WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS – Accenture Match Play Championship

Site: Marana, Ariz.

Schedule: Wednesday-Sunday.

Course: Dove Mountain, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club (7,466 yards, par 72).

Purse: $8.5 million. Winner’s share: $1.4 million.

Television (all times PST): Golf Channel (Wednesday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30-8:30 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday, 11 p.m.-2 a.m., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 11 p.m.-2 a.m., 7-11 a.m.; Sunday, 7-10:30 a.m.) and NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.).

Last year: Tiger Woods beat Stewart Cink, 8-and-7, in the 36-hole final at The Gallery for his fifth conseucutive victory and 15th World Golf Championship title. Woods also won in 2003 and 2004 and reached the 2000 final, losing to Darren Clarke.

Last week: Phil Mickelson successfully defended his Northern Trust Open title, beating Steve Stricker by a stroke at Riviera. Mickelson went from a four-shot lead at the start of the final round to a two-shot deficit with three holes to play. He birdied 16 and 17 and wrapped up his 35th tour victory with a 6-foot par putt on 18.

Notes: Woods is making his first start since winning the U.S. Open on June 16. He had surgery a week later to reconstruct the ligaments in his left knee. He’ll open against Australia’s Brendan Jones, an eight-time winner on the Japanese tour. Woods has a 31-6 record in the event, with three of the losses coming at the hands of Australians — Peter O’Malley in the first round in 2002, and Nick O’Hern in the second rounds in 2005 and 2007. … Mickelson will open against Angel Cabrera. … The tournament is in its first year at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ritz-Carlton after two years at The Gallery. … The Honda Classic is next week in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., followed by the WGC-CA Championship at Doral in Miami — opposite the Puerto Rico Open.

On the Net: http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com
PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com

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