WGC-Match Play: Willett beats Reed, McIlroy and Speith win

England’s Danny Willett defeated American Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed as round two of the WGC-Cadillac Match Play highlighted the unpredictability of the format.

There was no trouble for Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth who saw off Brand Snedeker and Matt Every respectively to make it two wins from two but there were more upsets at TPC Hardings Park in San Francisco. 

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Dustin Johnson was taken down by Charl Schwartzel, Paul Casey defeated former world number one Adam Scott, Branden Grace overcame defending champion Adam Scott and Thongchai Jaidee beat Jim Furyk as some of the top seeds struggled.

Willett’s 2&1 win over Reed followed up his victory over Ryan Moore in round one to boost his chances of making the last 16.

It has been a solid start to the Englishman’s first season in the world’s top 50 with a T11 at the Honda Classic and a respectable finish at The Masters under his belt already.

Willett takes on fellow Englishman Andy Sullivan in Friday’s third round.

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match play is a funny thing, especially over 18 holes – it can be anybody’s" – Lee Westwood McIlroy knows he will have to be at his best to see off former Walker Cup foe Billy Horschel and make the last 16.

Horschel, whose 3&2 win over Dufner was also his second victory in as many days, will be a tough Match Play opponent for the world number one.

“I played Billy the Walker Cup and we played two matches against each other.  He won the first one, I won the second,” McIlroy said. 

“We’re good mates now, but back then we were a little bit younger and a little more emotional, so it was pretty heated.  

“I don’t think tomorrow will be quite so much like that, but still you need to win or you go home.  So it’s an important game.”

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The other mouth-watering tie of day three at TPC Harding Park will see Lee Westwood take on Masters Champion Jordan Spieth for a place in the last 16, with both players having won their first two group matches.

“Jordan is playing really well at the moment but match play is a funny thing, especially over 18 holes – it can be anybody’s,” Westwood said.  

“I played really well  today and was five or six under par, so it was a good quality match and I just ground away.

“I’m really looking forward to this match tomorrow – it will be one of the matches of the day and I think that’s what everybody wants.  I’m looking forward to it.  Jordan is playing really well so hopefully we can make a few birdies.”

Only Rickie Fowler and John Senden have secured their places in the last 16 with a match to spare with many of Friday’s final group matches throwing up the possibilities of sudden-death play-off to decide who moves into the final stages of the tournament.

There will also be a number of straight head-to-head matches – McIlroy v Horschel, Spieth v Westwood, Bubba Watson v Louis Oosthuizen and Gary Woodland v Webb Simpson – to determine group winners.

There are two groups where all four players have a chance to progress depending on results, includinvg the all European group of Sergio Garcia, Jamie Donaldson, Bernd Weisberger and Tommy Fleetwood. The other group contains Jim Furyk, Martin Kaymer, Thongchai Jaidee and George Coetzee.

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To see the results and draw in full visit 
http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/cadillac-match-play/livescoring.html

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