MARANA, Arizona — South African Louis Oosthuizen coasted in sizzling style while Americans Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler both staged thrilling comebacks to reach the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship quarterfinals here Friday. Also advancing into the last eight were Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, making his debut this week in a World Golf Championships event, and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, after a third successive Houdini-like escape at Dove Mountain. Former British Open champion Oosthuizen, who upset top-seeded Swede Henrik Stenson in the previous round, was a flawless six-under for the day when he sealed a commanding 5&4 victory over American Webb Simpson. Oosthuizen, who has been one of the standout players all week, eagled the par-five second and then added four birdies to tighten his grip on the third-round encounter. “I'm playing some of my best (golf) now,” Oosthuizen said. Oosthuizen will next meet Australian Jason Day, who never trailed on the way to a comfortable 3&1 win against South African George Coetzee. PGA Tour veteran Furyk and emerging talent Fowler also reached the last eight, but both had their work cut out before they advanced. Furyk came from three down after six holes to win a hotly contested match with compatriot Harris English one up, making sure of the win with birdies at 16 and 17 before recording a matching par at the 18th. Fowler rallied from three down after eight holes to pip Spaniard Sergio Garcia one up. The American piled up five birdies in the last 10 holes to seize control and will take on Furyk in Saturday's quarterfinals. McDowell came from two down after 16 holes to edge American Hunter Mahan after 21. The Northern Irishman won the 17th and 18th, sank a 20-footer for par at the 20th to stay in the match and then sealed his third remarkable victory this week with a birdie at the 21st. “I really don't know what to say,” former US Open champion McDowell said after emerging triumphant in a re-match of his decisive singles clash with Mahan at the 2010 Ryder Cup, also won by the Northern Irishman. McDowell will next meet Dubuisson, who beat former Masters champion Bubba Watson one up in an erratic match that featured just six birdies between them. Jordan Spieth, 20, ousted fellow American and defending champion Matt Kuchar in a match of high quality, completing a 2&1 victory with his ninth birdie of the day at the par-four 17th. Veteran South African Ernie Els beat PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner one up and will next take on Spieth, an opponent less than half his age. Els is 44. Nordqvist extends lead Sweden's Anna Nordqvist stretched her lead to four shots in the third round of the $1.5 million Honda LPGA Thailand Tournament Saturday with an impressive five-under 67. Nordqvist moved to 11-under for the tournament — four ahead of defending champion Park In-bee of South Korea who also shot 67, and American Michelle Wie who hit 69. Alone in fourth place at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya was Paraguay's Julieta Granada with a 71. A further shot behind in joint fifth were Americans Lexi Thompson and Kristie Kerr, along with New Zealand youngster Lydia Ko and two-time champion in this event Tseng Ya-ni from Taiwan. — Agencies
