MARANA, Ariz. — Rory McIlroy was walking down the stairs toward the driving range when he passed Lee Westwood and gave him the same message he had delivered earlier Saturday at the Match Play Championship.
“See you in the morning,” McIlroy said with a big smile. “Just like I told you.”
In 14 years of the tournament, there has never been a semifinal match so compelling.
McIlroy had a surge on the back nine to put away Bae Sang-moon, 3 and 2. Moments later, Westwood finished off Colorado State graduate Martin Laird by the same margin, setting up a showdown with more at stake than just a spot in the championship match.
If either McIlroy or Westwood wins the event, they would go to No. 1 in the world.
“I think with both of us being up there in the world, and both of us with the possibility of going to No. 1, it gives the match definitely an extra little bit of spice,” McIlroy said.
The other semifinal match this morning features Hunter Mahan and Mark Wilson, ensuring an American will make it to the final for the first time since Tiger Woods won in 2008.
Mahan played the shortest quarterfinal match in the 14-year history of the event by beating Matt Kuchar 6 and 5. Wilson had an easy time in his 4-and-3 win over Peter Hanson.
Footnotes. Daniel Summerhays shot a 4-under-par 67 to take a two-stroke lead over Chris Stroud (68) at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
• Americans Katie Futcher and Angela Stanford and South Korea’s Jenny Shin shot 1-under 71s to stay tied for the lead after three rounds of the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.
