O'Malley sends Woods packing in World Match Play

Top seed Tiger Woods suffered a shocking 2 and 1 loss to Australia's Peter O'Malley on Wednesday in the first round of the World Match Play at La Costa Resort and Spa.

Regarded as the world's best match play competitor, Woods received a rude awakening from the tournament's 64th seed, who closed out the match on the 17th hole.

O'Malley, ranked number 68 in the world, took control of the match early with a birdie at the par-five second hole.

However, after back-to-back bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes that put him behind, O'Malley made amends by stringing birdies together on the eighth and ninth holes and made the turn at 1-up.

Woods parred the first 12 holes before a bogey at the 13th when he missed a 10-foot par putt attempt and fell 2-down to the Australian.

After halving the 14th with pars, Woods' ball was inside O'Malley's on the 15th green, but it was O'Malley who converted from 15 feet to win the hole and go 3-up.

Woods birdied the 16th with a 25-foot putt to win the hole, but O'Malley drained another 15-footer at the 17th for birdie to close out Woods.

O'Malley now faces the winner of the Angel Caberra-Nick Price match in the second round.

Woods is not the only high seed facing an early elimination in the 64-player event as number 63 John Cook is 3-up against second seed Phil Mickelson through 15 holes.

Third seed David Duval also is getting a test but is 1-up against 62nd seed Kevin Sutherland after 13 holes.

Among the seeds in the top-ten advancing to the second round were Sergio Garcia of Spain, Ernie Els of South Africa, David Toms, Retief Goosen of South Africa, Davis Love III and Vijay Singh of Fiji.

The World Match Play is the only World Golf Championships tournament that Woods has failed to win.

He did not play in the event last year.

Jeff Maggert won the inaugural tournament here in 1999, followed by Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke in 2000.

Last year, Steve Stricker beat Pierre Fulke of Sweden, 2 and 1, in the 36-hole final at The Metropolitan Club in Australia.

Stricker, the 55th seed, was bounced by 10th-seed Chris DiMarco, who advanced to the second round with a 3 and 2 victory.

Clarke, the 12th-seed, also was an upset victim, falling 2 and 1 to 53rd seed Matt Gogel, who earned his first career PGA Tour win earlier this year.