Watch CBS News

This Sergio Garcia Tee Shot Will Make You Feel Great About Your Game [VIDEO]

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the Dell Technologies Match Play (all times local):

2 p.m.

Given another chance, Kevin Na advanced to the weekend at the Match Play.

As if match play wasn't quirky enough, the round-robin format added a bizarre element Friday at Austin Country Club. Na only needed to halve his match against Chris Wood to win his group. But he blew a 4-up lead by losing seven holes in an eight-hole stretch. That put him in a playoff against Matt Fitzpatrick, who went from 2 down to a 2-up victory with four straight birdies.

Fitzpatrick and Na finished 2-1-0 in their group. Momentum was with Fitzpatrick. But they had to wait some two hours to start their sudden-death playoff. On the first hole, Na stuffed a wedge to 3 feet for birdie and advanced.

Two other playoffs were under way.

Bill Haas chipped in from 100 feet for par on the second hole to stay alive. Pat Perez, Lee Westwood and Marc Leishman were on their second extra hole.

1:15 p.m.

Jason Day says his mother's lung cancer surgery in Ohio has gone well.

In a text message delivered by his agent, Day says his mother is resting comfortably and that doctors are optimistic about her recovery.

Dening Day was diagnosed at the start of the year in Australia, and the initial prognosis was that she had 12 months to live. Day brought his mother to Ohio for more tests. The surgery was at The James Cancer Institute at the Ohio State University.

Day withdrew from the Dell Technologies Match Play after six holes Wednesday because he wanted to be with her for the surgery.

___

12:55 p.m.

Jon Rahm won the battle of Spain for a spot in the knockout stage of Match Play.

The Spanish rookie seized control with two birdies around the turn for a 3-up lead on Sergio Garcia, and he closed out Garcia on the 14th hole. This makes six straight years Garcia didn't make it beyond the third round.

Garcia surely knew it was over on the 13th hole when he was trying to drive the green over the water in a steady rain. The driver slipped out of his hands, and the tee shot squirted left about 30 feet and into the hazard.

Meanwhile, Marc Leishman gets to play on Friday after all. He won by forfeit against Jason Day, who withdrew on Wednesday. But when Lee Westwood beat Pat Perez, all three of them finished 2-1-0 in group play and were headed for a playoff.

___

12:05 p.m.

At least two groups are headed for playoffs in the Match Play, and there likely will be more.

Bill Haas defeated K.T. Kim, and now faces him in a sudden-death playoff to advance to the weekend. Head-to-head matches do not apply in deciding who advances.

Kevin Na, who only needed a halve to advance, was 4 up through seven holes when Chris Wood won the next six holes and eventually the match. Na goes to a playoff against Matt Fitzpatrick, who staged a big rally of his own. Justin Thomas was 2 up with five holes to play when Fitzpatrick birdied the next four holes and won the match.

Playoffs do not start until after all the scheduled matches on the course. That means Haas and Kim will wait nearly two hours for their playoff to begin.

Two years ago at Harding Park, seven matches went extra holes and cut in front of matches that were ready to start. Tournament officials felt it was unfair for players to warm up for a match and then have to wait some 30 minutes to tee off.

___

10:45 p.m.

Phil Mickelson has made it past the third round of the Dell Technologies Match Play for the first time since 2004.

J.B. Holmes didn't make a birdie until the 12th hole, and all that did was extend the match. Mickelson closed him out on the next hole, 6 and 5, and won his group with a 3-0 record.

Mickelson last made it past the third round when the Match Play was single elimination. He lost to Davis Love III in the quarterfinals. That was so long ago that Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie, Jeff Sluman and Fred Couples were among those in the field, and Tiger Woods had just begun work with a new swing coach, Hank Haney.

Lefty now advances to the knockout stage this weekend at Austin Country Club.

___

10:15 a.m.

Phil Mickelson is off to a strong start in his bid to get beyond the third round of the Dell Technologies Match Play for the first time in 13 years.

Mickelson won the opening three holes in his match against J.B. Holmes. He needs only to halve the match to advance out of group play. Eight other players, including No. 1 seed Dustin Johnson, face the same scenario Friday at Austin Country Club.

Because of three players withdrawing throughout the week, Soren Kjeldsen and Alex Noren already won their group and did not have to deal with the rain. Neither did Marc Leishman, who was to play Jason Day.

Leishman lost Thursday to Pat Perez. If Perez loses his third-round match, he would play Leishman in a sudden-death playoff.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.