Summerhays fired a 6-under 65 to grab his share of the second-round lead. He made seven birdies on Friday.

“It’s funny, you know, you start out Friday, and you got your goals ‑‑ you know, you gotta make the cut, first of all, to have a chance on the weekend, made a couple birdies early on,” Summerhays said. “I hit it to an inch on the third hole, so I started with a couple birdies, and it kind of just set me at ease there.”

Defending champion Johnson Wagner is tied for 43rd, while notables Greg Norman, the El Camaleon course designer, and Mike Weir missed the cut.

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Vaughn Taylor recorded a double eagle on the seventh hole at El Camaleon on Friday.

By Laury Livsey, PGA TOUR Staff

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — When Greg Norman designed the El Camaleon Golf Club in 2005, the World Golf Hall of Famer took advantage of a natural cave on the property and incorporated what the Mexicans call the cenote into his design. In the middle of what plays as the seventh hole during the Mayakoba Golf Classic but is the opening hole for members and guests the rest of the year, the cave comes complete with stalagtites, a pool of water and plenty of iguanas. The cave goes underneath the seventh green, with adventuresome spelunkers — Norman has been one of them — emerging on the other side near the eighth green.

Vaughn Taylor made history on the hole Friday when he made the first double eagle in the six-year history of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. More importantly, at least to Taylor, it was his first double eagle and the 108th on the PGA TOUR since the TOUR began tracking them in 1970.

Following a second-round 69 to go with his even-par 71 in the opening round, Taylor is tied for 20th, six strokes behind the trio of leaders.

“I do like [the hole]. With the cave there in the middle of the fairway, it’s kind of a different hole, and reachable par‑5s are always fun,” he said.

This is Taylor’s third time playing in the tournament along the Riviera Maya, and the nine-year pro has taken advantage of the hole. In the 2007 and 2009 tournaments, when it was the event’s opening hole, he recorded four birdies and four pars there. His 5-wood from 263 yards Friday was the best he’s had there, though.

“There’s a ridge behind the hole, so I didn’t know if it went in or it went over the ridge. I thought it went in and my caddie thought it went in, though” Taylor added.

Near the green, Taylor’s wife, Leot, and playing partner Michael Thompson’s wife, Rachel, began screaming as the ball rolled in the hole. “It was kind of a delayed scream I guess, and I couldn’t really hear them,” Taylor added.

“And then I bogeyed the next hole, which was kind of a letdown. I wish I had kept the momentum going.”

Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, ranked second and third respectively in the latest Official World Golf Ranking, won their third-round matches on Friday at the Ritz Carlton golf course. They’re on a collision course to meet in the semifinals, but first they’ll have to get past a couple of double-digit seeds in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

McIlroy, a 3 and 1 winner over Miguel Angel Jimenez, will face the biggest surprise of this week, 11th-seeded Sang-moon Bae. The PGA TOUR rookie beat Australia’s John Senden 1 up and becomes just the third Korean to reach the quarterfinals in this event.

Westwood, a 3 and 2 winner over Nick Watney, will face 10th-seeded Martin Laird. The Scot beat countryman Paul Lawrie 3 and 1.

Westwood, who spent 22 weeks at No. 1 starting late in 2010, said being No. 1 in the world is not his top priority but that “I’d be lying if I didn’t say every guy playing this week wants to be No. 1 in the world. It means you’re playing well, for starters.”

There’s another double-digit seed in the final eight, as 10th-seeded Mark Wilson knocked off Dustin Johnson for the second straight year, this time 4 and 3. Wilson will face 9th seed Peter Hanson, who beat Brandt Snedeker 5 and 3.

The other quarterfinal match involves two Americans — Hunter Mahan, a 4 and 3 winner over Steve Stricker, against Matt Kuchar, also a 4 and 3 winner over Martin Kaymer.

SATURDAY’S QUARTERFINALS (All times ET)

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Hunter Mahan hits a tee shot in his match against Steve Stricker on Friday.

