Three of Saturday morning’s eight matches went all 18 holes, and each one featured a player in the afternoon session’s top matchups.
Lucas Herbert hung with Rory McIlroy all round and forced him to the 18th hole by way of a 31-foot bomb on 17. Nevertheless, McIlroy nearly repeated his heroics from Thursday, when he drove the green and had three feet for eagle, while Herbert laid up in the bunker. McIlroy made an easy birdie (his ninth of the round) to set up the 2 Up win.
That sets up a heavyweight matchup between World No. 3 McIlroy and seventh-ranked (sixth-seeded) Xander Schauffele who dispatched J.J. Spaun 3 and 2 in the morning. It’s also a rematch of Singles Sunday from the 2021 Ryder Cup, when McIlroy defeated Schauffele 3 and 2.
The other marquee match features Scottie Scheffler vs. Jason Day. The defending champion, Scheffler, had to battle back from 2 Down on the back nine to eventually defeat J.T. Poston 1 Up.
Day, the 2016 WGC-Match Play winner, took Matt Kuchar to the final hole as well but survived when Kuchar’s birdie try from off the green came up short
Scheffler and McIlroy are on opposite sides of the bracket, so the only way they’ll face each other is if they make it to the final match Sunday afternoon.
Scheffler and Day tee off at 1:50 p.m. ET, while McIlroy and Schauffele start at 2:05 p.m. ET.
You can stream Saturday’s Quarterfinals via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ or watch the action on Golf Channel and NBC. Browse the complete Quarterfinal tee times for the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play below.
2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Quarterfinal tee times (All times ET)
1:35 p.m. – Sam Burns (13) vs. Mackenzie Hughes (50) 1:50 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler (1) vs. Jason Day (32) 2:05 p.m. – Rory McIlroy (3) vs. Xander Schauffele (60) 2:20 p.m. – Cameron Young (15) vs. Kurt Kitayama (19)
2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Round of 16 results
Mackenzie Hughes (50) def. Max Homa (5) 3 and 2 Sam Burns (13) def. Patrick Cantlay (4) 2 and 1 Jason Day (32) def. Matt Kuchar (59) 1 Up Scottie Scheffler (1) def. J.T. Poston (43) 1 Up Xander Schauffele (6) def. J.J. Spaun (61) 3 and 2 Rory McIlroy (3) def. Lucas Herbert (46) 2 Up Kurt Kitayama (19) def. Andrew Putnam (56) 6 and 5 Cameron Young (15) def. Billy Horschel (22) 5 and 4
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.