Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy qualified in extremis for the quarter-finals of the WGC – Match Play which begin this evening. MacKenzie Hughes creates the big surprise of the eighth against Max Homa. McIlroy – Schauffele will be the poster of the evening for a place in the last four on Sunday!
Only European still in the running, Rory McIlroy perfectly negotiated his round of 16 against a very eye-catching Lucas Herbert. The Aussie trailed for eighteen holes, but he was never dropped. And it’s a gala McIlroy (-9 in stroke play without any bogey!) who qualifies for the quarter-finals (2 up).
351 yards
186 MPH ball speed@McIlroyRory puts himself in a great spot on 18 @DellMatchPlay. pic.twitter.com/9422hj89Mp— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 25, 2023
The 2015 winner will now have to get rid of the American Xander Schauffeleseeded number 6. The Californian made short work of JJ Spaun by shaking his opponent’s hand at 16 (3&2). It will therefore be a Ryder Cup-like meeting between two pillars of the American and European teams.
Scottie Scheffler s’en sort in extremis
If Rory McIlroy needed to pull out all the stops to get rid of Lucas Herbert, Scottie Scheffler came very close to elimination against the modest J.T. Poston (52nd worldwide). The defending champion was even trailing 1 down at the start of the 17th, before slamming a birdie on the 17th to equalize and take advantage of his compatriot’s bogey on the 18th to win by the smallest of margins (1 up).
Clutch birdie for Scottie Scheffler ????
His match with J.T. Poston is now tied heading to 18 @DellMatchPlay. pic.twitter.com/CDFm3EyhvW
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 25, 2023
It’s Australian Jason Day who now stands in the way of world number one. The double winner of the event beat matt kuchar who remains at 36 career wins in this tournament to share the record with Tiger Woods… for eternity, since this is the last edition of this tournament.
Homa and Cantlay open the Scheffler painting
We will also remember the surprise eliminations of the Americans Max Homa et Patrick Cantlay who leave Sam Burns et Mackenzie Hughes face off in an unexpected quarter-final, opening a royal road to Scheffler towards the final! Kurt Kitayama et Cameron Young (both wide winners this afternoon) make up the last quarter-final of the day, the winner of which will face Rory McIlroy or Xander Schauffele on Sunday morning.
Winning in style.@SamBurns66 birdies No. 17 to defeat Patrick Cantlay 2&1 @DellMatchPlay.
He will face Mackenzie Hughes in the Quarterfinals. pic.twitter.com/FsLmFDUcBr
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 25, 2023
Photo Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP
