AUSTIN, Texas – The Dell Match Play has produced a semifinal that is almost bigger than Texas.

Even without Jordan Spieth.

Jason Day powered his way to two victories Saturday to assure that he will return to No. 1 in the world.

But this is no time to celebrate. His reward is a semifinal showdown against defending champion Rory McIlroy, who ran his unbeaten streak to 12 matches and needs two more to join Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners. This is only the second time the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds have met in the semifinals since the Match Play began in 1999. They are the last two winners of this event.

Play away, please.

“I expect it to be very, very tough and very stressful out there,” Day said. “And that’s the stuff I enjoy.”

Day and McIlroy have never met in match play.

“I’ve love to play Jason,” McIlroy said. “I’d really relish it. He’s playing really well at the minute, coming off a win last week. I’d be really up for it. It’s a big match.”

Spieth, who led the Texas Longhorns to an NCAA title in 2012 and had the gallery on his side all week, won’t be around for all the excitement.

He lost his fourth-round match to Louis Oosthuizen, and then he lost the No. 1 ranking when Day advanced to the semifinal. Spieth was more concerned about how his swing got out of sorts than losing the No. 1 ranking.

“To be honest, it could be a good thing for me going into the Masters,” he said.

Day and McIlroy were all square going to the back in their matches. Day won two of the first three holes to pull away from Brooks Koepka, closing him out on the 16th hole. McIlroy ran off four birdies in six holes for a 4-and-3 victory over Chris Kirk.

“It’s been a bit of an up and down week, especially emotionally,” said Day, who considered withdrawing when his back seized up on him after his first match of the week. “It’s been quite amazing to be able to start the week, not really thinking I’m going to be able to play with what happened Wednesday, and then turn around and I’m No. 1 in the world. It’s a strange feeling. I’m glad I stuck it out.”

Oosthuizen, who eliminated Spieth with a 4-and-2 victory in the morning, took advantage of Dustin Johnson’s blunders in the quarterfinals to win, 2 and 1. Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain also advanced to the semifinals by beating Ryan Moore, 2 and 1.

Oosthuizen and Day are the only semifinalists who have yet to play the 18th hole in competition at Austin Country Club.

“I didn’t make it very hard on Louis today, which is unfortunate,” said Spieth, who lost holes with three bogeys and a double bogey. “I was off from when I hit my first 10 shots on the range. I’ve had incredible control of the ball this week and of my wedges. I’m not exactly sure what happened.”

Spieth led a trail of Americans to the airport. There were 11 Americans in the round of 16 at the start of the day, none at the end of it. This is the first time since 2010 that no Americans advanced to the semifinals.

Day has played the fewest holes this week – 69 holes over five rounds – helped by an ill Paul Casey pulling out after six holes on Thursday.

Day squared the match against Koepka on the eighth hole, pulled ahead with a birdie on No. 10 and then hit out of the bunker to about 20 feet for an eagle that was conceded to go 2 up. Koepka never won another hole.

McIlroy’s toughest work came in the morning against Zach Johnson, who battled McIlroy to the very end. McIlroy was leading 1 up when he hit wedge to 3 feet on the 18th that seemingly wrapped up the match, except that Johnson made a 20-foot birdie putt and McIlroy had to roll in his birdie to win.

Oosthuizen reached the semifinals for the first time, and Johnson helped him get there.

Johnson three-putted for bogey on No. 11 to fall behind for the first time in the match. Oosthuizen went into the water on the par-5 12th, only for Johnson to follow with a shot into the water. Oosthuizen was 1 up playing the par-3 17th when he made a 20-foot birdie putt, and Johnson missed his birdie from 6 feet that would have extended the match.

“I just wanted to go through to tomorrow and see if I can get into this final,” Oosthuizen said.

That might be what it takes for anyone to pay attention to him or Cabrera Bello, who picked up one important victory this week. His victory Saturday morning assured him of moving into the top 50 at the end of the week and getting into the Masters for the first time.

