Carlsbad, Calif. ? Davis Love III returned to the Match Play Championship final for the second time in three years, and this time he is feeling plenty of love.

Love holed out for eagle from 111 yards on the 18th hole to beat Padraig Harrington in the quarterfinals Saturday morning, then buried Zach Johnson in the afternoon with six birdies on his way to a 4-and-2 victory.

Raising his hopes even more is that Tiger Woods is nowhere to be found.

Love will play the 36-hole championship match against Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, the marathon man at La Costa who won his fourth straight match in extra holes in the quarterfinals, then had an easy time in beating Tom Lehman in the semifinals, 4 and 3.

Love reached the semifinals in 2000 before he was soundly beaten by Woods. He reached the final two years ago, then lost again to Woods in a match marred by a heckler who kept saying “No Love” as Woods was pulling away.

But the Aussie might be every bit as tough.

“It’s always better not to run up against the world No. 1,” Love said. “But Geoff Ogilvy is playing great. … I’m not wishing Tiger was here; I’d love to play him again, though.”

Ogilvy birdied the last hole in the quarterfinals to go overtime with David Howell of England, then made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 19th hole to set an event record with his fourth consecutive victory that went extra holes.

Ogilvy put Lehman away on the 15th green with his best golf of the week, although Ogilvy goes into the championship match having already played 95 holes at La Costa Resort – the most of any finalist in the eight-year history.