McIlroy, Day advance in Dell Match Play
One needs 20 holes to win match, while the other was done in just six
AUST I N , TEXAS Rory McIlroy had to go 20 holes. Jason Day only played six. Both advanced Friday to the round of 16 in the Dell Match Play.
Day was all square in his match when Paul Casey withdrew because of a stomach illness that has been bothering him the last two days. Day was likely to advance, anyway, but the short day at Austin Country Club at least allowed him extra rest for his back and for the weekend ahead.
Day has played only 31 holes in three days.
“If I can make it all the way through Sunday, that means I’m playing 72 holes on the weekend, which is a lot of golf,” Day said.
Phil Mickelson also had a short day and was headed home. Patrick Reed holed out for an eagle on No. 10 to go 7 up, and Mickelson did well to get to the 14th hole before Reed closed him out, 5 and 4. Reed has never trailed in any match all week.
McIlroy, Chris Kirk and Byeong-Hun An all played plenty of golf.
McIlroy was in one of the four winner-take-all matches between undefeated players in their groups, and it was struggle from the start against Kevin Na. McIlroy, the defending champion, didn’t take the lead until the 15th hole, gave it right back and both missed birdie putt on 18 to halve their match.
It ended on No. 2, the second extra hole, when Na hooked his tee shot into a hazard and McIlroy holed a six-foot putt for the win. He now has 10 straight matches dating to his victory last year at Harding Park in San Francisco.
“I was dying after 10 holes, but I knew I’d played the back nine well,” McIlroy said. “It is a sign of relief. It’s nice to get to the weekend.”
Kirk and Branden Grace had an easy time winning their matches to finish 2-1 in their group. In a peculiar decision this year, players had to wait until everyone was on the course before the playoff. They were the first match and had to wait nearly three hours to start the playoff. It didn’t last long, as Grace went from a fairway bunker, over the green, and made bogey.
An, who won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last year, lost a chance to win his group when Rickie Fowler birdied the last hole to halve the match. That sent An into a playoff with Scott Piercy, who won the 18th hole to beat Jason Dufner. An hit his approach to four feet on the first playoff hole to advance.
Motoring right along was Zach Johnson, who has been the most dominant player this week in Austin. Johnson finally played the last three holes — but only for practice. He had an easy time against Shane Lowry, who was eliminated regardless of the outcome, and beat him, 4 and 3.
Johnson has played only 42 holes in three matches, all ending at the 15th or earlier.
“My scorecard, or whatever you want to call it, speaks for itself,” Johnson said.
“With the exception of the first hole yesterday, I’ve never been down in a match. I’m not going to take this for granted. It’s not going to be easy no matter who my opponent is tomorrow and the rest of the weekend, hopefully. But I’m seeing my shots, my execution is there. I think I’m picking out good targets and I’m obviously putting pretty well.”