MARANA, Ariz. — Teen sensation Rory McIlroy put some excitement back into the Accenture Match Play Championship, advancing to the quarterfinals by crushing the player who knocked out Tiger Woods.
The same could not be said for Phil Mickelson, who failed to reach the weekend for the fifth straight year.
McIlroy, 19, from Northern Ireland, built a 4-up lead after six holes and never gave Tim Clark a chance to catch up in a 4-and-3 victory Friday.
Mickelson had not trailed all week until Stewart Cink ran off three straight birdies to build a 3-up lead after four holes.
• American Brittany Lang shot a 3-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead over compatriots Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer after the second round of the $1.45 million LPGA Thailand.
Vonn keeps overall lead
BANSKO, Bulgaria — Racing with an injured thumb and nervous on a bumpy course, Lindsey Vonn shared third place in a downhill event to extend her lead in the World Cup overall standings. Vonn, who fell in training Thursday, finished in 1 minute, 46.92 seconds, trailing Fabienne Suter by 1.24 seconds and Andrea Fischbacher by 0.09.
• Marion Trott of Germany won the women’s competition at the skeleton world championships in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Footnotes.
Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch became the first brothers since 2000 to sweep the front row in qualifying for a NASCAR race, but Kyle Busch’s blown motor will prevent the Las Vegas drivers from starting next to each other at their home track. Third-place qualifier Jimmie Johnson will slide into the front row next to Kurt Busch.
• Oklahoma basketball star Blake Griffin has been cleared to play after suffering a concussion. The Sooners visit Texas Tech today. Griffin is averaging 22 points and 13.8 rebounds.
• San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan missed his third consecutive game with a right quadriceps injury but is expected to return to the lineup as early as Sunday.
• NHL executive and Hockey Hall of Fame member Jim Gregory, 73, had a heart attack in the league’s Toronto office and is in critical condition.
• The Vancouver Canucks claimed veteran defenseman Ossi Vaananen, 28, off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Top-seeded Novak Djokovic advanced to the finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, rallying to beat third-seeded Gilles Simon of France 3-6, 7-5, 7-5. Djokovic will play David Ferrer of Spain, who beat Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
• Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-3 to reach the Mexican Open final in Acapulco. Williams will face defending champion Flavia Pennetta for the title.
• Softball rejected a proposal from baseball for a joint bid to get reinstated for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC voted to drop baseball and softball in 2005, and softball officials have said their sport was hurt by baseball’s doping scandals. The Associated Press