Suwanee, Georgia’s Seth Reeves finished up a final round 5-under 67 on Saturday morning at Reunion Resort and Spa’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Course to take medalist honours at the first of four Qualifying Tournaments for the 2016 Mackenzie Tour season.

The 25-year old, a former NCAA All-American at Georgia Tech, won by three shots over Sam Love to earn fully exempt status for the upcoming year.

“It’s huge. Not having to worry about the re-shuffle or anything is pretty cool, but knowing what I’m going to do this summer is great. I haven’t been up in Canada very much, so I’m excited to join the tour and have some fun and have a good summer,” said Reeves.

New Hamburg, Ontario’s Cam Burke finished T7 and was the low Canadian thanks to closing rounds of 68-69 and will be exempt through the season’s first four events. A two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion, Burke will have Mackenzie Tour status for the first time in his career.

“It’s really important to have that locked down and to know that I’m going to have a good summer ahead of me and a quality place to play; that’s the most important thing,” said Burke.

In total, 41 players finished T32 to earn Mackenzie Tour status for the upcoming year.

AUSTIN, Texas – Rory McIlroy had to go 20 holes. Jason Day only played six. Both advanced Friday to the round of 16 in the Dell Match Play that is loaded with Americans and a Texan who feels right at home.

Jordan Spieth got off to another quick start and sailed into the round of 16 with a 3-and-2 victory over Justin Thomas. The No. 1 player in the world also is the top crowd pleaser at Austin Country Club, where he used to qualify for matches during his brief time wearing the burnt orange of the Texas Longhorns.

The rest of the so-called “Big Three” joined him, even if Day and McIlroy reached the knockout stage in a different manner.

Day was all square in his match when Paul Casey withdrew because of a stomach illness that has been bothering him the last two days. Day was likely to advance, anyway, but the short day at least allowed him extra rest for his back and for the weekend ahead.

Day has played only 31 holes in three days.

“If I can make it all the way through Sunday, that means I’m playing 72 holes on the weekend, which is a lot of golf,” Day said.

McIlroy was in one of the four winner-take-all matches between undefeated players in their groups, and it was struggle from the start against Kevin Na. McIlroy, the defending champion, didn’t take the lead until the 15th hole, gave it right back and both missed birdie putt on 18 to halve their match.

It ended on No. 2, the second extra hole, when Na hooked his tee shot into a hazard and McIlroy holed a 6-foot putt for the win. He now has 10 straight matches dating to his victory last year at Harding Park in San Francisco.

“I was dying after 10 holes, but I knew I’d played the back nine well,” McIlroy said. “It is a sign of relief. It’s nice to get to the weekend.”

What felt like a marathon over three days now turns into a two-day race to the finish, with two sessions on Saturday and Sunday of single elimination. The round of 16 features 11 Americans, the most since there were 12 out of 16 in 2002.

Phil Mickelson also had a short day and was headed home. Patrick Reed holed out for an eagle on No. 10 to go 7 up, and Mickelson did well to get to the 14th hole before Reed closed him out, 5 and 4. Reed has never trailed in any match all week.

McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Chris Kirk and Byeong-Hun An all had to go extra holes.

Kirk and Branden Grace had an easy time winning their matches to finish 2-1 in their group. In a peculiar decision this year, players had to wait until everyone was on the course before the playoff. They were the first match and had to wait nearly three hours to start the playoff. It didn’t last long, as Grace went from a fairway bunker, over the green, and made bogey.

An, who won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last year, lost a chance to win his group when Rickie Fowler birdied the last hole to halve the match. That sent An into a playoff with Scott Piercy, who won the 18th hole to beat Jason Dufner. An hit his approach to 4 feet on the first playoff hole to advance.

Johnson beat Jimmy Walker for the second straight year, then had to birdie the opening hole to win a playoff over Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand.