MARANA, Ariz. – Friday’s third round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship has started. A total of eight matches are scheduled for the Ritz-Carlton course at Dove Mountain. We’ll have updates all day on PGATOUR.COM and we encourage your comments throughout the day. Also check out PGATOUR.COM’s LIVE@ coverage on now.

THIRD-ROUND UPDATES (All times ET)

6:28 p.m. – PGA TOUR rookie Sang-moon Bae holed a par putt of 5 feet, 7 inches to win his match with John Senden 1 up. The 25-year-old from South Korea never trailed in his match with Senden and now faces Rory McIlory in the quarterfinals.

6:10 p.m. – John Senden had already taken his hat off as he watched Sang-moon Bae standing over a 5-footer to win their match at the 17th hole. When the putt lipped out, the Aussie put his cap back on his head and headed to the 18th tee 1 down.

6:08 p.m. – Peter Hanson says he’s a bit like his quarterfinal opponent, Lee Westwood, in that they both "ease" into tournaments and try to be ready "when it matters Sunday afternoon." Match play, though, is a "sprint," the Swede says, so he’s been cranking up the volume on his satellite radio to get ready.

6:01 p.m. – Sang-moon Bae is leading his match with John Senden again after the Aussie missed the green at the par-3 16th, chipped well short and couldn’t convert a 31-footer to save par.

5:56 p.m. — Rory McIlroy closed out his match with a flourish, hitting his approach to 4 feet at the 17th hole for the 3 and 1 win over Miguel Angel Jimenez. The Spaniard conceded the birdie putt when he was unable to hole his shot from off the green.

5:45 p.m. – John Senden two-putted the drivable 15th hole from 50 feet to even his match with Sang-moon Baa.

5:23 p.m. – The determined Sang-moon Bae got up and down from a bunker beside the green at the par-5 13th, sinking a 4-footer for birdie, to go 1 up in his match with John Senden.

5:20 p.m. – Classic quip: Lee Westwood when asked where the Golf Channel had him projected in this week’s bracket: "On the BA 289 Thursday night." In other words, on an airplane after an early exit.

5:15 p.m. – Martin Laird, who makes his U.S. base in Scottsdale, which is about 90 minutes from Dove Mountain, won the battle for Scotland when he beat Paul Lawrie 3 up. Laird hasn’t trailed since the fourth hole on Wednesday, a stretch of 48 holes.

5:07 p.m. – Hunter Mahan on his quarterfinal opponent, Matt Kuchar: “Never seems to get that angry on the golf course, just kind of ho-hums it and he just kind of laughs and smiles while he’s stepping on your heart, so it’s pretty funny to be around a guy like that.”

5:04 p.m. – Mark Wilson, who won the Humana Championship last month, has eliminated Dustin Johnson for the second straight year with a 4-and-3 decision. Wilson won four of his first six holes, then hung tough the rest of the way, making birdie on three of his last four holes to seal the win.

4:58 p.m. – Peter Hanson advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in five appearances when he beat Brandt Snedeker 5 and 3. The American had closed to 1 down through 10 but he lost four of his next five holes to four Hansen birdies, the last which was conceded.

4:46 p.m. – Top-seeded Lee Westwood closed out Nick Watney on the 16th hole, taking a 3-and-2 decision. The Englishman, who had never gotten out of the second round in 12 appearances before Thursday, still hasn’t trailed in a match this week.

4:38 p.m. – John Senden squared his match with Sang-moon Bae with consecutive birdies at the seventh and eighth holes. They are playing the 11th hole now in the tightest match of the day.

4:25 p.m. – Miguel Angel Jimenez has gotten one back from Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman hit his drive into the desert, took a drop and played out nearly sideways on the 11th hole. Jimenez is 2 down. 

4:16 p.m. – Hunter Mahan became the second American to reach the quarterfinals when he dusted Steve Stricker, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, by a 4 and 3 margin. Mahan, who made nine birdies in 15 holes on Friday, will play Kuchar on Saturday morning.

4:15 p.m. – Matt Kuchar’s match may have ended early but he decided to go ahead and play his last three holes.

