Golf: Rory Mcilroy Reach Match Play Semi-Finals

Rory McIlroy produced his most impressive performance of the week in Texas as he cruised into the WGC-Dell Match Play semi-finals with a convincing win over Chris Kirk. McIlroy, bidding to successfully defend a title for the first time his career, carded six birdies in his 4 and 3 victory which extended his unbeaten run in the competition to 12 matches.

McIlroy got off to a positive start as he rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie at the first, and he was gifted another win at the par-three fourth when Kirk sent his tee shot long and left and took two more just to reach the green. The defending champion returned the favour at the next when he pulled his drive onto a cart path on the left of the fairway, and it was determined that his ball was an inch beyond the out of bounds markers.

McIlroy atoned for his lapse with a precise wedge to five feet that set up a winning birdie at 10, and he went back to two-up at the long 12th when he followed a 377-yard drive with a solid second to 35 feet and two-putted for a birdie which Kirk could not match.