Good day for the Americans

Justin Leonard made a stunning escape to stay alive in the Accenture Match Play Championship today, beating Gary Orr of Scotland on the 20th hole in what was shaping up as a strong day for Americans.

It was a great one for Steve Stricker and Craig Stadler, who are both in the 90s in the Official World Golf Ranking and now in the final 16 of the $5 million tournament.

Leonard had no reason to think he would be there.

On a stifling hot day at Metropolitan Golf Club, Leonard appeared to be toast. He was 1-down to Gary Orr on the 16th hole and so far into the bushes on the left that he had to play out back-handed with his putter just to get to the rough.

Then, he flared his approach to the right and pitched to a foot for a bogey.

Orr was sitting pretty in the fairway, but then collapsed. He pulled his approach into the bunker, skulled it out of thin sand across the green into another bunker, and failed to get-up-and-down, taking double bogey.

Instead of being dormie, Leonard was all square, and he jumped on the opportunity by winning the 17th. Then came more dramatics.

Orr made a 15-foot putt on the last, and Leonard missed from 6 feet to force extra holes. Leonard missed another 6-footer that would have closed out the match, but finally got the win when Orr bogeyed the 20th hole.

Stadler's round wasn't nearly that dramatic.

The Walrus, No. 92 in the world and the 57th seed in the 64-man field, put an end to Craig Parry's heroics in Melbourne, defeating the Australian 7 and 6 to tie the largest margin of victory in the three-year history of the tournament.

Stricker, ranked 90th, once again played like the promising young star from a couple of years ago, using a hot putter to beat Scott Verplank 3 and 2.

Tom Lehman, the No. 4 beat Jeff Sluman 3 and 2, but third-seeded Vijay Singh lost on the 18th to the virtual unknown Taniguchi.

Stricker and Stadler got in the $5 million World Golf Championship event because Tiger Woods, David Duval, Colin Montgomerie, and a host of highly ranked players decided a long trip to Australia wasn't worth it this time of the year, especially in the fickle format of match play.

Good news for Stricker and Stadler, who are now guaranteed at least $75,000, and stand just four matches away from the top prize of $1 million.

Parry, who birdied the 18th from 20 feet and won in extra holes in the opening round, never had a chance against Stadler, who made everything in sight and even holed a bunker shot.

"Unfortunately, once in a while you get someone that does that to you, and I haven't done that to anybody in a long time,'' said Stadler, who made seven birdies in 12 holes. "I just kept making putts, hitting it close.''

Michael Campbell of New Zealand also cruised into the round of 16, and could be the man to beat. "I'd back myself,'' he said after another short day, beating Toshi Izawa, 5 and 4.

Campbell was 6-under par in the first round and 5-under against Izawa, and has yet to play the 16th hole in competition.

In other early matches, Andrew Coltart of Scotland eliminated David Toms with a 3 and 2 victory, while Jean Van de Velde won five of the first seven holes in a 4-and-3 victory over South Africa's Retief Goosen.

Els, meanwhile, went all the way against Tanaka, after being three down after four holes he took till the 18th to close out the Japanese player.

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