AUSTIN, Texas — Top seeds Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy all made it through the round-robin phase at the WGC-Dell Match Play here Friday to advance to the 16-man knockout stage.
Bubba Watson was the highest seed to fall, the fourth-ranked American exiting Group 4 with a 1-1-1 record after losing to J.B. Holmes. Patton Kizzire, seeded 63rd in the 64-man tournament, advanced from the group with a win and two halves.
Defending champion McIlroy set up a Saturday showdown with British Open winner Zach Johnson at Austin Country Club.
McIlroy posted an identical 2-0-1 overall record as his Friday opponent Kevin Na, but advanced as the winner of his four-man group when he won a playoff at the second extra hole after Na drove into a hazard.
Six players finished the stage with 3-0-0 records — Spieth, Day, Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed and Bill Haas. Third seed McIlroy was relieved just to have made it through.
“All three of my matches this week have been tough,” the Northern Irishman told Golf Channel.
“I didn’t get off to the best of starts again, but found my rhythm in the middle of the round, and started to make some birdies and hit some good shots when I needed to.
“It took a mistake from him to get over the line.”
Spieth continued his sizzling form in the city where he went to the University of Texas, buoyed by a supportive crowd as he beat fellow American Justin Thomas 3&2.
Next up for Spieth is South African Oosthuizen.
Second seed Day advanced when his English opponent Paul Casey pulled out after six holes, citing illness. Haas advanced by beating Australian Adam Scott 1-up.
Shin leads Ko, Lang by one
South Korean Jenny Shin shot a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Kia Classic in southern California Friday.
Shin made a hot start with five birdies in the first eight holes on the demanding Aviara course in Carlsbad.
She posted a 10-under 134 halfway total, with New Zealander Lydia Ko (67) and American Brittany Lang (68) equal second on nine-under.
The 23-year-old has not won an LPGA event since joining the tour in 2011, but has 18 top-10 finishes and thinks she is “ready” to break through.
“I feel like in every aspect of the game I’m improving just a little bit and hopefully it will come together sometime this year,” Shin told reporters.
Ko sounded confident of making a weekend charge for what would be her 11th career LPGA victory on a course considerably more difficult than last week’s venue in Arizona, where she shot 22-under but still finished five strokes behind the winner.
“Last week was crazy. You just couldn’t make enough birdies,” she said. “This week is definitely different. The course plays a little longer and it’s a little tighter off the tee and with the rough being really lush, that’s another huge component. The rough is rough.
“I didn’t strike the ball as well as I did yesterday, especially on my back nine, I had to make up-and-down from a few places.”