Motoring right along was Zach Johnson, who has been the most dominant player this week in Austin. Johnson finally played the last three holes – but only for practice. He had an easy time against Shane Lowry, who was eliminated regardless of the outcome, and beat him, 4 and 3.

Johnson has played only 42 holes in three matches, all ending at the 15th or earlier.

“My scorecard, or whatever you want to call it, speaks for itself,” Johnson said. “With the exception of the first hole yesterday, I’ve never been down in a match. I’m not going to take this for granted. It’s not going to be easy no matter who my opponent is tomorrow and the rest of the weekend, hopefully. But I’m seeing my shots, my execution is there. I think I’m picking out good targets and I’ve obviously putting pretty well.”

So is Louis Oosthuizen, who has not lost this week and joined McIlroy as the only players to reach the round of 16 two straight years in the round-robin format. Next up for Oosthuizen is Spieth, and he knows what awaits.

“I think it’s going to be against 10-15,000 people,” Oosthuizen said.

In other groups:

• Bill Haas and Adam Scott didn’t halve a hole after No. 7. Haas won the last two holes with birdie to advance with a 1-up victory.
• Brandt Snedeker rallied from an early deficit to beat Charl Schwartzel and win his group.
• Brooks Koepka lost his match, but won his group when Billy Horschel failed to beat Jaco Van Zyl.
• Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain halved his match to advance.
• Ryan Moore beat Lee Westwood to win his group.

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Rafael Campos held onto the lead in front of his home fans in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, shooting a 1-under 71 in windy conditions Friday.

The 27-year-old Campos had a 9-under 135 total at Coco Beach for a one-stroke lead. One of two players to play in all nine editions of the event, he opened with a 64 on Thursday.

“It’s great just having so much support, so many people coming out here and following us,” Campos said. “I love seeing the little kids, I love seeing the parents and all that. They’re the future of golf.”

He’s the first Puerto Rican to lead a PGA Tour event since the 1979 Tallahassee Open, when Chi Chi Rodriguez was tied for the 54-hole lead and went on to win his eighth and final title.

“It really does feel great to be in this position,” Campos said. “I’m really relaxed. Ironically enough, I really feel very relaxed out there. Not really thinking of my swing, I’m not really thinking of the problems out there, I’m actually enjoying it. I like being in this position, I really do.”

George McNeill, the 2012 winner, was second after a 71.

“The wind’s blowing, it’s tricky,” McNeill said. “The greens aren’t very fast and this afternoon they didn’t putt as good as they did yesterday morning, obviously, with a lot of traffic on them.”

Ian Poulter, playing the event for the first time after failing to qualify for the Match Play tournament in Texas, was tied for third at 7 under after a 66 _ the best round of the day.

“The yardage books nowadays are good enough, you don’t need to be here for days and days and days trying to figure out the golf course,” Poulter said. “It’s right in front of you. It’s windy, you can see the bunkers, you can see the hazards.”

The Englishman birdied the first three holes and the last three in his bogey-free round.

“I had to stay patient,” Poulter said. “Opening up with three birdies first thing this morning was nice. It was easy to get a little bit frustrated yesterday not making putts I would have expected to hole. … To close with three birdies there was good and it kind of moves me up the board quite nicely.”

Defending champion Alex Cejka (71) also was 7 under along with Steve Marino (67), Bronson Burgoon (68), Kyle Reifers (70), Mark Hubbard (70) and Will MacKenzie (71).

Graham DeLaet (69) of Weyburn, Sask., was the top Canadian, four shots back of Compos and tied for 15th place.

“It was a little bit trickier today,” Cejka said. “It was a little bit more wind, it was tough to play. I really hit some good shots. … I’m hanging in there, just want to play the next couple days like I did the first two days.”

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Jenny Shin took the lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic, a stroke ahead of top-ranked Lydia Ko and Brittany Lang.

