Putterfingers… Tiger lets win slip away

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This article was published 24/02/2012 (5302 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MARANA, Ariz. — Tiger Woods had a 5-foot birdie putt to extend the match, and Nick Watney already was thinking about how to play the next hole. He had his yardage book out, trying to decide whether 3-wood was the right club to hit off the first tee.

“The old adage is to expect your opponent to make it,” Watney said. “And when it’s Tiger Woods, you really expect him to make it.”

Just not this Tiger Woods.

In what is becoming a troubling trend for Woods, he missed the birdie putt so badly that it never even touched the hole, giving Watney a 1-up victory Thursday in the Match Play Championship.

It was the third straight time that Woods, a three-time champion in this event, failed to get out of the second round.

“I didn’t miss a single shot coming in, which is good. And that was fun, to hit the ball that well,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, I just didn’t make a putt when I needed it.”

Woods missed three putts inside 10 feet over the last six holes, none more important than the last one.

Two weeks ago, Woods couldn’t buy a putt at Pebble Beach and closed with a 75, 11 shots worse than playing partner Phil Mickelson. He also struggled to make putts in Abu Dhabi, when he failed to win despite being tied for the 54-hole lead with Robert Rock.

“I’m very happy to move on. I feel a bit fortunate, as well,” Watney said. “We don’t see him miss putts like that very often. And there were a few of them.”

Woods drilled his approach to 5 feet as the gallery erupted in a cheer that resonated across Dove Mountain. The silence that followed was all anyone needed to know what happened.

“I was fighting the blocks all day with my putter,” Woods said.

Watney next plays Lee Westwood, the former world No. 1 whom Watney has beaten at Dove Mountain each of the last two years. Westwood had no trouble against Robert Karlsson of Sweden, advancing to the third round for the first time in 12 tries at this fickle event.

“Need more clothes. Didn’t pack for long enough!” Westwood jokingly tweeted.

Scotland has two players remaining — former British Open champion Paul Lawrie took down Ryo Ishikawa, and Martin Laird defeated Matteo Manassero. Lawrie and Laird face each other in the third round.

In other matches Thursday:

— U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 seed, made only three birdies but won two straight holes with par to put away Anders Hansen and advance to the third round. He plays Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Spaniard who beat PGA champion Keegan Bradley.

— Dustin Johnson blasted Francesco Molinari early and rolled to a 7-and-5 win. Next up is Mark Wilson, who breezed to a win over Robert Rock.

— Steve Stricker rallied to catch Louis Oosthuizen, then won the match with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

He will play Hunter Mahan, who never trailed in beating Y.E. Yang.

— Ernie Els, one day after becoming only the third No. 64 seed to win, had another short day that precedes a long flight home. He lost, 5 and 4, to Peter Hanson of Sweden.

Seven Americans, seven Europeans, an Asian and an Australian (John Senden) represent the 16 players left.

— The Associated Press