* Mahan crushes Yang 53
* Johnson thumps Molinari 75
* Woods one down to Watney after 16 holes
(Updates with later matches)
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
MARANA, Arizona, Feb 23 (Reuters) – While Tiger Woods
was toiling in his match, fellow Americans Hunter Mahan and
Dustin Johnson eased into the third round of the WGC-Accenture
Match Play Championship with commanding victories on Thursday.
Mahan became the first player to advance, crushing South
Korean Yang Yong-eun 53, and Johnson followed with a 75
demolition of Italy’s Francesco Molinari at Dove Mountain’s
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
Three-times champion Woods, however, was one down to fellow
American Nick Watney after 16 holes in his bid for a first PGA
Tour victory in over two years.
British world number three Lee Westwood reached the third
round for the first time in 12 appearances at the event, beating
Swede Robert Karlsson 32, and fourth-ranked German Martin
Kaymer edged past American David Toms two up.
In blazing desert sunshine, Mahan birdied six of the first
eight holes to go four up on Yang and recovered from bogeys at
the ninth and 10th to seal the win on the 15th green.
Continued…
