Coltart goes out as Els survives

Andrew Coltart will still be wondering how he lost to Craig Stadler in the third round of the World Match Play Championship in Melbourne today.

The Scot, the last Briton left in the tournament, was three up with six holes to play but his American opponent managed to square the match and win it with a birdie on the extra hole.

Stadler will now play Ernie Els in the quarter-finals after the South African birdied the last two holes and then made an incredible par on the first play-off hole to send Jean Van de Velde home to France.

One hole down with two to play, Els holed a 30-foot putt on the 17th to square the match. Van de Velde holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the next, pumping his fist and gritting his teeth, only to watch Els top him with an eight-foot putt to force the play-off.

Both players were in trouble off the tee but, after Van de Velde got a good bounce off a tree, he wasted his chance with a poor pitch and took bogey to Els's par.

Steve Stricker was nine under for 12 holes in his six and five victory over Justin Leonard and will play Nick O'Hern, of Australia, ranked No 103 in the world, who beat Dudley Hart five and four.