Clarke outplays Woods for title

CARLSBAD, FEB. 28. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland outplayed World No. 1 Tiger Woods to secure an emphatic and surprising victory at the $ 5 million Andersen Consulting Match Play championship.

Clarke, the 19th seed, produced a series of brilliant iron shots to down top seed Woods 4 and 3 in Sunday's 36-hole final. The Ulsterman, in just his second event of the year, collected $one million and improved five spots, to 14th, in the world rankings. Woods earned $500,000 as runner-up.

``I can play pretty good when I'm on. I've the potential but I've let a lot of opportunities slip through my fingers,'' admitted Clarke. ``To play as well as that against the best player in the world is very gratifying.''

Woods has a brilliant match play record, but on this occasion he could not match Clarke, who made 12 birdies for an unofficial score of 11 under-par for the 33 holes played. Clarke was shorter off the tee on nearly every hole, but he used that to his advantage as the first to play his second shot to the par- fours. Clarke was so precise with his irons that he was able to keep relentless pressure on the top seed.

Woods struggled with his swing most of the day, but still unofficially shot five under.

``I did a lot of it with smoke and mirrors today,'' Woods said. ``I just couldn't quite hit the shots the way I wanted. Darren went just flat out outplayed me today.''

Woods and Clarke share the same coach, Butch Harmon, and are very familiar with each other's game. ``Darren has the ability to play great golf,'' Woods said. ``It's just dependent on how dedicated he is to his work ethic. Butch has been trying to get him to work a little harder.''

As lopsided as the final score was, it took a long time for Clarke to crack open the match. The two players were all square after the morning 18 holes, but Clarke came out on fire after lunch. He made five birdies in eight holes to take an unlikely 4 up lead and leave the largely pro-Woods crowd in stunned silence.

Woods made a two-putt birdie at the par-five ninth to reduce the deficit to 3 down after 27 holes. He lost the next with a bogey, but then won the 11th with another birdie. The pivotal hole became the par-five 12th, where Woods reached a greenside bunker with his second shot, but left his third shot in the sand. He blasted his fourth out to four feet, only to miss the par putt.

That gave Clarke, who made a regulation par, a 4 up lead with just six holes to play, a deficit from which even the amazing Woods was unable to recover as the next hole was halved with birdies and the two after that with pars to close out the match.

In the match for third place, second seed David Duval whipped fourth seed Davis Love 5 and 4.

- Reuters

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