Woods & Cink to Meet in Finals

By Andrew Both PA SportsTicker Golf Writer
MARANA, Arizona (Ticker) - Tiger Woods and Stewart Cink will clash in an all-American final at the Accenture Match Play Championship. The top seed, Woods stayed on course for his third victory in this World Golf Championships event when he eliminated Henrik Stenson in their semifinal match on Saturday.

Last year's winner, Stenson was the lone European survivor into the final four, and he kept it close, but the Swede never led as Woods clinched a hard-fought 2-up victory at Dove Mountain. The other semi was a lopsided affair, with Stewart Cink making a brilliant start before cruising to a 3 and 2 win over Justin Leonard.

Woods and Stenson won one hole each on the front nine, and halved the other seven to make the turn all square. Woods, the 2003-04 champion, took the lead with a birdie at the par-5 10th, so often a pivotal hole, and they halved the next five holes until Stenson pulled level with a 15-foot birdie at the par-3 16th. But Woods regained the lead with a clutch 10-foot birdie at the par-5 17th. "It was a nice putt to make," Woods said. "It's fun to have the opportunity. Whether you succeed or fail, at least you have a chance. Luckily over my career, I've succeeded more than I've failed." Woods did not even have to sweat at the last after Stenson, needing a birdie at the last to have any chance, came up short of the green with his approach shot, before chunking his chip. He did not even bother to hit another shot, conceding to Woods as his 10-match winning streak at this event came to an end.

The few spectators who decided to follow the Cink-Leonard match were rewarded by some spectacular play on the front nine. Leonard was 3-under through eight holes, but could not keep pace with the sizzling Cink, who was 7-under through eight holes. They were all square after three holes, before Cink won four of the next five to break clear as his putter ran white hot. "I've never gotten this far before," said 22nd-seeded Cink. "To be in the final, it's going to be a blast." Cink admitted the last few holes had been ugly. "I started off so hot and two things happened. Physically, I was running out of gas and mentally I got a bit ahead of myself," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Woods ultimately was far too good for K.J. Choi in the their quarterfinal. Woods took a while to warm to his task on a cool morning, all square at the turn, but once he found his game it was all over. The top seed took the lead with an eagle at the par-5 10th, where he chipped in from 30 feet, and also won the 12th and 14th holes with birdies to take total command. "I just had to stay patient," said Woods, who halved the next two holes to close out the Korean.