Ernie Els made a perfect start against Victor Dubuisson as he looks to reach the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship final for the first time.
The South African, a seven-time World Match Play winner at Wentworth, had made the semi-final of this event only once before in 2001.
But the four-time Major winner was on course to go one better at Dove Mountain, as he won the first two holes with pars.
Dubuisson, the first Frenchman to reach this stage, struggled from the tee at both holes, taking four shots to find the putting surface at the first and pulling his drive left into the desert at the next.
In the other semi-final Australia’s Jason Day won the first with a birdie and remained one up on Rickie Fowler through four holes.
Els went three up when Dubuisson conceded the fourth after finding more problems in the desert scrub.
But just as the 44 year old was threatening to blow away an opponent 21 years his junior, Els fluffed his chip at the eighth and Dubuisson got up and down for birdie to close the gap to two.
The Turkish Airlines Open winner then got within one at the ninth when Els missed the green and he stiffed his approach to eight feet and birdied.
Day looked to be in full control of the other match – conceding the ninth after getting his ball stuck in cacti his only blemish amongst winning the seventh, eighth and 11th to go three up.
