McIlroy wins, Tiger falls, Day ousted at WGC-Match Play

Rory McIlroy remained unbeaten at the WGC-Match Play Championship.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Rory McIlroy remained unbeaten, Tiger Woods suffered a critical loss and defending champion Bubba Watson and two-time winner Jason Day were eliminated Thursday at the WGC-Match Play Championship.

The 64-player showdown featuring the world ranking leaders at Austin (Texas) Country Club starts with three days of group play to determine 16 berths in weekend knockout matches to decide a champion.

Fourth seed McIlroy defeated South Africa s 47th-seeded Justin Harding 3&2, eagles at the par-5 12th and 16th and a birdie at the par-4 15th tipping a squared match his way to give him a 2-0 record and group lead.

"One of the big things over the last couple of days is I ve been happy with how I ve responded. I played the shot when I needed to -- I holed the putt when I needed to.

"When I sense a little bit of blood I m taking my opportunities. Whenever I have to step up and hit a shot on top of a guy I ve been able to do that really well."

McIlroy, who has never trailed in two days, needs only a draw with English 32nd seed Matthew Fitzpatrick on Friday to advance.

Brandt Snedeker never trailed in beating 14-time major champion Woods 2&1 to share the lead in an all-American group with Patrick Cantlay, who beat Aaron Wise 4&2.

For any chance to reach the weekend in his first Match Play start since 2013, three-time winner Woods must beat Cantlay on Friday and have Wise defeat or draw Snedeker.

"We both made a couple of mistakes out there but he made a few less mistakes than I did," Woods said. "All I can do is hopefully get a point tomorrow and see if that s good enough."

Woods made an incredible third shot at the 10th hole on his knees, knocking the ball from underneath a huge bush some 32 feet to just four feet from the cup and halved the hole.

"My own kids were probably rooting for him," Snedeker admitted.

Snedeker sank a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-5 17th for a 2-up lead and halved 17 to seal the victory.

"It was a lot of fun," Snedeker said. "Neither one of us made a lot of putts. It came down to me making a good putt on 16 and that gave me the little bump I needed to win."

England s second-seeded Justin Rose was 3-down with four holes remaining but charged back with long birdie putts to halve with compatriot Eddie Pepperell on a day when 17 of 32 matches went to the 18th hole.

Rose birdied to win the 15th from 13 feet, sank a 23-footer at the par-3 17th to stay in the match, then closed the duel on a tense 10-footer at 18 to finish level.

"My goal was to birdie out," Rose said of the final four holes. "You set your intention and forget the rest and that s what happened."

Rose must beat US 22nd seed Gary Woodland, a 1-up winner over Argentina s Emiliano Grillo, on Friday to advance.

Watson was eliminated with a 2&1 loss to fellow American Billy Horschel while 12th seed Day, a two-time champion, was ousted with his second defeat, falling 4&3 to Sweden s Henrik Stenson.

Stenson plays Jim Furyk, who eliminated five-time major winner Phil Mickelson 1-up, on Friday to decide a spot in the last 16.

South Africa s 40th-seeded Branden Grace beat world number one Dustin Johnson 1-up. A 38-foot birdie putt at 17 by Grace proved the difference after Johnson missed a 17-foot birdie putt at 18.

"It s always nice to beat the number one player in the world," said Grace, who can do no worse than a playoff with Johnson -- who must beat Japan s Hideki Matsuyama and have Grace lose to American Chez Reavie to force it.

China s Li Haotong edged US third seed Brooks Koepka 1-up to eliminate the reigning US Open and PGA champion from title contention.

Aussie Marc Leishman beat Scotsman Russell Knox 2-up for the group lead after Thailand s Kiradech Aphibarnrat beat US sixth seed Bryson DeChambeau 2&1.