Jon Rahm advanced to the final of the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play with an impressive 3 and 2 win over American Bill Haas.
The Spaniard joined the European Tour just 26 days ago but secured a tie for third at the WGC - Mexico Championship and is now guaranteed to go at least one better at Austin Country Club.
After emerging from the group stages with a 100 per cent record, he made light work of Charles Howell III and Søren Kjeldsen on Saturday and while Haas put up more of a fight, seven birdies in 16 holes was enough to overcome the World Number 47.
Rahm is now just 18 holes from a first European Tour win and a place in the top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking, but he will have to overcome World Number One Dustin Johnson in the final.
"Towards the end, especially, I really made a couple of clutch putts," said Rahm. "I think all day both of us played great.
"The front nine we went a little bit back and forth. On the back nine we kept playing good. We just weren't making the putts. I made that on 13 and then the one on 15 was just the one that put me in the perfect direction to play 16.
"It was a tough match. I was lucky, I was really fortunate with that second shot on 15 and having a good distance on 16, I was lucky.
"Everybody who has made it this far or even making it to the top 16 is obviously a great competitor. All of them, Charles, Søren, I knew it would take my best."
He was a roll from winning the first but the opening two holes were halved in pars before Haas rolled in a 40-footer on the third to move one up.
It was a tough match. I was lucky. I knew it would take my best - Jon Rahm
Haas applied more pressure by putting his tee-shot to three feet on the fourth but Rahm responded from 20 feet and when he put his approach on the next to three feet, the match was all square.
A third birdie in a row on the sixth took Rahm ahead for the first time but when he found a bunker off the tee on the seventh, Haas hit back.
The next four holes were halved in pars before both men birdied the par five 12th and when Rahm made it two in a row after an approach to six feet, he was back in the lead.
The 22 year old was clearly finding his groove and approaches to ten and seven feet on the 15th and 16th made it four birdies in five holes and victory was secured.
