KEY POINTS:
ARIZONA - Swede Henrik Stenson booked his place in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship final with a 3&2 victory over South Africa's Trevor Immelman on today.
Desert specialist Stenson, who conjured a miracle escape over the last two holes against Australia's Nick O'Hern in the morning's quarter-finals, sealed the win when both players parred the 16th.
Moments later, title-holder Geoff Ogilvy of Australia triumphed 3&2 against American Chad Campbell when he rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt, also on the 16th.
US Open champion Ogilvy, who beat PGA Tour veteran Davis Love III 3&2 in last year's 36-hole final at La Costa Resort and Spa, has won 11 consecutive matches at the event.
Stenson, who held off Ernie Els and Tiger Woods to clinch his fifth European Tour title at this month's Dubai Desert Classic, never trailed in his match with Immelman.
He took immediate control with a two-putt birdie at the first, holed a 26-footer to birdie the fourth and went three up with another birdie at the par-five fifth.
Although the South African clawed one back at the sixth, where he rolled in a 21-footer, Stenson tightened his grip by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt at the ninth.
Immelman did well to birdie the par-four 12th, getting up and down from the front right greenside bunker, and surprisingly won the hole when Stenson missed from three feet.
But the Swede again went three up when Immelman bogeyed the 15th after his approach ran through the back of the green and clinched victory on the next hole.
Ogilvy, who crushed Arizona-based Briton Paul Casey 5&4 in the morning, faced a tougher opponent in Campbell.
After going one down at the par-five fifth where the American sank a five-foot birdie putt, Ogilvy levelled at the par-three eighth, hitting his tee shot to within 16 feet of the flag.
The Australian went ahead for the first time with another birdie at the par-four ninth, nearly holing out with a second shot from 148 yards.
He doubled his lead when Campbell bogeyed the par-four 12th and ended the match with his birdie putt on the 16th green.
- REUTERS
