Top four seeds through to semi-finals

Colin Montgomerie thrashed Padraig Harrington five and three in a devastating start to the defence of his world match play championship on Friday.

The Irishman won the first two holes of the 36-hole quarter-final but was then given a hiding as Montgomerie fired a superb 11-under-par 61 first time around the West Course for a five-hole midway lead.

The Scot maintained his momentum on much of the second circuit and booked a semifinal against U.S. Masters champion Vijay Singh when Ryder Cup team mate Harrington conceded on the 15th green after sending his tee shot into a ditch where he needed to drop out under penalty.

I felt sorry for him almost, said Montgomerie, who is bidding for his fourth win in his last five appearances on the course he loves.

He shot 67 this morning, going out in 31, and finished five down, amazing.

He is a very good player and a very good assert to the Ryder Cup team and he has matured into a very good competitive player. He's come on in leaps and bounds the last year."

Singh, winner three years ago, was not as spectacular as Montgomerie but he was just as efficient and turned a one hole halfway advantage over Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke into a five and four triumph.

The Fijian, still taking pain-killers for an injured right forearm, sealed victory with three successive birdies from the 30th hole.

Clarke had been out on the course in early morning after his first round against fellow Briton Nick Faldo had finished all square on Thursday.

He had needed to negotiate four sudden-death holes before he finally accounted for the six times major winner by sinking a five-foot eagle putt for an eagle against Faldo's birdie at the 497-yard fourth.

"Darren had to get up early and that takes a bit out of you playing 36 holes," said Singh. "After playing Nick early this morning it was kind of getting him a bit tired.

"Colin is playing pretty good but I was always looking forward to the semifinal no matter who it was," said Singh. "But anybody who shoots a 61 is going to be hard to beat. I just hope Colin made all his birdies today.~

Montgomerie produced the most spectacular golf of the day, matching his personal best and carding the lowest round in the 37-year history of the event. It contained nine birdies and an eagle.

He beat by one the previous best mark for the event set by Northern Ireland's Ronan Rafferty against Seve Ballesteros 10 years ago and matched by Singh when he played Swede Patrik Sjoland in 1998.

Unfortunately for the Scot, his effort will not be recognised officially because preferred lies were in operation on the rain-softened course.

Montgomerie dropped his only stroke at the par four third in the afternnon.

Lee Westwood of England withstood a determined challenge by Sergio Garcia to win two and one.

Westwood, Europe's order of merit leader and winner of six tournaments this year, faces three times match play champion Ernie Els in Saturday's other semifinal.

Westwood was five up early on against Garcia but the young Spaniard rallied by winning the 10th and 11th and then the 16th and 18th to be just one down at lunch.

But Westwood had the measure of his 20-year-old opponent after the break and never allowing Garcia closer than two down.

"I played Ernie a couple of years ago and we had a great game," said Westwood. "Any match in this tournament you are going to be up against a very good player, probably a very high standard, and there are no easy matches out there.~

Els, supreme at Wentworth from 1994 to 1996, defeated fellow South African Retief Goosen two and one.

He was a comfortable five ahead five holes into the afternoon round but his game suddenly deserted him and Goosen used his chance to close the deficit to two with an eagle at the 12th.

Both men had fired their tee shots close to the stick on the 179 yards 14th and the halved hole gave Els a valuable breathing space. His touch returned and Goosen made no further inroads.

My game went off a bit at the eighth,~ Els conceded,~but the 14th was the big turnaround. I had my hands full today.

It wasn't an easy day for both Retief and I. We have played so often in juniors, in the Dunhill Cup, and that makes it hard when you are playing against someone who is also your good friend."

Els said of Westwood: "Lee is one of the hottest players in the world right now with six wins this year, so he must really be on his game.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page