The bracket is set, and the matches are underway. Here’s a look at how the drama unfolded during the final day of pool play at Austin Country Club, with 16 players advancing to the one-and-done portion. Click here for the Day 1 match recaps. Click here for the Day 2 match recaps.
Group 1
Kevin Na (28) def. Dustin Johnson (1), 1 up: This match got testy when Na lectured DJ after the world No. 1 swiped away a foot-long putt before Na could concede it at the 11th. The hole was halved and Na remained 1 down, but he made four birdies thereafter to send the top seed packing. Still 1 down through 16, Na finished birdie-birdie.
Robert MacIntyre (41) vs. Adam Long (61), tied: The Scot was 1 down on the final hole and needed at least a tie to advance. He proceeded to drive the 368-yard, par-4 18th green, his ball stopping 3 feet from the hole. He converted the eagle to move on.
Group winner: Robert MacIntyre
Group 2
Justin Thomas (2) def. Louis Oosthuizen (22), 3 and 2: The first match to finish on Friday, between two major champions who had no chance of advancing. Thomas was 2 down through five holes, but finished eagle-par-birdie-birdie for the win. Oosthuizen went 0-3 this week.
Matt Kuchar (52) def. Kevin Kisner (34), 2 and 1: Kuchar exacted a bit of revenge, defeating the man who beat him in the 2019 finals. Kuchar won the first two holes to go 2 up and held the lead throughout, finishing off the defending champion (the event wasn’t contested in 2020) with an 18-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
Group winner: Matt Kuchar
Group 3
Jon Rahm (3) vs. Ryan Palmer (24), Tied: They teamed as Zurich Classic champions in 2019 and 18 holes weren’t enough to separate them on Friday. One down on the final hole, Palmer made a 13-footer for birdie and watched as Rahm missed from 7 feet for the win. That forced sudden death between the two.
Shane Lowry (38) def. Sebastian Munoz (56), 3 and 2: In a match pitting winless players, Lowry led by as many as 4 up through seven holes, thanks to four early birdies. That proved too much to overcome for the Colombian.
Playoff: Rahm def. Palmer: It took 20 holes, but Rahm survived with a birdie on the second extra hole. He was the only player among the top 16 to make it out of pool play.
Group winner: Jon Rahm
Group 4
Billy Horschel (32) def. Collin Morikawa (4), 3 and 2: Neither player made a bogey on the day, but Morikawa made only two birdies. Horschel, meanwhile, rolled in five birdies for the convincing win. Morikawa failed to win a match, going 0-2-1.
Max Homa def. J.T. Poston (63), 3 and 2: A win and Poston was into the Sweet 16, but Homa earned a playoff spot against Horschel despite making four bogeys. Poston never made a birdie after the fifth hole.
Playoff: Horschel def. Homa: It took three extra holes, but after they halved the second playoff hole with a bogey, Horschel won with a birdie on the third.
Group winner: Billy Horschel
Group 5
Tommy Fleetwood (21) def. Bryson DeChambeau, 1 up: Fleetwood was 4 up through seven. He was 3 up through 13. But DeChambeau got 1 down with three to play. He was in great shape to earn a tie, which would have forced a Fleetwood-Rozer sudden-death playoff to advance from pool play, as the Englishman was in trouble off the tee on No. 18. But Fleetwood scrambled for par and a 1-up win, and a spot in the one-and-done.
Antoine Rozner (58) def. Si Woo Kim (45), 3 and 1: The Frenchman found his Bryson-beating form on Day 3, making five birdies and no bogeys. He was hoping for a playoff against Fleetwood, but it wasn’t to be.
Group winner: Tommy Fleetwood
Group 6
Xander Schauffele (6) vs. Scottie Scheffler (30), tied: The final seven holes featured a combined seven birdies with the final one by Schauffele at the 18th tying the match. That forced a sudden-death playoff between the two.
Jason Day (44) def. Andy Sullivan (57), 2 and 1: Though he didn’t have a chance to advance, Day earned a 3-up advantage through 10 holes and never trailed. He had six birdies and one bogey on the day.
Playoff: Scheffler def. Schauffele: After a pair of pars to open the playoff, Scheffler birdied the second to advance.
Group winner: Scottie Scheffler
Group 7
Joaquin Niemann (26) def. Patrick Reed (7), 5 and 4: Captain America made five bogeys and never stood a chance against Niemann, who made four birdies and needed just 14 holes to win.
Bubba Watson (55) def. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (33), 5 and 3: Just like Niemann, Watson cruised in his Day 3 match, which set up a playoff between the two.
Playoff: Watson def. Niemann: After both men birdied the first extra hole, Watson won with a par on the second after Niemann missed a 4-footer.
Group winner: Bubba Watson
Group 8
Lee Westwood (18) def. Tyrrell Hatton (8), 4 and 3: Westwood kept alive his chances with a thumping of his fellow Englishman. Westwood was flawless on Friday, making four birdies and an eagle.
