MARANA, February 24, 2012 (AFP) - Putting woes doomed Tiger Woods's World Golf Championships Match Play Championship Thursday as Nick Watney bounced the former world number one in the second round.
Watney dismissed Woods 1-up in the Arizona desert, meaning three-time champion Woods hasn’t moved past round two since 2008.
Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all advanced comfortably on a day where only three of 16 matches went against the seedings.
Woods almost came back from 2 down with three to play to force extra holes, but couldn’t make a five-footer on the 18th to extend the match.
It was one of half a dozen short misses for the 14-time major champion, who was unhappy with the greens at the Dove Mountain course.
"They are grainy, there’s no doubt," he said. "I’ve asked some of the guys this week, are you struggling, and they said, yeah, they're hard to read.
"Sometimes the grain takes it, but sometimes you’ve got to factor in the valley, as well. They’re tricky and they're very difficult to read."
Woods also admitted his technique with the flat-stick also needed work.
"I was fighting the blocks all day with my putter," he said. "The putter was going back a little bit shut and subsequently I let it go and it goes left and I block it right."
Despite witnessing Woods's troubles, Watney admitted he was "in shock" that the match didn’t go to extra holes.
"I'm very happy to move on and I feel a bit fortunate as well," he said. "We don’t see him miss putts like that very often, and there were a few of them."
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy never trailed on the way to a 3 and 2 win over Denmark’s Anders Hansen, leaving his chances at ascending to world number one alive as he set up a third-round tie against Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez.
"We both didn’t have our best stuff with us," McIlroy said. "I needed to grind out a few pars and I won a few holes with pars so I'm just happy to be through to the third round."
McIlroy admitted the prospect of rising to the top of the rankings with a victory this week was on his mind.
"Everyone keeps telling me, so it's hard to put it out of my mind," he said. "It’s a little bit of extra motivation this week knowing that if I can get through four more matches, I could go to the top of the world rankings which is obviously a huge moment for my career."
Westwood destroyed Swede Robert Karlsson over the first 10 holes to lead 5 up and despite a few hiccups coming in the Englishman held on for a 3 and 2 win.
"I’ve played great over the first couple of days," Westwood said. "I’ve been solid, come out quick, made a lot of birdies early on and not really give each of the opponents too much of a chance."
The three upsets of the day belonged to Australian John Senden, South Korean Bae Sang-Moon and Jimenez.
Senden, ranked 41st, hammered fellow Australian and world No. 7 Jason Day 6 and 5. Bae ranked 44 in the world, took down Masters champion and world No. 11 Charl Schwartzel of South Africa 1 up.
Jimenez, ranked 52nd, surprised America’s Keegan Bradley 2 and 1.
Scottish pair Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird eliminated young guns Ryo Ishikawa (1 up) and Matteo Manassero (2 and 1) to set up a third round duel.
Steve Stricker celebrated his 45th birthday with a 1 up win over South African Louis Oosthuizen while fellow American Dustin Johnson provided the biggest hiding of the day by belting Italy’s Francesco Molinari 7 and 5.
First day hero Ernie Els, who eliminated world number one Luke Donald on Wedenesday, couldn’t maintain his form and was given a 5 and 4 lesson from Swede Peter Hanson.
World number four Kaymer of Germany continued on with a solid 2 up win over American veteran David Toms.
Results from Thursday's second-round matches at the $8.5 million World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship:
Jones Division
Peter Hanson (SWE x9) bt Ernie Els (RSA x16) 5 and 4
Brandt Snedeker (USA x5) bt Kyle Stanley (USA x13) 2 and 1
Mark Wilson (USA x10) bt Robert Rock (ENG x15) 3 and 2
Dustin Johnson (USA x3) bt Francesco Molinari (ITA x11) 7 and 5
Hogan Division
Martin Kaymer (GER x1) bt David Toms (USA x8) 2 up
Matt Kuchar (USA x4) bt Bubba Watson (USA x5) 3 and 2
Steve Stricker (USA x2) bt Louis Oosthuizen (RSA x7) 1 up
Hunter Mahan (USA x6) bt Y.E. Yang (KOR x14) 5 and 3
Player Division
Rory McIlroy (NIR x1) bt Anders Hansen (DEN x9) 3 and 2
Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP x13) bt Keegan Bradley (USA x5) 2 and 1
John Senden (AUS x10) bt Jason Day (AUS x2) 6 and 5
Bae Sang-Moon (KOR x11) bt Charl Schwartzel (RSA x3) 1 up
Snead Division
Lee Westwood (ENG x1) bt Robert Karlsson (SWE x8) 3 and 2
Nick Watney (USA x4) bt Tiger Woods (USA x5) 1 up
Martin Laird (SCO x10) bt Matteo Manassero (ITA x15) 2 and 1
Paul Lawrie (SCO x11) bt Ryo Ishikawa (JPN x14) 1 up