Rory McIlroy holed a vital birdie putt at the 18th to edge a thrilling quarter-final clash against Xander Schauffele and book his place in the last four of the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
McIlroy had to call on his wealth of match play experience to come through two extremely close matches on Saturday, holding off Lucas Herbert in the last 16 before facing a very different challenge against Schauffele.
The 33-year-old never trailed against Herbert but was unable to relax, with the Australian staying in touch with his opponent throughout the contest before McIlroy overcame a late scare to close out a two-hole victory.
But it was a completely different story against Schauffele, as McIlroy did not lead until his clutch putt from around 12 feet on the 18th green earned him a memorable one-hole win.
McIlroy, who made 17 birdies across his two matches on day four, will meet Cameron Young in the semis at Austin Country Club after he held off a stunning fightback attempt to beat debutant Kurt Kitayama by one hole.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler came from behind to beat Jason Day 2&1, while Sam Burns saw off Mackenzie Hughes 3&2 in their quarter-final.
The World Number One found himself three down in the early stages before winning three holes without reply to level things up after 12 holes.
He then won the 13th and 14th to go 2UP before almost making an ace at the 17th, with a birdie there clinching his tenth consecutive match win at this event.
Schauffele took the lead against McIlroy at the earliest opportunity as his birdie on the first was enough to win the hole.
McIlroy did well to avoid falling further behind as he holed clutch par putts from around five feet on the second and third.
The Northern Irishman then transferred the pressure to his opponent at the fourth as he rolled in from around 15 feet to leave Schauffele with an eight-foot putt to tie the hole.
And the in-form American did just that, but McIlroy soon pulled level with a birdie at the fifth.
The match was not tied for long, though, as Schauffele won the sixth before sinking his ten-foot birdie putt at the next to go 2UP.
McIlroy pulled one back at the eighth with a six-foot putt, before tying the ninth hole with a confident par putt.
And the World Number Three tied the match for the first time since the opening hole with a ten-foot birdie at the tenth.
Schauffele regained his narrow lead after McIlroy bogeyed the 12th but the Olympic gold medallist found water on the next hole and reigning Harry Vardon Trophy winner McIlroy drew level once more.
There was a classic match play moment at the 15th as McIlroy drained his lengthy birdie putt, with the ball circling the hole before falling below ground. And Schauffele responded by knocking in from eight feet to tie the hole.
Schauffele had a good chance to take the lead after McIlroy missed the 17th green but he was unable to convert his birdie putt.
And McIlroy nervelessly sank his birdie putt on the 18th to make it through to Sunday.
McIlroy, who won this event in 2015, said: "I putted well all day. I felt yesterday against Keegan (Bradley) I found something or I got a feel, and then putted really well this morning against Lucas, and then continued that this afternoon.
"I think winning the Match Play is always a massive accomplishment because of what you have to go through. It's seven rounds and - especially this week, I feel like a lot of my matches have been really, really close, so to be able to pull them out when I've needed to has been very gratifying."