4:09 p.m. – Scotland’s Paul Lawrie missed a 6-footer to save par at the 12th hole so now he finds himself 3 down to his countryman, Martin Laird.

4:05 p.m. – Matt Kuchar picks up the first victory, beating Martin Kaymer 4 and 3. Kaymer had a 9-footer for birdie at the 15th hole that would have extended the match but the ball slid under the hole.

4:03 p.m. – Peter Hanson put the brakes on Brandt Snedeker’s comeback at the 13th hole when he chipped to 3 feet for birdie. Snedeker missed from 15 feet so the Swede is back to 2 up.

3:53 p.m. – Another player on a birdie binge is Hunter Mahan. He’s poured in three straight – including a 54-footer at the par-3 12th to take a commanding 5 up advantage over Steve Stricker.

3:46 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker just made it three straight with a 28-footer for birdie at the 10th hole. He’s only 1 down to Peter Hanson now and they’re playing a par 5.

3:41 p.m. – Matt Kuchar two-putted from 16 feet just off the 13th green and his fifth birdie of the day has given the American a 4-up lead over world No. 4 Martin Kaymer.

3:34 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker has mounted a comeback against Peter Hanson. He rolled in a 5-footer for his second straight birdie at the ninth hole and is now just 2 down.

3:29 p.m. – Rory McIlroy left himself a tap-in from a foot for birdie at the seventh hole to go 2 up on Miguel Angel Jimenez.

3:25 p.m. – A brilliant approach that settled 19 inches from the pin put Lee Westwood 4 up in his match with Nick Watney after the American couldn’t convert a 20-footer for birdie at the 10th hole.

3:21 p.m. – PGA TOUR rookie Sang-moon Bae continues to impress. He’s 2 up on John Senden after the Aussie bogeyed the fifth hole.

3:16 p.m. – Brandt Snedeker made an 11-footer for birdie at the eighth hole to cut into Peter Hansen’s lead. The Swede still leads 3 up, though.

3:11 p.m. – Lee Westwood takes a 3-up advantage to the back nine after Nick Watney is unable to get up and down from the right side of the green at the ninth hole.

3:04 p.m. – Dustin Johnson has just bogeyed the fifth and sixth holes to fall 2 down to Mark Wilson. Johnson has only hit 2 of 6 greens in regulation and 1 of 5 fairways in the early going.

2:59 p.m. – Steve Stricker won the ninth hole with a par after Hunter Mahan three-putted and heads to the back nine 2 down.

2:54 p.m. – A 17-footer for birdie at the 10th hole has given Matt Kuchar a 3-up advantage over Martin Kaymer. The German was second a year ago while Kuchar finished third.

2:47 p.m. – Peter Hanson keeps pouring it on. He’s 4 up on Brandt Snedeker after rolling in an 8-foot birdie putt at the sixth. And Hunter Mahan is nearly as hot. He’s won his fourth hole  against Steve Stricker and is now 3 up. Mahan has now birdied the two par-5s on the front nine in all three rounds.

2:37 p.m. – Mark Wilson has won the last two holes and is 2 up on Dustin Johnson. Johnson conceded the fourth hole when he missed the green with his second shot and hit two poor chip shots that rolled back to him.

2:22 p.m. – Martin Laird is 2 up through four holes in his battle against fellow Scot Paul Lawrie. It’s the first time in Accenture Match Play history that two Scots have gone head-to-head.

2:12 p.m. – Peter Hanson rolled in a 27-1/2 foot birdie putt at the third. He’s 3 up on Brandt Snedeker.

2:16 p.m. – At the par-5 second, Dustin Johnson’s tee shot went 283 yards and landed in a fairway bunker. Mark Wilson’s tee shot went 284 yards and landed in a fairway bunker. Johnson ranks seventh on the PGA TOUR in driving distance; Wilson’s tied for 159th. Both players made par on the hole.

2:03 p.m. – Sweden’s Peter Hanson has  birdied the first two holes in his match against Brandt Snedeker. Hanson has played his last 19 holes in a bogey-free 5 under.

