The Associated Press

CARLSBAD, Calif. - Tiger Woods hasn't made a bogey in two days and is playing better than anyone else at La Costa. But all that meant Thursday was he advanced to the third round of the Match Play Championship - same as 15 other guys.

As rain pelted the top of his hat, Woods hit a 5-iron shot 3 feet from one hole, then another 2 inches from the next and never was challenged in a 4-and-3 victory over K.J. Choi.

"When you're playing in conditions like this, you don't want to ever give your opponent a hole," Woods said. "You know if you don't make any mistakes, you're more than likely going to win the match."

So far, the strategy has worked.

Other players have taken different routes - some way off the map.

Defending champion Kevin Sutherland made a par on the 18th hole by playing down the first fairway but still beat Justin Rose of England.

Phil Mickelson hit a tee shot into the hazard on No. 14, but it struck a rock and went into the rough. He wound up holing a 35-foot putt from off the green for par on his way to a 3-and-2 victory over Brad Faxon.

David Toms was on the ropes against Chris Riley until he holed a 90-foot chip for birdie on the 18th hole by using his 3-wood.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Laura Davies is off to a good start in her bid to win a second straight tournament.

With a 7-under-par 65 in the wind, Davies took a one-shot lead over Belgium's Valerie Van Ryckeghem after the first round of the Women's Australian Open.

JACOB'S CREEK OPEN: American Roland Thatcher and Australia's Jarrod Moseley shot 6-under-par 65s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Nationwide Tour's Jacob's Creek Open.

Accenture Match Play

Thursday

At La Costa Resort

Yardage: 7,002

Second Round

Upper Bracket

Tiger Woods (1), United States, def. K.J. Choi (32), South Korea, 4 and 3.

Stephen Leaney (48), Australia, def. Justin Leonard (16), United States, 6 and 5.

Scott Hoch (25), United States, def. Padraig Harrington (8), Ireland, 3 and 2.

Toshi Izawa (56), Japan, def. Eduardo Romero (24), Argentina, 2 and 1.

Jay Haas (61), United States, def. Shigeki Maruyama (29), Japan, 1 up.

Nick Price (13), Zimbabwe, def. Niclas Fasth (45), Sweden, 2 and 1.

Kevin Sutherland (60), United States, def. Justin Rose (37), England, 1 up.

Adam Scott (44), Australia, def. Rocco Mediate (12), United States, 1 up.

Lower Bracket

Peter Lonard (31), Australia, def. Phil Tataurangi (63), New Zealand, 5 and 4.

Robert Allenby (15), Australia, def. Jeff Sluman (47), United States, 1-up.

Darren Clarke (26), Northern Ireland, def. Davis Love III (7), United States, 7 and 6.

Jim Furyk (10), United States, def. Steve Lowery (42), United States, 6 and 5.

Phil Mickelson (3), United States, def. Brad Faxon (35), United States, 3 and 2.

Jerry Kelly (19), United States, def. Mike Weir (14), Canada, 2 and 1.

David Toms (6), United States, def. Chris Riley (38), United States, 1-up.

Alex Cejka (54), Germany, def. Angel Cabrera (22), Argentina, 4 and 2.