Poulter eliminates Clark

Marana, Arizona - Tim Clark, the last remaining South African in the competition, bowed out with a five-and-three defeat to Englishman Ian Poulter in the Match Play Championship, a World Golf Championship event on Saturday.

Clark came up against match play master Poulter, and although the South African conceded the hole on the 16th, he put up a credible challenge.

A heavy underdog for the round three last-16 clash, Clark was all square after the sixth hole, with the pair trading a win each.

Poulter turned up the heat from the par-four seventh with three wins in a row to close out the nine three-up.

Clark lost the par-four 12th to a birdie from Poulter and faced a four-down deficit with six to play.

Two halves followed on 13 and 14, before the Englishman hit his approach on the par-three 15th inside 10 feet.

Needing a birdie to force Poulter to hole his putt, Clark came up short of the putting surface and could not hole his second. Before Poulter began to line up his putt, Clark conceded the hole, and with it the match.

Poulter went on later in the day to win his match against American Steve Stricker to advance to the semi-finals.

Scores on Saturday in the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship:

Quarter-finals

Matt Kuchar (USA) bt Robert Garrigus (USA) 3 and 2

Ian Poulter (ENG) bt Steve Stricker (USA) 3 and 2

Jason Day (AUS) bt Graeme McDowell (NIR) 1-up

Hunter Mahan (USA) bt Webb Simpson (USA) 1-up

Third round

Jones Bracket

Graeme McDowell (NIR) bt Shane Lowry (IRL) 3 and 2

Jason Day (AUS) bt Bubba Watson (USA) 4 and 3

Hogan Bracket

Robert Garrigus (USA) bt Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 3 and 1

Matt Kuchar (USA) bt Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 4 and 3

Player Bracket

Webb Simpson (USA) bt Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 2-up

Hunter Mahan (USA) bt Martin Kaymer (GER) 5 and 4

Snead Bracket

Steve Stricker (USA) bt Scott Piercy (USA) 1-up

Ian Poulter (ENG) bt Tim Clark (RSA) 5 and 3