Woods into Match Play finals
TUCSON, Arizona (AP) — Tiger Woods holed another crucial putt on the 17th hole Saturday, this one sending him into the 36-hole final of the Accenture Match Play Championship for the fourth time in nine tries.
Woods never trailed in a tight match with defending champion Henrik Stenson, who tied him with a 15-foot birdie on the 16th.
But the 17th hole has been somewhat of a charm for the world’s No. 1 player, who might not be around if not for a 35-foot eagle putt he made in the first round, or Aaron Baddeley’s eagle putt that just missed to the right on Friday.
After hitting a tough bunker shot to 12 feet, Woods holed the birdie putt for a 1-up lead, and won 2-up when Stenson took four shots to reach the final green.
Woods will face Stewart Cink, a 4-and-2 winner over Justin Leonard, in the sixth All-American final in 10 years of this World Golf Championship.
Woods figures to have an advantage in experience, among other things. Cink has never made it this far in the Match Play Championship, while Woods won in 2003 and 2004, and lost in the final match to Darren Clarke in 2000.
Cink’s last victory was the NEC Invitational at Firestone in 2004. Since that time, he is 0-for-85 on the PGA Tour, while Woods has won 22 times in 56 starts.
In the morning quarterfinals, Woods beat K.J. Choi 3 and 2, and Cink edged U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, also 3 and 2. E-mail to a friend
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