.

Both teams missed long birdie efforts at the second extra hole before Weekley failed with a 15-footer when he was putting for par to keep the match alive.

The Americans, both making their debuts in the 54-year-old tournament, had led by a shot after all three previous rounds in their pursuit of a 24th World Cup victory for their country...

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My tip South Africa finished tied for 4th and my outside tip Thailand failed to make any impact in the harder alternate shot days. I feel slightly sorry for the US team who led after every round. I was also very disappointed with my team (Australia) who are did not exactly set the tournament alight. I guess I will have to get used to that with the golf world cup scheduled smack bang on top of the Australasian PGA tour.