1:49 p.m. – Hunter Mahan’s off to a quick start in his match against fellow American Steve Stricker. Mahan birdied the second and third holes to go 2 up (he almost aced the par-3 third), although Stricker answered with a birdie at the fourth hole.  Mahan’s now 1 up.

1:41 p.m. – Lee Westwood has gotten up and down from the collar of the second green for another birdie to go 2 up on Nick Watney.

1:28 p.m. – Lee Westwood, who could return to No. 1 in the world with a win on Sunday, has drawn first blood in his match with Nick Watney, rolling in an 8-footer for birdie to win the first hole.

1:15 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, who ranks fourth in the world, has birdied his first two holes to take a 1 up advantage over Matt Kuchar. He had to make a 29-footer at No. 1 to halve with Kuchar, who hit his approach to 21 inches.

Noon — About 40 minutes before Martin Kaymer and Matt Kuchar teed off in the opening match, the tournament honored the military at a special ceremony behind the clubhouse. Closing the festivities, which featured a color guard and a performance of the national anthem, was a flyover by two planes from the Navy Squadron VFA-86 out of NAS Lemoore.

Greenwood/Getty Images

Mark Wilson gave up an average of 17 yards to Dustin Johnson, yet won the match.

By Fred Albers, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

MARANA, Ariz. – Matt Kuchar closed out his match with Martin Kaymer on the 15th hole but played more golf, finishing holes 16, 17 and 18.

It’s the player’s right to continue practicing if he does not interrupt the competition and Kuchar figured a little more experience might come in handy on Saturday when he plays Hunter Mahan.

Ball toss: Mahan threw nine birdies on the card in 15 holes against Steve Stricker during a 4 and 3 victory. Stricker battled but realized his fate was sealed on the 12th hole when Mahan dropped a 54-foot birdie putt. Stricker walked to the cup, pulled out the ball, showed it to Mahan and then tossed it into the stands. The two players shared a laugh as Stricker said he wasn’t going to let that ball do any more damage to him during the round.

Outdriven, not outscored: Mark Wilson said, "nobody picked me to win today." There was a reason for the oddsmakers to select Dustin Johnson to win their match. Wilson averaged 295 yards off the tee while Johnson hits his drives 312 yards. Despite giving up an average of 17 yards per hole, Wilson won the match 4 and 3. "I knew coming in that I was going to be outdriven, but Dustin did not have his best stuff today and put a couple balls in the desert." Short and straight is still better than long and crocked.

Translation: Sang-moon Bae has an unusual relationship with his caddie. Akira Yomane works for the PGA TOUR rookie but there is a language difference — Yomane speaks only Japanese while Bae is Korean. No problem, it turns out Moon is fluent in both Korean and Japanese so the two get along just fine on the course with all the conversation in Japanese.

An easy 5-iron: The 16th hole played 247 yards in the third round and was slightly into the wind. Alan Bond and Martin Laird discussed club selection and finally made the decision when Bond suggested it was an "easy 5." An easy 5? Since when did 247 yards become an easy 5-iron? Laird’s 5 iron flew 231 yards and just caught the lip of the front bunker. He still made par and closed out Paul Lawrie 3 and 1. Maybe Laird will hit a three-quarter 5-iron from 247 next time.

Fred Albers is a course reporter for SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio and is inside the ropes this week at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. For more information on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, click here.

There’s a long way to go in the round and of course the tournament — Charles Howell III is just two back and on the back nine — but a win for either would be huge.

Both guys got their cards for this season by tying for 18th at q-school. Owen has managed four starts this season with a tie for ninth at Pebble Beach his best result, while Claxton has made three starts, missing the cut in two of them.

The top-10 by Owen was his first on the PGA TOUR since 2009, while Claxton has one top-25 in just a handful of starts after spending 2010 on the NGA Hooters Tour and making just one start on TOUR in 2011.

Other notables to keep an eye on through the second round: Kevin Stadler (T6 at 5 under), Matt Every and Billy Mayfair (both T9 and 4 under), and Robert Allenby, who is also 4 under and on the back nine.