Casey philosophical after World Matchplay defeat

Casey bowed out at the hands of KJ Choi in their third round match at Dove Mountain on Friday, and with Colin Montgomerie also losing, the quarter-finals became a British free zone.

The streaky Casey parred the first three holes, but stepped to the fourth tee three-down after the Korean began birdie, birdie, birdie. It was always an uphill battle for Casey, who clawed back to one-down after 10 holes, but could not get any closer.

"He is a very strong player and I didn't make the putts I should have, simple as that," Casey said after losing two-down.

"I pushed him all the way. I am happy with the way I played. I had a chance but it just wasn't to be."

With Casey and Montgomerie gone, Swede Henrik Stenson was the only European to survive to the weekend, the defending champion winning by the narrowest of margins for the third consecutive day, this time against American Jonathan Byrd.

In the day's longest match, Vijay Singh prevailed in fading light, beating Rod Pampling one-up at the seventh extra hole.

It was quite a victory for the Fijian, who was two-down with two to play, before forcing extra holes thanks to some good play or his own, as well as a little luck.

Singh won the par-five 17th with a birdie, but was ready to pack his bags when Pampling stood over a five-footer at the last. However, the Australian powered his putt through the break, his ball catching the hole but spinning out.

It took seven more holes before the match was decided at the par-five 17th after Pampling drove into a gnarly lie and then hit his second shot into a cactus plant.

"It was a good match and I'm happy to be done with it," Singh said. "This thing just went on forever. Somebody was going to make a mistake. You just have to hang in there and he made a mistake and I didn't."

Pampling was disappointed not to put it away in regulation, especially the putt at the 18th that would have ended it.

"You've got to hit the putt firm and unfortunately it hovered over the hole and didn't go in," he said. "I hit the putt the way I wanted. It only needed a millimetre to the left and it's done."

In Saturday's quarters, American Tiger Woods meets Korean Choi, Stenson plays American Woody Austin, Singh faces American Justin Leonard, and Argentinian Angel Cabrera battles American Stewart Cink.

The semi-finals will be played Saturday afternoon.