Woods falls to Bjorn in WGC Match Play

MARANA, Ariz., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods was eliminated in the first round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Wednesday, another setback in a bid to reclaim his previous form.

Woods has won this tournament three times and had hoped to make this his first victory since his personal life began to unravel more than a year ago.

Instead, he was knocked out by Thomas Bjorn 1-up on the first extra hole at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club.

Woods rolled in a birdie putt to square the match on the 18th to force a playoff, but he drove into some bushes with his tee shot on the first sudden-death hole and couldn't find the fairway with his second shot.

After he had hit the ball five times on the par-4 hole and still was not in the cup, Woods conceded the match to Bjorn.

Woods was the only one of the four No. 1 seeds in the 64-player field to lose in the first round.

Lee Westwood, the world's top-ranked player, defeated Henrik Stenson 3-and-2; Martin Kaymer was a 7-and-6 winner over Seung-Yul Noh and Phil Mickelson defeated Brendan Jones 6-and-5.

The Woods-Bjorn match was one of eight that went into sudden death. Matt Kuchar went 22 holes before defeating Anders Hansen, and Ernie Els -- who lost the first three holes of his match -- rallied to defeat Jeff Overton in 19 holes.

Defending champion Ian Poulter fell to Stewart Cink in 19 holes, and 17-year-old Matteo Manassero -- the youngest player in the tournament's history and one of three teenagers in the field -- ousted Steve Stricker 2-and-1.

Bjorn will meet Geoff Ogilvy in the second round Thursday, Westwood will take on Nick Watney, Kaymer will face Justin Rose, and Mickelson's opponent will be Rickie Fowler.

Of the 25 Americans in the field, 13 made it to the second round.