Accenture Match Play Championship Thursday after fellow Americans Hunter Mahan and Dustin Johnson had eased into the third round with commanding victories. Mahan became the first player to advance, crushing South Korean Yang Yong-eun 5&3, and Johnson followed with a 7&5 demolition of Italy's Francesco Molinari at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Three-time champion Woods, however, went out in the second round for a third time at the elite World Golf Championships event, struggling on the greens as he lost one-down to compatriot Nick Watney. British world No. 3 Lee Westwood reached the third round for the first time in 12 appearances at the event, beating Swede Robert Karlsson 3&2, and fourth-ranked German Martin Kaymer edged past American David Toms two up. Triple major winner Ernie Els was ousted 5&4 by Swede Peter Hanson. In blazing desert sunshine, Mahan birdied six of the first eight holes to go four up on Yang and recovered from bogeys at the ninth and 10th to seal the win on the 15th green. He will now face US Ryder Cup teammate Steve Stricker in Friday's third round. Stricker won a tight encounter with South African Louis Oosthuizen one up after sinking a 20-foot birdie putt at the 18th. John Senden upset fellow Australian Jason Day, the world No. 7, 6&5. In other matches, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa lost to South Korea's Bae Sang-moon one-down and second-ranked Northern Irishman Rory Mcllroy advanced with a 3&2 win over Dane Anders Hansen. Three share lead in S'pore Katie Futcher of the US and South Korea's Jenny Shin each shot 5-under 67s to join a three-way tie for the lead after Friday's second round of the $1.4 million HSBC Women's Champions. Futcher and Shin both shot six birdies and one bogey to reach 8-under 136 along with first-round leader Angela Stanford, who had a 70 Friday. Three players were tied three shots back at 5-under at Tanah Merah Country Club. World No. 1 Yani Tseng shot a 72 to be 1-under and seven strokes off the lead, while American Michelle Wie was an extraordinary 24 shots behind at 16-over. The 63-player field includes 18 of the top 20 in world rankings.
