Austin, Texas … Defending champ Rory McIlroy now needs to dose red-hot Open Champion Zach Johnson if he’s to capture an 11th straight match and continue in the WGC – Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas.
Both players won through to the last 16 but with McIlroy only claiming victory after a nail-biting play-off win against American Kevin Na on day three of the event in the Ausin Country Club course.
The pair ended their third day round robin encounter all square and with both players recording two-and-a-half points from a possible three.
Then under the rules of the $US 9.5m event the duo headed back to first tee to play stroke-play format after three days of match-play.
Each player then parred the first extra hole and with McIlroy claiming victory with a par.
The highlight of Rory McIlroy’s match against Kevin Na and that was holing a 22-yard putt on the ninth hole. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
But McIlroy was virtually handed the match when a found drove into water hazard off the tee at the second extra play-off hole.
The win was McIlroy’s 10th consecutive victory in the WGC event.
He said: “It was either do or die for me and if I didn’t beat Kevin as I was going home.
“But I had to dig pretty deep as Kevin is a very good competitor and he wasn’t really giving me much out there, but I managed to hole a few long putts and kept it together for the most part when I needed to.”
“Even when I hit it in the water in 16 I worked hard to that he needed birdie to win which he managed to do while I had a couple of chances to close the match out on the last hole and the first extra play-off hole.
Rory McIlroy (NIR) on the 8th during round 3 of the WGC Dell Matchplay championship, austin Country club, Austin, Texas, USA. 25/03/2016.
Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)
“So for the most part I felt I played pretty good and responded well to some of his good shots as well, so that gives me confidence going into the weekend.”
Standout highlight of McIlroy’s final round match was holing a monster 22-yard putt at the ninth to back to all square after being 2 down through six hole.
He said: “I think I had my arm in the air and with the ball still about 20-feet from the hole, so that was nice to see that on nine drop and get me back to all-square.
Johnson who has been in blistering form winning all three matches including humbling Shane Lowry 4up in the last of the round robin matches.
Lowry was never up in his match losing the first, third, sixth, eighth and 10th holes to race to 5up before the Irishman halted the bleeding in birding the 11th and 13th holes to get back to 3 down.
But any joy was only short-lived with the double Major winning Johnson claiming victory with a birdie at 15.
A day earlier Johnson handed fellow double Major winning Martin Kaymer an 8 & 6 defeat and the biggest defeat to date in this year’s event, and Johnson has yet to go past the 16th hole at the Austin course in any of his matches.
Others to advance to the last 16 include World No. 2 Jason Day who will face American Brooks Koepka after Paul Casey, and Day’s opponent was forced to withdraw with injury after just six holes.
And No. 1 seed Jordan Spieth was in command early in his match against best friend Justin Thomas.
Lone Scot Russell Knox now has a week off to prepare for his first Masters after losing 5 & 4 a ‘do or die’ match against in-form South African Branden Grace.
However Grace found himself outed from the final 16 when American Chris Kirk, who Knox had beaten a day earlier, won the play-off against Grace and after both had finished the round round tied with two points apiece
