MARANA, Arizona — Defending champion Hunter Mahan and 2010 winner Ian Poulter set up a mouth-watering showdown in the last four of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship by winning their quarterfinals Saturday. American Mahan triumphed 1-up after a tight match with US Open winner Webb Simpson while Briton Poulter advanced with a commanding 3&2 victory over American veteran Steve Stricker on a sun-splashed afternoon at Dove Mountain. The other semifinal will be contested between American Matt Kuchar and Australian Jason Day, at 25 the youngest player left in the draw. Kuchar became the first player to reach the last four, beating compatriot Robert Garrigus 3&2, before Day battled past Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell 1-up in a closely contested encounter. Most eyes, however, will be firmly focused on the battle between Mahan and Poulter who are both bidding to reach the Match Play final for a second time. Poulter will be a little fresher, having gone 4-up on 2001 Match Play champion Stricker after 12 holes before wrapping up his win by sinking a 10-foot par putt at the short 16th. The flamboyant Englishman, who is renowned for his matchplay grit and superb putting, went ahead for the first time at the par-three third where he sank a double-breaking 40-footer for birdie while Stricker missed his attempt from seven feet. Stricker, who celebrated his 46th birthday Saturday, had reached the quarterfinals with a sizzling eight-birdie display earlier in the day when he beat fellow American Scott Piercy 1-up. Inbee bags LPGA Thailand Inbee Park of South Korea took advantage of overnight leader Ariya Jutanugarn's collapse on the last hole of the final round Sunday to secure a one-stroke victory in the LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi. Thai teenager Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead over the Korean on the final hole where she hit a triple bogey before finishing with a 72, to hand the No. 4-ranked Park, who had finished earlier with a 67 for a 12-under 276 total, a surprise win. Jutanugarn, who needed a putt from within two feet to force a playoff on the last but saw her ball lip out and stop a foot away, was moved to tears by the miss as Park, who was watching from the clubhouse, celebrated with her caddie. The Thai teen finished with sole possession of second place with an 11-under 277. Yani Tseng shot a final-round 63 for a 10-under 278 to finish joint third with Beatriz Recari (70) of Spain and So Yeon Ryu (68) of South Korea. — Agencies
