Top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Paul Casey of England were halted by darkness after 21 holes in the quarterfinals of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
McIlroy lipped out a seven-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the day before Casey sank a four-foot par putt to stay alive. They will return at 6:45 a.m. PDT to finish the match and the winner will take on Jim Furyk a little later in the semifinals.
“I had chances to close it out on 18 and (on the 21st), but couldn’t do it,” said McIlroy, who battled back after being 2 down and got even when Casey made a bogey on the 17th hole. “So we have to come back tomorrow and do it again.
“It was a great match, back and forth. I made a couple good up-and-downs to stay in it.”
Said Casey: “I dodged a couple of bullets, but also gave him a couple, too. I thought I was done for the day and the week (on the 21st hole).”
Furyk, No. 5 in the world, rallied from a 1-down deficit at the turn with four birdies on the back nine to turn back Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, 4 and 2.
Gary Woodland earned his spot in the semifinals by increasing his record to 5-0 for the week by beating previously undefeated John Senden of Australia, 5 and 3, building an early lead with four birdies in the first five holes and never letting up.
Woodland will face Danny Willett, who eliminated fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, 4 and 3, by jumping out to an early 2-up lead by making three birdies in the first five holes and taking advantage of two bogeys by Fleetwood on the back nine.
The final and the consolation match will be played Sunday afternoon.
