Rory McIlroy wasted little time winning his WGC – Cadillac Match Play quarter-final against Paul Casey in San Francisco on Sunday, but was finding the going tougher against Jim Furyk in the last four.
Having been unable to force a result over 21 holes on Saturday, McIlroy needed just one on Sunday to edge out Casey.
Resuming their contest on the first after remaining all square after three extra holes last night, McIlroy birdied the par five to progress after Casey duffed his initial chip.
The late finish on Saturday meant McIlroy had to watch the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on television in the media centre rather than from his ringside seat in Las Vegas.
"Honestly I am sort of glad I did not make it because it was sort of an anti-climax and Mayweather did what he usually does and danced around the ring and outpointed him," McIlroy said.
"I am glad to be here and hopefully I can finish the week off well."
After a swift turnaround, World Number One McIlroy was back out on the first and birdied again after getting on in two once more.
But this time Furyk was equal to it, holing from 18 feet to keep matters all square.
McIlroy did go ahead at the third, with Furyk failing to save par from off the green.
Former US Open Champion Furyk won the fourth with a par as McIlroy failed to get up-and-down, but the four-time Major winner went back in front with a birdie at the long next.
McIlroy spectacularly chipped in at the seventh, but Furyk followed him in for birdie from 20 feet to remain only one down, and then turned the contest on its head with a gain from similar distance on the eighth.
Furyk led for the first time at the turn, McIlroy bogeying the ninth after finding a bunker.
McIlroy squared the contest with a birdie from almost 30 feet at the 11th, and went ahead when Furyk shanked his first approach from the rough at the next.
But the American came fighting back again, hitting his tee shot to five feet at the 13th and converting for a birdie to square the contest once more.
Furyk found another birdie on the 15th from ten feet, and pitched close again at the 16th to face McIlroy with the prospect of being two down with two to play – a position the 25 year old had recovered from against Billy Horschel earlier in the week.
McIlroy produced a moment of magic form the rough at 16 to match Furyk’s birdie and stay only one behind, and then was just two feet short of holing his tee shot on the 17th.
A gain there returned the contest to all square heading to the par five 18th.
