Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler advance in the World Match Play Championship.
With unblemished records, world number one Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy advanced to the elimination round of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas.
To advance to the round of 16, American Scheffler defeated Tom Kim 3–2 to win his third match in a row and top Group One.
In a matchup with Keegan Bradley from Group Three, third-ranked McIlroy prevailed 3&2.
But, world number two Spanish tennis player Jon Rahm and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick are both out.
Fitzpatrick lost his crucial match to Sahith Theegala by a score of 2–1; but, in the end, it did not matter because J.J. Spaun defeated Min Woo Lee by the same score to win his third straight game in Group 11.
Rahm lost to Group Two champion Billy Horschel 5&4 in his final match, which was also a match he needed to win.
In the meanwhile, former Open champion Shane Lowry defeated three-time major winner Jordan Spieth by a score of 2&1.
In Group 12, Canadian Mackenzie Hughes defeated American Taylor Montgomery 6–4 to force a play-off with the latter, which he won to take first place in Spieth’s group.
Patrick Cantlay, who is rated fourth, and fellow American Max Homa both defeated Brian Harman 2&1 to finish the group stage with a perfect sweep of victories.
Homa was the first player to guarantee his spot in the knockout round on Friday, and he did so without ever firing a shot. Hideki Matsuyama, his opponent, had to withdraw due to a neck ailment.
With his 7&6 victory over Kim Si-woo, Matt Kuchar has tied Tiger Woods for the most victories (36) in the competition’s history.
Tyrrell Hatton of England lost for the third time in a row to Russell Henley, 3&2, and fellow countryman Tommy Fleetwood’s challenge was crushed by Im Sung-jae, 4&3.
Results of the World Match Play [external]
The last 16 games of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
J.T. Poston v. Scottie Scheffler
Matt Kuchar vs. Jason Day
Mackenzie Hughes vs. Max Homa
Sam Burns versus Patrick Cantlay
Lucas Herbert vs. Rory McIlroy
John J. Spaun vs. Xander Schauffele
Billy Horschel versus Cameron Young
Andrew Putnam v. Kurt Kitayama