Matt Wallace (51) def. Garcia (39), 3 and 2: Garcia needed to beat or tie Wallace in order to advance, but never led after taking a 1-up advantage after the first hole.
Playoff: Garcia def. Westwood: Sergio could have won it on the first extra hole but missed a 4-footer for birdie. Maybe he just wanted to add to the drama. Garcia won the match with a walk-off ace at the 160-yard, par-3 fourth.
Group winner: Sergio Garcia
Group 9
Webb Simpson (9) vs. Paul Casey (17), tied: Simpson and Casey eliminated each other by halving their match. Casey led most of the day, but Simpson birdied the 16th hole to draw all square and the final two holes were matched in par.
Mackenzie Hughes (48) vs. Talor Gooch (59), tied: The Canadian advanced before his match was over, thanks to the Simpson-Casey tie. Hughes has not trailed at any point thus far this week.
Group winner: Mackenzie Hughes
Group 10
Hideki Matsuyama (23) def. Patrick Cantlay (10), 4 and 2: After making 13 birdies and an eagle over the first two days, Cantlay only had two birdies Friday. Matusyama, meanwhile, had seven birdies, one eagle and a double bogey.
Brian Harman (54) def. Carlos Ortiz (42), 3 and 2: The winner of this match was off to face Cantlay in a playoff and it was Harman who prevailed. Amazingly, Harman has yet to drop a shot over three matches, with 16 birdies and one eagle.
Playoff: Harman def. Cantlay: It only took a pair of pars and Harman advanced to the Round of 16.
Group winner: Brian Harman
Group 11
Rory McIlroy (11) vs. Cameron Smith (25), tied: McIlroy was playing catch-up all day after Smith birdied the first hole. Despite making six birdies and an eagle in the round, McIlroy was only tied after the 16th and 18th holes, and he never led.
Ian Poulter (60) def. Lanto Griffin (46), 2 and 1: Poulter remained perfect in pool play, winning the fourth hole and never giving up his lead.
Group winner: Ian Poulter
Group 12
Tony Finau (12) def. Jason Kokrak (29), 2 up: The two combined for 11 birdies, seven bogeys and one double bogey. A Kokrak birdie at No. 17 cut his deficit to 1 down, but a Finau birdie at No. 18 sealed the match.
Will Zalatoris (40) def. Dylan Frittelli (64), 2up: Frittelli lost the battle but won the group. Thanks to winning his first two matches, the former Texas Longhorn was the first player to officially advance to the Round of 16, despite making only two birdies on Friday.
Group winner: Dylan Frittelli
Group 13
Viktor Hovland (13) def. Abe Ancer (27), 1 up: Ancer played well; Hovland played better. Earning his first victory of the week, Hovland made an eagle and four birdies on the back nine to turn a 3-down deficit into a 1-up victory.
Kevin Streelman (53) def. Bernd Wiesberger (43), 1 up: An Ancer win would have locked up the group, but when he lost, Streelman needed to win his match vs. Wiesberger to force sudden death. Streelman birdied the 14th to go 1 up and made the advantage last.
Playoff: Streelman def. Ancer: Streelman birdied the first extra hole to move on to the weekend.
Group winner: Kevin Streelman
Group 14
Daniel Berger (14) def. Harris English (19), 4 and 2: Berger made four birdies over his first five holes to build a 4-up edge. English was never able to get closer than 3 down the rest of the way.
Erik van Rooyen (62) def. Brendon Todd (47), 2 and 1: The South African joined Berger in a playoff in a tight match against Todd. The two were never more than one hole apart through 15, before van Rooyen birdied the 16th to take command.
Playoff: Van Rooyen def. Berger: Another top seed fell as Berger cooled off with a bogey on the first extra hole.
Group winner: Erik van Rooyen
Group 15
Matt Fitzpatrick (15) def. Matthew Wolff (20), 3 and 2: The Englishman made four birdies and no bogeys and as erratic Wolff couldn’t keep the pace. Fitzpatrick needed Spieth to lose or tie in order to have a chance, but ...
Jordan Spieth (49) def. Corey Conners (37), 3 and 2: Spieth doubled the fourth hole to fall 1 down, but grabbed the lead before the turn and punched his ticket with a birdie at the par-5 16th.
Group winner: Jordan Spieth
Group 16
Victor Perez (31) def. Sungjae Im (16), 2 and 1: Perez got off to a scorching start with birdies on his first three holes to go 3 up. Im was able to get 1 down with three to play, but Perez’s sixth birdie of the day at No. 16 and a par at No. 17 sealed victory.
Marc Leishman (36) vs. Russell Henley (50), tied: With Perez finished at 2-1-0, the winner of this match could have joined him in a playoff. Instead they tied and sent Perez into the weekend. The match went all square after the 12th hole and stayed that way the remainder.
Group winner: Victor Perez