Tiger Woods kept his bid for an eighth-straight US PGA Tour victory on track on Wednesday with a first-round victory over J.J. Henry in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
World No. 1 Woods defeated Henry 3 and 2 to advance to a second-round clash South African Tim Clark in the US$8 million World Golf Championships event.
"It was actually a pretty tight match," said Woods, who won the last six US PGA Tour sanctioned events he entered last year and opened his US season this year with a win at the Buick Invitational.
"J.J. hit a lot of beautiful putts in the middle part of the round and even on the back nine, and those putts just didn't go in. Had they gone in it might have been a different story," he said.
Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, like Woods the top seeds in their sections of the draw, both advanced. But Shaun Micheel lived up to his reputation as a match play upset artist as he ousted Adam Scott, the top seed in the Snead quarter and third seed overall, in 21 holes.
Scott birdied the 18th hole to extend the match, then three-putted at the third to surrender the victory.
Micheel, the 2003 US PGA Champion, made headlines last September when he beat Woods in the first round of the World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth.
South Africa's Ernie Els, a two-time US Open champion, was also among the big names making an early exit on Wednesday.
Bradley Dredge, the unheralded 60th seed from Wales posted an emphatic 4 and 2 victory over Els in a match that offered little in the way of drama.
Neither player made a birdie on the front nine, but Dredge pounced after the turn, winning the 10th and 11th holes with birdies to go 2-up and take control.
"We were both pretty slow on the front nine getting going," Dredge said. "Ernie missed a few putts, which is unlike him, and then I managed to take advantage of that and hit a few nice shots and hole a few putts when I needed."
"As a professional I've hardly played match play golf," Dredge added.
"The only time I get to play is for 20 quid at my home course against a few friends. Playing Ernie Els in the WGC [World Golf Championships] is a bit different. To knock him out, it's pretty special," he said.
In the next round, Dredge will face England's Ian Poulter, who pummelled American Bart Bryant 5 and 4.
"I got off to a good start," said Poulter, who birdied the first two holes to go 2-up and set the tone for the day.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington drained a 12m eagle at the first extra hole to defeat European Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood of England.
The Irishman was 2-down with seven to play, but battled back to all square through 18.
When they returned to the par-five first hole, Westwood was positioned for a birdie when Harrington, trying to lag his long putt up close, saw it rattle into the cup.
"I was putting up and over a hill but I did know the line from the first time," Harrington said. "It probably would have gone four feet by, so I was happy to see the back of the hole."
Barely an hour earlier, Harrington was on the ropes, facing a 3.7m putt at the 12th hole to prevent himself from falling 3-down. He holed it and carried the momentum forward as he won the 13th and 17th holes to square it up. He missed a 2.4m shot at 18 that would have given him the win in regulation.
"When I missed that, I didn't feel real good going into the playoff," said Harrington, who next faces US golfer Stewart Cink. "I struggled big time with my concentration today. I had to work very hard towards the end to get my focus right."
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