Day reaches Match Play quarters with win over Watson

MARANA, Arizona (AFP) –

Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot on the 5th hole during the third round of the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain on February 23, 2013 in Marana, Arizona.

Australia’s Jason Day powered past Masters champion Bubba Watson 4 and 3 on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship.

Day was 3-up heading to the 15th at Dove Mountain, a driveable par-four. Watson ended up conceding the hole to end the match, sending Day into an afternoon quarter-final conest with Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.

Former US Open champion McDowell ended Irishman Shane Lowry’s dream run with a 3 and 2 third-round victory.

Lowry had toppled world number one Rory McIlroy in the first round, then became the first 64th seed to reach the third round in the 15-year history of the event with a convincing 6 and 5 victory over Carl Petterson.

McIlroy led a parade of top seeds out of the tournament in the first two rounds.

Three-time champion Tiger Woods, the world number two and second seed, also exited in the first round, while the overall third, fourth and fifth seeds — Luke Donald, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose — all lost in the second.

Defending champion Hunter Mahan made it safely through to the quarters with a 5 and 4 victory over Germany’s Martin Kaymer.

Kaymer, runner-up to Donald in 2011, was 2-down after four holes as he was unable to birdie either of the opening par-fives on the course.

Mahan plays reigning US Open champion Webb Simpson, a 2-up winner over Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Ian Poulter of England advanced with a 5 and 3 victory over South African Tim Clark, setting up a clash with US Ryder Cup foe Steve Stricker — who edged Scott Piercy 1-up.

Robert Garrigus, who ousted former Masters champion Oosthuizen in the second round, advanced with a 3 and 1 victory over Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson.

He next faced fellow American Matt Kuchar, who beat Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts 4 and 3.