Top players go down in match play

MARANA, Ariz. - The remaining top four seeds went down and so did the defending champion yesterday in the second round of the Match Play Championship.

An event already minus Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson sent several of the world's best to early exits as Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy - seeded second through fifth - were among the losers.

Nick Watney, beat Westwood, 2 and 1; Charl Schwartzel bested Furyk, 3 and 2; Tim Clark defeated Keymer, 3 and 2; and Oliver Wilson edged McIlroy in 20 holes.

Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy was beaten by Colombian Camilo Villegas, 2 and 1. Top-seeded Steve Stricker lost Wednesday at Dove Mountain, the first top seed ever to lose in the tourney's first round.

The highest remaining seed is England's Paul Casey at No. 6. Casey, the runner-up a year ago, dispatched Canadian Mike Weir, 5 and 4.

Elsewhere. Joe Durant birdied five of the final eight holes for a 7-under 64 and a 1-stroke lead in the PGA's Mayakoba Golf Classic at the El Camaleon course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Suzann Pettersen of Norway and M.J. Hur of South Korea each shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead after the first round of LPGA Thailand, the season-opening event at the Siam Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand.