Matthew Fitzpatrick kept himself alive at the expense of fellow Englishman Chris Wood on day two of the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club.
With both men losing their opening matches in Group 6 on Wednesday, they were desperate for a win and Fitzpatrick claimed a 4 and 2 victory to keep his hopes of making the last 16 intact.
He will need Ryder Cup team-mate Wood to do him a favour on Friday and beat Kevin Na, though, after the American maintained his 100 per cent record with a 4 and 2 win over Justin Thomas.
Fitzpatrick put an approach to five feet to go one up on the third but was pegged back when Wood drove the green on the fifth.
A tee-shot to ten feet on the seventh then moved Fitzpatrick back ahead and a Wood bogey on the next extended the lead. Another Wood bogey on the tenth further extended the lead but the BMW PGA Championship winner won the next two before surrendering the 13th.
Fitzpatrick wins on the 15th and 16th then sealed a relatively comfortable victory in windy conditions, and the 22 year old believes his upbringing in windy Sheffield stood him in good stead.
"It's on top of a hill, so it gets really windy there," he said. "You have got to learn how to control your ball and keep it under the wind a lot of times.
"It's always difficult playing someone you know really well. Difficult to show any emotion, I guess, because they know you. It's been a good day for me, obviously. See what we can do tomorrow."
Na went one up on the first courtesy of a Thomas bogey but the sixth seed won the fifth and sixth before Na hit back on the eighth and ninth.
It's been a good day for me, obviously. See what we can do tomorrow - Matthew Fitzpatrick
The new European Tour Member then took advantage of some ragged play from Thomas to win the 13th and 15th with par before a concession on the 16th.
Russell Knox went down 3 and 1 to K.T. Kim but he still has chance to progress from Group 11 should he beat Danny Willett, who will not make the weekend after a 6 and 5 defeat to Bill Haas.
Lee Westwood was handed a walkover in Group 3 after Jason Day's withdrawal, with Marc Leishman guaranteed a place in the last 16 with a win over Pat Perez.
The American was having none of it, however, defeating Leishman 2 and 1 and Westwood must now beat Perez on Friday to deny his progress.
In Group 14, Phil Mickelson made it two wins from two, beating Daniel Berger 5 and 4, while JB Holmes and Si Woo Kim halved their match.
