Rory McIlroy had every reason to prefer Thursday’s long ball.
Carried into the WGC-Dell Technologies match play on the 18th hole, McIlroy opened the shot of the tournament. He hit a drive on the 375-yard closing hole so elegantly that it pitched onto the green and rolled to just inside 4 feet.
In addition to his 2-up win over Denny McCarthy, McIlroy led a parade of top seeds in the final round of group play at Austin Country Club.
“It was nice,” McIlroy said with a smile, which was like saying Michelangelo did a good job on the Sistine Chapel.
He capped a rally from 3 under through six holes. McIlroy didn’t take his first lead in the match until another power show – a big drive into the air on the par-5 16th to make a two-putt birdie from 18 feet.
Defending champion Scotty Scheffler, who had to make a 12-footer on the last hole to win his first match, carded seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of his match for a 5-and-4 victory against Alex Noren.
Patrick Cantlay (4), Max Homma (5), and Xander Schoeffel (6) also won their matches as four of the top six seeds carried a 2-0 record on Friday to win their group and advance to the knockout stage.
The exception was Jon Rahm, who recovered from his opening-round loss by driving the green on the par-4 fifth on his way to a 4-and-3 victory over Keith Mitchell. This meant that Raheem was in control of winning his group, as Rickie Fowler lost his match.
It prevented another blistering day of momentum changes and uncertain results that are typical of this format being played last.
Matt Kuchar was on the verge of tying Tiger Woods’ tournament record of 36 wins, but then he missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole and had to settle for a halve with Chris Kirk.
Cameron Young never led in his match against Corey Connors – he halved 14 of the first 15 holes – until the rising American star made an eagle on the par-5 16th, followed by a 12-foot birdie on the 17th took his first lead and then made a wild scramble for par to win.
“Obviously the wind is tougher today, but there are still enough holes to make four, five, or six birdies. It’s just being patient with yourself knowing they’re probably coming,” Young said. Would have liked to be a little earlier, but I’ll take them where they were.”
However, McIlroy’s drive was top-notch.
“I was imagining that the driver was going to land on the uphill and was like 10, 20 yards,” McElroy said. “I didn’t imagine I could hit it on the green.”
As for the rate, McIlroy laughed.
“I was 1 up and certainly there are many other ways to make birdie on that hole than not to do that,” he said. “But yeah, it was a great swing and it was a great time to do it.”
It came during a week in which McIlroy told “No Laying Up” that he supports a proposal by the USGA and the R&A to outlaw the travel of golf balls for elite competition. The governing bodies decided not to address Driver.
“I think you’re going to see more well-rounded game guys that have become games that have been a little bomb-and-gouge over the years,” he said.
It was more bomb-and-putt, and it was a beauty.
The shot was eerily similar to Robert McIntyre’s drive to the 18th green at Austin Country Club two years ago, when he needed to win the final hole to win his group, and it took out top seed Dustin Johnson.
McIlroy’s work is not done, and none of the top seeds can be assured of advancing without losing a match.
Two players can speak from experience. Cantley was 2–0 two years ago when he lost on the third day and then faced a sudden-death playoff against Brian Hermann – whom he had defeated on the first day – and lost by three putts on the second extra hole.
Lucas Herbert was in the same situation last year when he lost to Takumi Kanaya and then faced him in the playoffs, a four-first beat.
This is not the time to be comfortable.
“Comfort is the devil in golf,” said Herbert. “It’s a great position to be 2-0, I have work to do tomorrow.”
Twenty players face their worst day ever as they have been eliminated, a group that includes Will Zlatoris, the No. 7 seed, and eighth seed Viktor Hovland.
Jordan Spieth is going to need some help. A crowd favorite in Austin, where he played for the Longhorns for three semesters, Spieth was 1 up on PGA Tour rookie Taylor Montgomery when he went into the water and lost the 13th, driving long off the 14th green and taking a short par putt missed and Montgomery made a 10-foot birdie at the 15th to regain control.
Montgomery won 2–0 on the 17th hole. Spieth would have to beat Shane Lowry and MacKenzie Hughes would have to beat Montgomery to get a chance.
Montgomery never did well in match play while at UNLV, although he did well in a lot of money games with some high rollers at Shadow Creek.