Golf: Little-known Wilson can be Stateside star

OLIVER WILSON was by far the least well known of the three English players who made it through to today's quarter-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona.

But many more matches like the one he had against compatriot Luke Donald yesterday and American crowds might just be flocking to see him.

Wilson, with nine second places and still no wins on the European Tour, set up a tussle with Sergio Garcia – his fourth European opponent in a row – in thrilling fashion.

Donald made a 50-footer to stay alive on the final green but Wilson, having hit what he called "my best two shots of the day" there, holed from almost 40 feet at the second extra hole.

"It could have gone either way and fortunately it went mine," said Wilson, who in the second round beat Rory McIlroy at the 20th as well.

"It was not very nice of Luke to hole what he did on the 18th!

"You always tell yourself to expect guys to hole, but there's a limit – I was not overly impressed by that.

"We had a little laugh as he went to the next tee, but I don't know if I can repeat what I thought."

Wilson, whose next task was to try to repeat his win over Garcia at last October's World Match Play in Spain, accepts he has a low profile in the States – and Europe as well come to that.

"It's a work in progress," he said. "Things are improving, but at the end of the day it comes down to your golf. I haven't put the results in that I need to."

Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, unlike Wilson, are US Tour members now and the only top-10 seeds left chasing the first prize of nearly 900,000.

Title favourite Casey, runner-up 12 months ago, was up against Open champion Stewart Cink, second and third the last two years, and their routes to the last eight were vastly different.

Casey has cruised to three 5 and 4 victories over Stephen Ames, Mike Weir and Brian Gay.

Cink, on the other hand, came from four down to beat Italian Edoardo Molinari on the last, was also taken the distance by Sean O'Hair and then yesterday sank an 18-footer at the 18th to stay alive before beating Charl Schwartzel at the first extra hole.

Poulter's victims so far far have been Justin Leonard, Adam Scott and Jeev Milkha Singh. Next up was Thai Thongchai Jaidee.

If he won that Poulter, a semi-finalist in 2005, faced either Wilson or Garcia later in the day, while Casey was hoping to win through to take on either Retief Goosen or Camilo Villegas.