ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY RELATED STORIES Accenture Match Play Championship Home Page Accenture Match Play Championship Preview Round 1: Tiger Woods romps to record victory Round 1: Verplank beats Westwood in marathon Round 1: Bernhard Langer shocks Ernie Els Round 1: Scott glad to make it through first round Round 2: Top names battle through Round 2: Tiger Woods just edges out Allenby Round 2: Chris DiMarco upbeat after victory Round 2: Europeans find different ways to win Round 3: Big names fall on Friday Round 4: Love & Ogilvy to meet in Final Round 4: Davis Love III wins with eagle on 18th Round 4: Zach Johnson first to reach semi-finals Round 4: Tom Lehman continues Ryder Cup push Round 4: Geoff Ogilvy fortunate to reach final two Round 5: Geoff Ogilvy beats Davis Love 3 & 2 Round 5: Love takes positives from final defeat Round 5: Geoff Ogilvy reflects on 129 hole victory Course Guide: La Costa Accenture Match Play Championship Scores Recovered Tiger set for Match Play Rested Retief Goosen returns to PGA Tour Match Play highlights international growth Ames draws Tiger in revised Match Play draw Ernie Els seeking Match Play improvement Bjorn out of Match Play Championship Draw for Match Play Championship decided Garcia to skip Match Play Championship 2006 PGA Tour Schedule GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Clarke pushing for Ryder Cup Duval still trying to get back on form Ochoa aims to push Sorenstam USGA adds another sponsor Sorenstam to retire at the end of 2008 Garcia back in the World Top 10 GREAT GIFTS FOR GOLFERS Ten great Golf Breaks to be won! Half Price Golf Vouchers InstructaCard - your portable pro! Trion:Z Magnetic /Ion Bracelets Golf Insurance

Scott Verplank beats Lee Westwood in marathon match

When the marathon match finally ended on Wednesday, six hours after the pair teed off at the first, victorious American Scott Verplank realised he was tired.

The 41-year-old had just beaten Britain's Lee Westwood after 26 holes in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, equalling the longest encounter in the tournament's history.

Canada's Mike Weir outlasted American Loren Roberts over the same distance in the first round in 2003.

"I wasn't tired until we got done," Verplank told reporters at La Costa Resort and Spa. "You're going through too much.

"You're in the middle of a game, in the middle of a competition. You don't really think too much about being tired."

Former Ryder Cup player Verplank led by two holes in regulation play before Englishman Westwood fought back to level the match.

The American, who has never progressed beyond the second round in six appearances at the event, then had to make three putts from around eight feet in extra time to keep the match alive.

"It was a great match, really," Verplank said. "I got to two up with two to play and I was never down in the match. I totally choked it on 17. I should have won it right there but I bogeyed the hole.

"And then Lee made a 30-footer on 18, and I had it in there inside him. I hit a beautiful putt and it didn't go in. After that, it was just survival for both of us."

Verplank had to make an eight-foot putt at the 20th hole, a 10-footer at the 21st and a seven-footer at the 22nd to stay in the match.

Westwood holed a 10-footer at the 23rd to keep his own victory hopes alive before Verplank sealed the win at the par-five eighth hole.

Although both players found the rough off the tee there, Westwood struck a tree with his second shot.

"That handcuffed him enough where he made a bogey and I was able to get it on the green in three and two-putt," said Verplank.

"I was happy when he gave me a little eight-incher. He said: 'That's good' and I went: 'Thank God'."

Verplank will play Britain's David Howell in Thursday's second round. Howell beat Australia's Steve Elkington after 22 holes on the opening day.