Thomas Björn beat Branden Grace on day two of the Volvo World Match Play Championship, but the Dane was still not certain to make it to the weekend at Finca Cortesin.
The 41 year old hit back from his loss to American Brandt Snedeker by beating South African Grace - a three-time winner on The European Tour already this season, two of them in Volvo-sponsored events - with a 20 foot birdie putt on the 17th.
That result left Grace needing a win against Snedeker to reach the weekend, with any other result taking the three-time US PGA Tour winner and Björn through.
“I got a better start today more than anything,” said Björn, who lost five of the first six holes on Thursday.
“Yesterday after five weeks off it was very rusty. It was better today, not much better but better.
“It was a bit scruffy on both sides, we gave each other a few holes here and there. But there were some big putts being made on the back nine, I made a big putt on 13 that got my tail up and Brendan probably felt it was going against him.”
