Saturday 2 May 2015 20:42, UK
Rory McIlroy had to produce some late heroics to edge past Billy Horschel and reach the last 16 of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco.
The world No 1 was behind for much of the top-of-the-table contest, with McIlroy two down with two to play before somehow fighting back to beat the FedEx Cup champion on the 20th hole.
McIlroy looked to be following Masters champion Jordan Spieth out of the event when he bogeyed the 14th to fall two down, but holed from 25 feet for birdie on the 17th to keep the match alive.
As Horschel failed to get up and down from the side of the green at the last, McIlroy rolled in a third successive gain to take the contest to a play-off.
Both players then missed from 12 feet for birdie on the first extra hole, before McIlroy saved par from a greenside bunker on the next and Horschel was again unable to get up and down from off the green.
In reference to his putt on 17th, he told reporters: "I drew on the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles to a putt I hit with Sergio. Both were 'Make it or go home."
McIlroy, who is due to attend the Sky Sports Box Office fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on Saturday evening, will now take on Hideki Matsuyama in the last 16.
Mixed week
Elsewhere, Paul Casey recovered from being four down with nine to play to beat Francesco Molinari and set up a meeting with former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, while Jim Furyk won group five after beating Martin Kaymer on the 20th hole.
Furyk will take on JB Holmes on Saturday after Holmes defeated Brooks Koepka and Russell Henley saw off Scotland's Marc Warren, who would have gone through with a game to spare if he had not squandered a three-hole lead with three to play against Koepka on Thursday.
Today's final round-robin fixtures were overshadowed by a remarkable row during the dead rubber between Keegan Bradley and Miguel Angel Jimenez in the same group.
Jimenez appeared to disagree with where Bradley had taken a drop on the 18th and, while trying to put his point across, told Bradley's caddie Steve Hale to shut up.
Hale took exception to this and Bradley - who had already asked Jimenez to "do me a favour" and walk over to his own ball - then stepped right in front of the Spaniard to say "Don't tell my caddie to shut up."
The issue was finally resolved and Jimenez won the match, but although he and Bradley shook hands, the debate was still raging and Hale refused to shake hands with Jimenez on the 18th green.
Watch the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
