Kurt Kitayama demonstrated his battling qualities as he holed a lengthy birdie putt to win a three-man play-off and advance to the knockout stages of the 2023 WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play.
The two-time DP World Tour champion went into his final Pool 10 match with Tony Finau knowing he would have to do things the hard way, with a victory required to force a play-off.
And he made the first part of the equation look easy, inflicting upon Finau his first defeat of the week as he won 4&3 to meet Finau and Adrian Meronk in the sudden-death play-off.
Meronk had recorded an impressive 5&4 win over Christiaan Bezuidenhout on Friday to make it a three-way tie at the top of the group.
Finau was eliminated at the first extra hole before both Meronk and Kitayama found the green on the second, with the Pole in slightly closer.
But Kitayama, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard on the PGA TOUR earlier this month, poured in his 20-foot birdie putt to pile the pressure on Meronk and he was unable to match him, sealing the American's progress.
The "perfect putt" at the second extra hole 👌 @Kurt_Kitayama progresses from the play-off to the knockout stage. #DellMatchPlay pic.twitter.com/FlcORwu9XA
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 24, 2023
He said: "I had a similar putt earlier today. It was probably ten feet longer.
"So I felt pretty good over it, really just knew I had to get it there. That was kind of my only thought - make sure I hit it."
Kitayama will meet Andrew Putnam in the round of 16 after he recorded three successive victories to top Pool 7 and end Ryan Fox's chances of a play-off.
Will Zalatoris had conceded his match to Ryan Fox due to illness early on day three, handing the New Zealander his second victory of the week.
Billy Horschel also made it through to the weekend after storming to a 5&4 win over Jon Rahm to win Pool 2.
Going into the decisive clash with 1.5 points from his opening two matches, Horschel went ahead early on against Spaniard Rahm before stretching his lead around the turn.
A birdie at the 14th saw Horschel go 5UP with four to play, setting up a last-16 meeting with countryman Cameron Young.
Two-time DP World Tour winner Horschel is aiming to win this event for a second time following his victory at Austin Country Club two years ago.
He said: "Every day is that challenge of, 'Hey, can I go out there and build from the day before? Can I go out there and commit to what we've done in practice and commit to making that same golf swing?', and having that same mentality on the golf course in a real, in a more tense, more pressured situation.
"So to be able to succeed on a hole-by-hole basis, on a swing-by-swing basis and just add those good swings up one after another, sort of just puts a lot of confidence in that tank that I have needed for a little bit of time now."
