Golf: Spieth eliminated from Match Play as McIlroy, Day advance

Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to a poor tee shot on the 11th hole. PHOTO: AFP

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - World number one Jordan Spieth was eliminated from the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas on Saturday but second-ranked Jason Day and defending champion Rory McIlroy went through to the quarter-finals.

Texan Spieth ran into a hot opponent in South African Louis Oosthuizen who prevailed 4&2 at Austin Country Club to advance to the last eight for the third straight year.

"I was by far the underdog. Jordan didn't play great but he put a lot of pressure on me with a few long putts he made early on," 2010 British Open champion Oosthuizen told the Golf Channel.

"I played really solid. I'm not making a lot of putts at the moment but I'm giving myself opportunities and that's all I can do."

Spieth said he felt "very uncomfortable" over the ball and struggled to keep a slice out of his game.

Day was too good for American Brandt Snedeker and made a five-foot eagle putt at the par-five 16th to win 3&2. "I played nice today, gave myself a lot of opportunities," said the Australian who has recovered well from tweaking his back during Wednesday's opening match.

World number three McIlroy progressed with a one-up victory over British Open winner Zach Johnson.

McIlroy struck a sand wedge to three and a half feet at the par-four 18th only to watch his American opponent knock in a 20-foot birdie effort.

That left the Northern Irishman needing to hole his birdie putt to win and he wasted no time knocking it in with his cross-handed grip.

"We probably didn't make as many birdies as we should have," McIlroy said. "We really didn't have our best stuff but I definitely produced it when I needed to on the last."

Next up for McIlroy is Chris Kirk who put out fellow American Bill Haas 2&1.

Dustin Johnson beat Patrick Reed 3&2 in an all-American birdiefest.

Both players birdied the first two holes and Johnson was behind after 10 before going birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie to take command.

"It was a tough match. I didn't give him any holes and he didn't give me any," Johnson said.

In other all-American matches, Brooks Koepka beat Matt Kuchar one-up and Ryan Moore ousted Patton Kizzire 4&3.

Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello qualified when An Byeong-hun withdrew on the 13th hole citing a neck injury. The South Korean was four-down at the time.

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