Spain's Sergio Garcia reached the last eight of the Volvo World Match Play Championship with a comfortable 4 and 3 victory over 21 year old Tom Lewis.
And that set up the mouth-watering prospect of the 32 year old, currently on course to return to The Ryder Cup side, facing 2008 teammate Graeme McDowell in the quarter-finals.
The Northern Irishman confirmed the stellar duel by seeing off Richard Finch – the conqueror of top seed Martin Kaymer – 3 and 2.
Afterwards the former US Open Champion said: “Sergio is a tough player and obviously knows his way around some Spanish golf courses.
“You want to play against the best players and like I say it really doesn't make a huge amount of difference what name you're going to play because all of these guys are capable of shooting low numbers and I've just got to go and try and beat them.
“I feel like I'm playing well and getting the hang of this golf course as the days go on. I’m looking forward to the game.”
Lewis, who led The Open Championship as an amateur last July and then captured the Portugal Masters in only his third start as a professional, bogeyed the long third, could not match his opponent's birdie at the 334 yard next and then conceded the next.
It was uphill from then on and Garcia sealed his win by holing a 20 footer on the 15th and seeing Lewis miss from 12.
