Golf | Steve Stricker survives again

MARANA, Ariz. — Tiger Woods barely broke a sweat. Steve Stricker went into overtime for the second straight day. They had only one thing in common Thursday in the Accenture Match Play Championship, which ultimately was all that mattered.

Both are still playing.

One day after a stunning comeback to survive the opening round, Woods built a quick lead against Arron Oberholser and never gave him much hope in a 3-and-2 victory.

The thrills belonged to Stricker, who made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 19th hole to extend the match, then defeated Presidents Cup teammate Hunter Mahan with a birdie putt just inside 50 feet. It was the second straight day Stricker won in 20 holes.

It was the second straight year that Phil Mickelson was given a long weekend off.

Fresh off a victory at Riviera, he couldn't make enough birdies to keep up with Stuart Appleby, who couldn't miss. Appleby's ninth birdie came on the 17th hole, and it was enough to send Lefty packing with a 2-and-1 loss.

David Toms didn't have any chance at all.

His back flared up late in his first-round victory over Masters champion Zach Johnson, and the pain was such that he had to withdraw before facing Aaron Baddeley, giving the Australian a day off.

Next up for Baddeley is a third-round date with Woods, who had to play his final five holes in 5-under par to rally against J.B. Holmes in the first round. He had no such worries against Oberholser, who was playing in his first tournament of the year because of a shoulder injury. Oberholser hit his second shot into the desert to lose the opening hole, and didn't win a hole until a birdie at the 12th.

"Match play is an animal that's all about the moment," Woods said.

Wie breaks 70 in home state

KAPOLEI, Hawaii — Michelle Wie got off to a promising start in her first tournament round of the year, shooting a 3-under 69 in the Fields Open to finish three strokes behind early leader Paula Creamer.

Showing no signs of the wrist injuries that plagued her last year, Wie broke 70 for the first time since the Evian Ladies Masters in July 2006, a tournament where she tied for second and earned her largest LPGA Tour check.

Creamer shot a 6-under 66, birdieing the last three holes for a 5-under 31 on the back nine. Annika Sorenstam, trying to complete a Hawaiian sweep after winning at Turtle Bay for her 70th LPGA Tour title, opened with a 70.

The 18-year-old Wie looked relaxed and confident playing on her home island of Oahu in front of a familiar gallery that ballooned as she moved up the leaderboard. She demonstrated a solid short game and was still a little shaky off the tees.

Other tournaments

• At the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, John Merrick holed a 50-foot putt on his final hole for a 6-under 64 and a one-stroke lead after one round, while course designer Greg Norman opened with a 70 at El Camaleon.

The 53-year-old Norman dropped two strokes on the 16th hole when he needed three shots to escape a greenside bunker, then three-putted for a bogey on the next hole.

Larry Mize, Robert Damron, David Lutterus and Kenneth Ferrie shot 65s, and John Daly, Brian Gay and Tommy Gainey had 66s.

• Australia's Ewan Porter shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a one-stroke lead over American Fran Quinn in the Moonah Classic at Fingal, Australia.

Argentina's Fabian Gomez and American Chris Kirk opened with 69s in the event sanctioned by the Nationwide and Australasian tours.