ESTEPONA, Spain: Ryder Cup partners Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will meet in the last sixteen of the Volvo World Matchplay Championship following Friday's group matches. McDowell edged out battling Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas by one hole to top his group and fellow Northern Irishman McIlroy lost 3 and 2 to Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts. World No. 1 Lee Westwood notched another comfortable victory, beating Australian Aaron Baddeley 4 and 3 to top his group. He will face Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter. Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer, who could supplant Westwood as No. 1 if they win the tournament on the Costa del Sol, also advanced serenely into the last 16 as unbeaten group winners. Second-ranked Luke Donald beat defending champion Ross Fisher 3 and 1 in Group B. He will play Sweden's Johan Edfors next. Third-ranked Kaymer beat a second Korean player in successive days, downing Noh Seung-yul 2 and 1 to set up a last-16 match against Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen. Of the 24 players to start the group stages, eight were eliminated Friday after two defeats. The list included four major winners past and present — two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, reigning British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, 2009 US PGA winner Y.E. Yang and 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie. The lone American in the field, Ryan Moore, exited Friday after losing the last four holes to go down by one to Englishman Fisher. The other last-16 matches will be Colsaerts vs. Jhonattan Vegas, Alvaro Quiros vs. Noh, Schwartzel vs. Fisher and Francesco Molinari vs. Baddeley. Thornton grabs lead In Portugal, Ireland's Simon Thornton carded a second round 66 for a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Madeira Islands Open Friday. The 33-year-old leads from France's François Delamontagne, with overnight leader Chris Gane and his English compatriot Jamie Elson tied for third on five under. Toms has fast start In Dallas, American David Toms rebounded from his playoff loss at last week's Players Championship in sizzling style as he charged into a share of the lead at the Colonial Invitational Thursday. Four days after missing a par putt from inside four feet to be beaten by South Korean K.J. Choi at the first extra hole, Toms fired a flawless eight-under-par 62 in the opening round at Colonial Country Club. Making the most of ideal scoring conditions on soft and receptive greens, the 44-year-old needed only 24 putts before ending the round level with compatriot Chez Reavie, who also delivered a bogey-free display. Compatriot Rickie Fowler briefly got to nine under before double-bogeying his final hole, the par-four ninth, for an opening 63. US Ryder Cup player Fowler, at 22 still seeking his first PGA Tour title, produced red-hot form after the turn and was one ahead of the field before he found water with his approach at the ninth. He ended up double-bogeying the hole for a homeward nine of six-under 29 to lie one stroke off the early pace. Stewart Cink opened with a 64 to end the day level with fellow American Brian Gay, Australian Nathan Green, South Korean Charlie Wi and Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge. American Zach Johnson carded a 68, while Australian Adam Scott returned a 66.
