GOLF:Rory McIlroy continued his dream American debut when he booked a place in the quarter-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona after taking the scalp of Tim Clark, who beat Tiger Woods in the previous round.

The Northern Ireland teenager, in his first start as a professional in the United States, made it three wins in as many days as he reached the last eight with a 4 and 3 victory over the South Africa.

Clark yesterday cut short Tiger Woods’ comeback from an eight-month injury lay-off with a 4 and 2 victory over the world number one at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club but that victory clearly took its toll and McIlroy capitalised to the full.

The 19-year-old jumped into a lead at the opening hole as Clark bogeyed the par-four first and the 19-year-old stretched his lead with a birdie four at the second to go two up.

McIlroy quickly established a stranglehold by going four up after six holes before Clark won his first hole at the seventh.

The Dubai Desert Classic winner hit straight back with a birdie at the eighth to regain his four-up lead and maintained it to claim victory at the 15th.

“It was nice to build an early lead,” said McIlroy after his match. “Tim obviously didn’t play as well as he did against Tiger (Woods).

“It was a fairly simple match for me after that start. My ball-striking and distance control has been excellent the last couple of days, though I have left a couple of putts out there.

“I’m used to playing golf here in the States, I’ve played a lot of junior golf over here.

“This week has just been great getting to compete against the best players in the world.

“They are all tough matches no matter who you play, I’m just excited to have reached the quarter-finals in my first Match Play tournament.

England’s Ross Fisher also booked his place in last eight with a 4 and 3 victory over Jim Furyk.

But there was a setback for compatriot Luke Donald, who conceded his match with Ernie Els on the 18th fairway after complaining of weakness in his left wrist - the same joint that required surgery last year and caused him to miss the latter half of last season.

The concession came with Donald still in with a chance of taking his match to extra holes, trailing one down to Els at the last, but the Englishman called it quits in order to prevent further damage, handing the South African victory.

“I didn’t want to risk it,” Donald said immediately afterwards. “I felt a little twitching and I wanted to play it safe so I conceded the match.

“When I rotate the wrist I feel a little bit of a popping sensation. I didn’t get to that stage but it felt a little bit weak and I didn’t feel like I could make a full, proper swing.”

Fisher, meanwhile, was celebrating his third-round victory over former US Open champion Furyk, a day after crushing American Pat Perez 6 and 5 in the second round.

Fisher, one of five Englishmen in the last 16, went one up at the par-three third, which he parred but Furyk bogeyed, and then birdied the par-four fourth to take a two-up lead.

He was three up at the turn before Furyk rallied by winning the 11th hole when Fisher found the desert. The European Tour player restored his three-up lead at the 12th, however, when he holed a 52-foot putt.

The match was turning into a see-saw affair, with Furyk winning the 13th, but Fisher moved up another gear and won two holes in a row to seal victory at the 15th.

England’s Paul Casey was closing on victory over Sweden’s Peter Hanson, five up after 11 holes, while Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy, the tournament winner in 2006, was in control at three up over Colombia’s Camilo Villegas with five to play.

The matches between America’s Justin Leonard and England’s Oliver Wilson, and the all-American battle between Stewart Cink and Phil Mickelson, were much tighter.

Cink had been three up after four holes on American Ryder Cup team-mate Mickelson but was only one up heading to the last.

Wilson, following his upset second-round victory over world number 11 Anthony Kim, was all square with Leonard after 15 holes while Ian Poulter was trailing Sean O’Hair, one down after 12.