Accenture Match Play Championship 2008

Tiger Woods stayed on course for a sixth tournament victory in a row by comfortably beating South Korea’s K.J. Choi 3&2 in Saturday’s quarter-finals at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The American world number one, champion at La Costa in 2003 and 2004, chipped in to eagle the par-five 10th before sealing the win with a regulation par on the 16th green.

Woods, who needed 20 holes to scrape past Australia’s Aaron Baddeley in the previous round, will meet holder Henrik Stenson in the last four, the big-hitting Swede having come from two down after six holes to beat American Woody Austin two up.

It was the 10th successive match won at the event by Stenson, who became the second European to win the coveted title with a 2&1 victory over Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy in last year’s final.

“I had some good putts today and thought I was going to be able to close it out on 17,” the Swede told reporters after being dormie three with three holes to play before Austin fought back.

“Thankfully I hit a great approach on 18 and it was done and over with pretty much.”

Stewart Cink never trailed against Argentina’s Angel Cabrera before winning 3&2 to earn a semi-final match-up later in the day with fellow American Justin Leonard, who holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the last to edge Vijay Singh one up.

Leonard, the 50th seed, had been three up on Singh after 11 holes before the smooth-swinging Fijian got back to all square after 17.

“Overall my putting has been what’s kept me on top of most of these matches the whole way,” Ryder Cup player Cink said after reaching the semi-finals for the first time in nine attempts. “My putting has been solid all week.”

Woods lost the par-five opening hole after he pulled his tee shot left into the desert scrub, took a penalty drop and was unable to reach the green with his third. He conceded the hole to Choi, who struck a superb second shot to 10 feet.

However, the 13-times major champion immediately recovered when he rolled in a 16-footer to birdie the par-four second and level the match.

The next seven holes were halved before Woods chipped in from just short of the green to eagle the 10th and go one up.

The world number one doubled his lead by rolling in a 26-foot birdie putt at the 12th and then coaxed in a 23-footer at the par-three 14th to go three up.

Choi appeared likely to win the par-four 15th after hitting his approach to four feet but was denied when Woods calmly sank a 31-footer for a matching birdie.

The encounter ended at the par-three 16th where both players carded regulation threes.

“I just had to stay patient,” Woods said after reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time in nine appearances.

“K.J put a lot of pressure on me with his ball-striking. I just had to hang in there.”

Woods won last month’s Buick Invitational in his first start of the year before clinching the European Tour’s Dubai desert Classic the following week.

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