ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated: 8:30?p.m.?Saturday,?Feb.?25,?2012
Published: 7:59?p.m.?Saturday,?Feb.?25,?2012
MARANA, Ariz. ? A dull day in the desert ended with high anticipation Saturday when Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood won their matches, setting up a semifinal showdown in the Match Play Championship.
At stake for the winner ? a chance to go to No. 1 in the world.
McIlroy had another surge on the back nine to put away Bae Sang-moon of South Korean, 3 and 2. Moments later, Westwood finished off Martin Laird of Scotland for a 3-and-2 victory to advance to the semifinals.
Either of them can replace Luke Donald at No. 1 by winning this World Golf Championship.
"It definitely gives the match an extra bit of spice," McIlroy said.
Hunter Mahan played the shortest quarterfinal match in the 14-year history of the event by beating Matt Kuchar, 6 and 5. His semifinal match will be against Mark Wilson, gaining more respect the deeper he goes in the bracket. Wilson had an easy time in his 4-and-3 win over Peter Hanson of Sweden.
That assures an American will reach the championship match for the first time since Tiger Woods won in 2008.
The semifinal matches will be played this morning, followed by the 18-hole championship match this afternoon.
With a strong breeze, firmer conditions, tough hole locations and only four quarterfinal matches, Saturday at Dove Mountain was lacking excitement. For the first time ever, none of the quarterfinal matches reached the 17th hole.
McIlroy and Westwood saved the day.
For starters, it's the first time the Match Play Championship semifinals have featured two of the top four seeds since 2004, when Woods and Davis Love III advanced. McIlroy is No. 2, and Westwood is No. 3.
Summerhays ahead of Stroud by two
MEXICO ? Daniel Summerhays shot a 4-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead over Chris Stroud in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Summerhays had a 12-under 201 total. Stroud had a 68.
Michael Allen, Marc Turnesa and Will Claxton were four strokes back at 8 under. Allen shot 66, Turnesa 67 and Claxton 71.
Three stay tied for Women's lead
SINGAPORE ? Americans Katie Futcher and Angela Stanford and South Korea's Jenny Shin shot 1-under 71s to stay tied for the lead after three rounds of the HSBC Women's Champions.
Futcher led almost the entire day, jumping ahead with a birdie on the second hole. But a bogey on 18 ? just her second of the tournament ? allowed Stanford and Shin to regain a share of the lead at 9-under 207.
China's Shanshan Feng shot a 69 and was two shots behind the leaders while South Koreans Jiyai Shin (70) and Na Yeon Choi (71) were tied with top-ranked Yani Tseng (67) of Taiwan three shots back.
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