VIRGINA WATER, England, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Sam Torrance and Seve Ballesteros, the two oldest players in the tournament, put on a tremendous show Thursday before Torrance pulled away to record a 3 & 2 victory that put him in the quarterfinals of the Cisco Match Play Championship.
Ballesteros holed a 20-foot putt at the 18th hole of the 36-hole first-round match to take a 1-up lead at lunch, but Torrance won three straight starting at the seventh in the afternoon to take command.
That put Torrance, the current European Ryder Cup captain, up against Vijay Singh in Friday's quarterfinals.
Of the other three matches, two ran their expected course and the third produced a surprise.
Thomas Bjorn never lost control against Adam Scott, winning 4 & 3. Padraig Harrington overwhelmed Nick Faldo, 9 & 8; and Ian Woosnam surprised U.S. Open champion and European money leader Retief Goosen, 4 & 3.
Bjorn will play defending champion Lee Westwood in the quarterfinals, Harrington will meet Darren Clarke and Woosnam will face Colin Montgomerie.
The tournament has lost some of its luster because of the absence of Americans, who chose not to travel to Europe because of the uncertain international situation.
Tiger Woods and John Daly had originally been in the field.
