Golf: Singh, Woods, Mickelson out of world matchplay

World No 1 Vijay Singh and title holder Tiger Woods led a parade of seeds to the exit door at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Golf Championship, leaving the $US7.5 million ($NZ10.50 million) event stripped of its marquee players.

A day of shocks at the soggy La Costa Resort and Spa began with the top two seeds Singh and Woods eliminated in the second round and continued into the third round with number three Phil Mickelson and No 6 Sergio Garcia also being bundled out.

Only a stirring comeback from three down by South African fourth seed Retief Goosen to salvage a 19-hole win over American Chad Campbell prevented the day from being a total wipeout for the leading four players.

Having never progressed beyond the second round in five attempts, Singh's 3 and 2 defeat by American Jay Haas barely qualified as a surprise.

But Nick O'Hern's 3 and 1 triumph over Woods ranked among the tournament's biggest upsets, the Australian ending the world No 2's 13-match unbeaten streak at the La Costa and his bid for an unprecedented third consecutive title here.

"You just have to go ahead and plod along, and that's what Nick does," Woods told reporters.

"He's very consistent, very solid. The difference is that he made enough birdies to win the match. "

Only once before in five previous visits had Woods failed to reach at least the quarter-finals, losing to another Australian Peter O'Malley in the opening round in 2002.

"In this game anything can happen," said O'Hern, who followed up by powering into the quarter-finals with a 5 and 4 victory over Britain's Luke Donald.

"A good friend of mine, Pete O'Malley, beat him a few years ago so I knew he wasn't unbeatable. "

The Australian left-hander had only once before qualified for the elite 64-player field, finishing tied fifth in 2001.

Haas was also always going to be a tough opponent for Singh, the 51-year-old American possessing a solid match play record, including a quarter-final appearance here in 2003.

But the US Ryder Cup veteran was unable to carry his form into the third round, falling to compatriot Chris DiMarco 2 and 1.

Riding the momentum from back-to-back wins at the recent Phoenix Open and Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Mickelson began his day by disposing of Argentine Angel Cabrera 4 and 3.

Mickelson, however, found himself one down after the opening hole of his third-round match against David Toms and the US Masters champion eventually succumbed 4 and 2.

Australia's Adam Scott, winner of the rain-hit Nissan Open last Monday, continued to flourish in the soggy conditions by reaching the last eight with a 4 and 3 win over Spaniard Garcia.

Also through to Saturday's quarter-finals were Britain's Ian Poulter, Australia's Robert Allenby and American Stewart Cink.

- REUTERS