Lee Westwood survived a late scare to overcome Marc Leishman and win his second group stage match at the WGC-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club.
The 59th seed had lost his opening encounter to Ryder Cup team-mate and great friend Sergio Garcia but was looking comfortable at two up with two to play against the Nedbank Golf Challenge winner.
But he was forced to concede the 17th after a wayward tee-shot and went up the 18th for the second day in a row, where a par was enough to hand him a one hole victory.
That saw Leishman become the first man eliminated from this year's tournament with Garcia, Ryan Moore and Westwood all in with a chance of progressing from Group 13 on Friday.
Westwood conceded the first but a par on the sixth got him back to all square before Leishman won the ninth and tenth. The Englishman then won three in a row and went two up on the 15th before the dramatic finish.
The 42 year old is a veteran of match play, having played nine Ryder Cups, and would dearly love to feature again at Hazeltine in September.
"I haven't played a lot over the last six weeks, I've played four or five rounds so my form yesterday was a bit rusty, today I played properly," he said.
Hopefully I can keep that going over the next few weeks and build up some momentum for the year and try and earn some Ryder Cup points - Lee Westwood
"I'd like to play my tenth one and if I don't, I'd like to be involved in some way, shape or form in another victorious European side."
Garcia and Moore traded the first two holes in their match before birdies on the third and sixth put Moore ahead, with Garcia hitting straight back to make it all square at the turn.
The American then birdied the 11th to go one up with seven to play but Garcia hit back on the 13th before the 45th seed proceeded to play a brilliant approach to the last for a birdie and claim the win by one hole.
In Group 4, Bubba Watson beat Emiliano Grillo by two holes and J.B. Holmes and Patton Kizzire halved their contest, meaning all four players could still progress.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello made it two wins from two in Group 12 and half a point against Søren Kjeldsen on Friday will ensure he makes it into the round of 16.
The Spaniard had to withstand a brilliant fightback from Hideki Matsuyama in his opening match but had no such trouble in a 4 and 3 win against Kevin Kisner.
The 31 year old birdied the first and led from start to finish, completing his round with a brilliant 72-foot putt from the rough on the 15th.
I just rolled probably one of the toughest putts of my life - Rafa Cabrera-Bello
"I stroked it perfectly. I had an okay lie just off the green in the rough, but didn't really fancy a chip. It was a fast and tricky chip.
"I decided just to putt it and it came out perfect, hugged the edge of the slope and miraculously went in the hole."
Kjeldsen cannot advance after he lost 4 and 2 to Matsuyama.
Byeong-hun An catapulted himself to the top of Group 5 with a brilliant late comeback to beat Jason Dufner by two holes.
The South Korean was two down with five to play but birdied the 14th and 16th before an errant tee shot from the American on the 17th gave him the lead.
Another birdie on the last sealed the win and with Rickie Fowler and Scott Piercy halving their contest, all four men can still make the last 16.
