SAN FRANCISCO — Rory McIlroy opened with a birdie and followed with 13 straight pars. That's not a card that usually advances in the Match Play Championship, and yet the world's No. 1 player wound up winning in 14 holes.
Masters champion Jordan Spieth made seven birdies and had to go 16 holes.
And then there was Lee Westwood, who had five bogeys and a double bogey and won his match. That wouldn't have worked against Matt Kuchar, who had four birdies and only bogey. Then again, that didn't work for Kuchar. Just his luck that he ran into Ben Martin, who took the lead with a hole-in-one with a hybrid from 235 yards on the 17th hole.