Rory McIlroy led the way as four European Tour Members advanced to the quarter-finals of the WGC – Cadillac Championship in San Francisco.
McIlroy will face England’s Paul Casey in the last eight, with Danny Willett and Tommy Fleetwood contesting an all English match after seeing off Lee Westwood and Branden Grace respectively.
South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen produced a brilliant approach to the last to beat Rickie Fowler one up and now plays America’s Jim Furyk, with Gary Woodland and John Senden completing the last eight.
Top seed McIlroy beat Japan's Hideki Matsuyama 6 and 5 in the last 16 at TPC Harding Park, while Willett defeated stablemate Westwood 3 and 2 and Fleetwood saw off South African Grace 2 and 1.
Four-time Major winner McIlroy looked set to follow Masters champion and second seed Jordan Spieth out of the tournament when he was two down after 16 holes in his final group match against FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel on Friday.
However, the World Number One holed from 25 feet on the 17th to keep the match alive and also birdied the 18th to force extra holes, before a par on the 20th hole was enough to secure his third straight win.
That meant the 25 year old advanced to the knockout stages to face Matsuyama, who had also won his group with a perfect 3-0 record after wins over Alexander Levy, Joost Luiten and Kevin Na.
Both players birdied the par five first on Saturday and McIlroy holed from 25 feet for another birdie on the second, before a two-putt birdie from long range on the fifth was enough to take the Northern Irishman two up.
Pars on the sixth and seventh were enough for McIlroy to double his lead and the Open Champion was five up after holing from ten feet for birdie on the eighth.
An excellent tee shot on the ninth left McIlroy facing a similar distance for another birdie, but Matsuyama responded by almost recording a hole-in-one and McIlroy missed his birdie attempt to see his lead cut to four holes at the turn.
Thoughts of a comeback were instantly extinguished when McIlroy holed out from a bunker on the tenth and another birdie on the 12th effectively sealed the decisive win.
McIlroy was left hoping for a similarly early finish to his quarter-final, having already stated his intention of flying to Las Vegas to watch the eagerly-anticipated clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
''I always said if these two guys fought each other, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to go,'' McIlroy said earlier this week. "Luckily we're somewhere close and hopefully I'm still part of this tournament at that time, but it just wasn't an opportunity that I was going to miss.''
Reminded that the timing could be tight if his quarter-final went the distance, McIlroy joked: "'Nothing that a few quick birdies won't change if I try and win 7 and 6."
McIlroy had been seeded to meet Spieth in the final but the World Number Two lost on Friday to Westwood, who took an early lead against Willett with a birdie on the first.
However, Willett hit back at the fifth and further birdies on the 12th and 15th were followed by a three-putt bogey from Westwood on the 16th.
"It was tough," Willett said. "We both played pretty solid tee to green and I just got the upper hand on the greens. It's always tough playing against a friend but I am just happy I got through."
Fleetwood made the ideal start with an eagle on the first and although he was pegged back on the second, bogeys on the ninth and tenth from Grace ultimately proved vital.
"We could have stayed at home to play an all-English quarter-final," joked Fleetwood, who had needed extra holes in two of his group matches. "It feels great to get through.
"The further it got down the stretch, the weaker my putts were getting and I was just trying to grind it out and stay ahead."
American Gary Woodland had been the first man into the quarter-finals thanks to a 2 and 1 win over Marc Leishman, with another Australian his next opponent after John Senden defeated former champion Hunter Mahan.
McIlroy admitted he would need an even more comprehensive - and therefore quicker - win in his quarter-final against Paul Casey to be able to make the fight.
"I will need to play even better this afternoon than I did this morning to have a chance," McIlroy said. "Obviously this (event) takes priority over everything else.
"There are two tickets, one of which will be used by a good friend of mine, the other we will have to wait and see. There is a slot (for a private plane) out of San Francisco getting into Vegas, but we will see if I can make it or not."
Lee Westwood had no such worries, Tweeting: "Well done @willett1987 this morning. Good luck this afternoon. Silver lining is that I'm off to Vegas for mayweather/ pacman!"
Casey was always in command of his match against Charl Schwartzel before eventually closing out a 3 and 1 win, with the remaining quarter-final seeing Furyk take on Oosthuizen after their respective wins over Holmes and Fowler.
Furyk beat Holmes 5 and 3 while Fowler fought back from three down after ten to level by the 14th, only to make a mess of the 18th and be forced to concede with Oosthuizen on the green in two on the par five.
Casey revealed Schwartzel also had tickets for the fight and joked there was another way McIlroy could make it.
"I would love to win early and maybe he can still make it to Vegas," he quipped. "But I won't suggest that to him and get him in a fired-up mood!"