Shin birdied five of her first eight holes and had a 7-under 65 to reach 10-under 134 at Aviara in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage. The 23-year-old South Korean player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

Ko shot a 67, and Lang had a 68. The 18-year-old Ko was second Sunday in Phoenix in the Founders Cup.

Second-ranked Inbee Park and fellow South Korean player Hyo Joo Kim were 8 under. Park had a 69, and Kim shot a 66.

Canadian Brooke Henderson shot up the leaderboard and is tied for 29th after shooting a 70. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native is 1 under for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee Leblanc, of Sherbrooke, Que., missed the cut.

Birmingham, Alabama’s Sam Love built a two-stroke lead midway through the fourth round at Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada qualifying school before play was suspended due to darkness at Reunion Resort and Spa’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.

The 24-year old, who made 19 starts on the Web.com Tour last season, was two under for his first nine holes thanks to two birdies and no bogeys, reaching 10-under overall and leading by two over Seth Reeves. The University of Alabama at Birmingham grad said he’ll return in the morning looking for medalist honours and exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for 2016.

“Any of the Q-Schools that I’ve played, I always figure I’m going to have a better chance of making it through if I’m trying to win than if I’m trying to qualify. If you’re just trying to qualify, you get a little tentative and hit shots scared,” said Love.

Toronto’s Sebastian Szirmak was the low Canadian with nine holes to go, sitting in a tie for sixth at 4-under par for the tournament.

“I’m ready to finish strong tomorrow. Hopefully in the morning there will be some good scoring conditions and some birdies to grab before ending a long week,” said Szirmak.

Round four will resume Saturday morning with players in position at 8:00 a.m.

AUSTIN, Texas – Jordan Spieth had another stress-free day in the Dell Match Play, avoiding some of the drama the 18th hole provided Thursday.

So did Jason Day, whose back felt strong enough to drive the first green at 381 yards with a helping wind.

Fifteen matches went the distance at Austin Country Club, and there was no shortage of surprises. Daniel Berger never finished against Phil Mickelson when his club hit a rock structure on the way down. Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler escaped with half-points.

It all set the stage for Friday when all but 16 players from the 64-man field leave town. Already, 22 players have been mathematically eliminated.

Spieth again built a big lead and lost only one hole in a 5-and-4 victory over Victor Dubuisson of France. He has played 30 holes in his two victories, and needs only to halve his match Friday against Justin Thomas to reach the round of 16.

“When you’re 3 up and you’re striking the ball well on a windy day with a difficult golf course, it’s difficult to come from behind,” Spieth said.

Day ended any suspense about his back injury – first by showing up, then by hitting his opening drive to 12 feet on the 381-yard first hole. He was headed to a 5-and-3 victory over Thongchai Jaidee, which put him in the same position as Spieth.

“If I didn’t play today, I was going to pull out of the tournament totally,” Day said. “I wasn’t going to come back on Friday. I may as well get the rest and recovery and try to get ready for Augusta. I was playing against Thongchai. I felt like if I went there and played some golf, I could get him.

“Fortunately for me, I played some good golf,” he said. “There wasn’t one shot where I felt it today, which was good.”

Rory McIlroy also got through in a wild match with Smylie Kaufman in which they didn’t halve a hole until No. 7. McIlroy won on the 17th hole.

For others, the 18th hole was pivotal.

Mickelson was all square on the last hole when Berger drove left next to a rock structure that forms the 10th tee box. Berger struck the rocks before his club reached the ball. He dropped the club, grabbed his left wrist and looked over to Mickelson to concede the match.

“That’s happened to me before, not the injury, but swinging over the top of it or misjudging where the obstacle is,” Mickelson said. “It happens. So I was just watching if the ball was struck and it wasn’t. He hit the rock on the downswing. And hopefully his wrist is OK.”

Mickelson moves on to a winner-take-all match against Patrick Reed. Berger was among those eliminated and contemplated whether to play Friday, especially with his first Masters appearance only two weeks away.

