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Smarting Woods completes record 9&8 win over Ames

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 16:47 CST

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

CARLSBAD, California (Reuters) - Tiger Woods inflicted the heaviest defeat in WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship history with a 9&8 victory over Canada's Stephen Ames in Wednesday's opening round.

The world number one, fired by comments made by Ames the previous day and also by a six-birdie start, sealed his 22nd win in 26 matches at the event with a regulation par at the 10th hole.

His victory margin eclipsed the previous mark of 7&6 achieved by six players, including himself when he beat Australia's Stephen Leaney in the third round in 2003.

"I hit the ball really well today, basically it was an extension of (practice) yesterday," twice champion Woods told reporters.

"You just have to bear down and put as much pressure on your opponent as you can. In match play, it's a sprint. It's only 18 holes."

Woods, who reached the turn in a sizzling seven-under-par 29, admitted he had been stung by comments made by Ames about the accuracy of his driving.

Asked whether he felt the comments were disrespectful, Woods replied: "It's fair comment. I just don't do it."

After further questioning, Woods described his reaction quite simply as: "9&8."

Ames had said about his match with the game's leading player: "Anything can happen, especially when he's hitting the ball."

RED-HOT RUN

Back in action after withdrawing from the Nissan Open four days ago because of flu, twice champion Woods launched his red-hot run by hitting a superb approach to just five feet at the par-four first.

He rolled in a 17-footer at the par-three second, reached the green in two at the par-five third and coolly sank a 12-footer on four to tighten his grip on the match at a sun-drenched La Costa Resort and Spa.

Woods then struck his tee shot at the par-three fifth to within three feet of the flag before making an eight-footer at the par-four sixth to secure his sixth birdie of the day.

Ames, the world number 68, went seven down after three-putting from 40 feet to bogey the par-four seventh and Woods stretched his lead to eight when he chipped to three feet at the par-five eighth.

A late addition to this week's field after the withdrawal on Monday of Denmark's Thomas Bjorn because of a sore neck, Ames dropped his third shot of the day at the par-four ninth after missing the green to the right with his approach.

Champion in 2003 and 2004, Woods has an excellent record in the opening World Golf Championships (WGC) event of the year. He also reached the final in 2000, when he lost to Britain's Darren Clarke 4&3.

Woods is bidding to claim his third title in four starts this year.

The 10-times major winner triumphed at the Buick Invitational in San Diego in late January before clinching the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic the following week.

Source: REUTERS

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