Tiger Woods (AFP)
Tiger Woods had all he could handle from South African Tim Clark Thursday early in the second round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.
The superstar, playing his first tournament since reconstructive surgery on his left knee in June, was all-square in his match with Clark through nine holes.
American Phil Mickelson again let a commanding lead slip, but pulled off a 1-up victory over compatriot Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion.
Colombia's Camilo Villegas, meanwhile, completed a comfortable 5 and 4 victory over Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez.
England's Oliver Wilson defeated American Anthony Kim 2 and 1, while his compatriot Paul Casey made short work of Australia's Mathew Goggin 6 and 4.
But Woods, returning from the longest layoff of his professional career, remained the center of attention at the Dove Mountain course.
He had gained the upper hand over Clark with a birdie at the second, but the South African squared the match with a birdie at five.
Then Woods bogeyed the par-three sixth, where his ball was half-buried in a bunker, to fall behind for the first time in the tournament.
The 14-time major champion responded with a birdie at the par-four seventh that again squared the match.
Woods had advanced to the second round with a 3 and 2 victory over Australian Brendan Jones on Wednesday and said he was pleased with how well his rebuilt knee held up.
He said it was a little stiff, especially after a wait of about 20 minutes on the 15th tee, and he expected to have to contend with some soreness for some time to come.
"But I'm very pleased at how it felt all day," he said. "But I felt fine."
Thursday's clash was not the first between Woods and Clark in this event. The American dispatched Clark in the second round in 2007.
Clark said he would just try to get on with his game, and ignore the hoopla attending Woods's much-anticipated return.
"He's just getting back into it, coming back after an eight-month layoff. I've been playing pretty good golf here this year already. I'm not afraid of the match," Clark said.
Mickelson appeared headed for a fairly pressure-free day, leading 4-up with five to play.
But as in his first-round match against Angel Cabrera, he was unable to close it out quickly.
Johnson won both the 14th and 15th holes, then sank a four-foot putt to win the 17th before Mickelson nabbed the 1-up win as they halved the last.
Following Woods among the late starters will be US Ryder Cup star Hunter Mahan, who faced 19-year-old Ulsterman Rory McIlroy.
The young European sensation is vying for a possible third-round clash with Woods.
South African Charl Schwartzel, who shocked world number two Sergio Garcia in the first round, continues his campaign against England's Ian Poulter, while American Pat Perez, who upset triple major winner Padraig Harrington on Wednesday, faced England's Ross Fisher.
© 2009 AFP/sid