Sergio Garcia was poised to win his second straight match until Ryan Moore knocked in a 25-foot putt from behind the 17th green to square the match, and then hit wedge to a foot on the final hole for a 1-up victory.

“Match play is just crazy,” Moore said. “You just never know what’s going to happen.”

Patton Kizzire, one of three PGA Tour rookies in the 64-man field, was 1 down to Bubba Watson playing the 18th hole when he hit his approach to 5 feet and made it to halve the match. If he missed, he would have been eliminated. Now he can win the group if he beats Emiliano Grillo on Friday and J.B. Holmes beats Watson.

Scott Piercy stayed in the match with Fowler with a remarkable up-and-down from birdie by bouncing a putt across the cart path and rough and onto the green, and winning the 17th when Fowler hit into a hazard. Piercy missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have eliminated Fowler.

Now, there’s a mathematical chance for a four-way playoff on Friday to determine who wins the group.

Spieth knows the course better than anyone from his three semesters at Texas _ the Longhorns used to stage qualifying on the course. He also faces more attention as the local favourite, not to mention the No. 1 player in the world.

So far, he has played some of his best golf since he won at Kapalua to start the year.

“My swing has been coming around,” he said. “I’ve been working hard on it for the last month or so. Really started showing signs of that work this week.”

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Rafael Compos shot an 8-under 64 in front of his home fans Thursday to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open.

The 27-year-old Compos had eight birdies in a bogey-free round at Coco Beach. He made four straight birdies on Nos. 9-12, added another on the par-5 15th and parred the final three holes.

George McNeill, the 2012 winner, was a stroke back. He had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch and closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth.

Defending champion Alex Cejka was at 66 along with Aaron Baddeley, Frank Lickliter and Will MacKenzie. Baddeley eagled the 15th and closed with two birdies.

Former Team Canada member Adam Svensson had a 67. The 5-under par round featured six birdies and a bogey.

Svensson, the medalist at Web.com Tour Q-School last December, will be making the fifth PGA TOUR start of his career at the Puerto Rico Open at Coco Beach. The Surrey, B.C., competed in the RBC Canadian Open in 2013 and 2014 as an amateur, posted a T34 at the event as a professional in 2015, and missed the cut at The RSM Classic last fall.

English stars Luke Donald and Ian Poulter are in playing after failing to qualify for the Match Play event in Texas. Donald opened with a 69, and Poulter shot 71.

In other Canadian action, Weyburn. Sask., native Graham DeLaet and Abbotsford, B.C.’s Nick Taylor had matching 2-under 70s. Wil Bateman of Edmonton had a 2-over 74.

CONCORD, N.C. – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Mackenzie Hughes carded a bogey-free final round 66 (-6) on Thursday to lock down the win at the GProTour event contested at the Rocky River Golf Club.

The 25-year-old Dundas, Ont., product finished the 36-hole tournament at 8-under par (70-66) to edge out co-runner-ups Kelvin Day of England and Chip Lynn of Sanford, Fla., by two strokes.

With the win, the Kent State graduate takes home $3,400 (USD). He will tee-it-up next at Web.com Tour’s Brasil Champions presented by Embrase from Mar. 31 – Apr. 3.

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UXBRIDGE, Ont. – To help build excitement for the first day of the 2016 golf season, the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is encouraging golfers and non-golfers alike to dress like a golfer on April 15, 2016.

The GAO is encouraging everyone to wear their best golf attire and to take photos and tag the GAO on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or by using the hashtag #DressLikeAGolfer. The best dressed male and female will win a complete golf outfit courtesy of adidas golf Canada. Winners will be selected by the GAO and announced April 17, 2016.

Also, watch for members of the GAO who will be at busy intersections throughout downtown Toronto, during the morning rush hour, wearing their golf gear and helping to search for the best-dressed golfers.

Remember, on April 15 dress in your finest golf attire, snap a picture, tag the GAO on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and help kick off the 2016 golf season for your chance to win great golf clothing from adidas golf Canada.