Woods to face Cink in final

Top seed Woods stayed on course for his third victory in the World Golf Championships event when he eliminated Henrik Stenson in their semi-final match on Saturday.

Swede Stenson, last year's winner, was the lone European survivor in the final four, and he kept it close but never led as Woods clinched a hard-fought two-up victory at Dove Mountain.

The other semi-final was a lop-sided affair, with Cink making a brilliant start before cruising to a three-and-two win over Justin Leonard.

Woods and Stenson won a hole each on the front nine, and halved the other seven to make the turn all square.

Woods, the 2003-04 champion, took the lead with a birdie at the par-five 10th, so often a pivotal hole, and they halved the next five holes until Stenson pulled level with a 15-foot birdie at the par-three 16th.

But Woods regained the lead with a clutch 10-foot birdie at the 17th.

The few spectators who decided to follow the Cink-Leonard match were rewarded by some spectacular play on the front nine.

Leonard was three under through eight holes, but could not keep pace with the rampant Cink, who was seven under by the same point.

They were all square after three holes, before Cink won four of the next five to break clear as his putter ran white hot.