Rahm, Morikawa exit in WGC Match Play knockout / Photo: ©
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Rahm, Morikawa exit in WGC Match Play knockout
World number one Jon Rahm and second-ranked Collin Morikawa were dumped out of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship in Texas on Saturday as the knockout rounds got under way at Austin Country Club.
Top seed Rahm was eliminated after losing a tense 19-hole duel with four-time major winner Brooks Koepka while Morikawa bowed out after being thrashed 7&6 by Mexico's Abraham Ancer.
Rahm and Koepka's showdown was the marquee game in the round of 16, and their seesaw battle did not disappoint.
Koepka looked to be poised for an early victory after going two up through 13 holes.
Rahm found the water off the tee on the par-four 14th, leaving Koepka the chance to go three up.
But Rahm recovered superbly, nailing a 28-foot putt to save par before Koepka missed a six-footer to bogey.
Koepka restored his two-hole advantage with a birdie on the 15th, but Rahm fought back with a birdie on the 16th.
The world number one then tied it up on the challenging par-three 17th, when Koepka's tee shot flew through the back of the green, struck a set of concrete steps and took a wild bounce into the rough.
From there Koepka could only bogey, leaving it all square heading to the 18th.
Both men had birdie chances on the 18th, and when Koepka rolled his 12-footer just short, Rahm was presented with a shorter birdie putt to win the match.
But the Spaniard's effort rolled just wide, leaving it for Koepka to snatch victory on the 19th hole with a birdie.
Koepka will now play former world number one Dustin Johnson in the quarter-finals later Saturday. Johnson advanced with a 3&2 win over England's Richard Bland.
Earlier, world number two and second seed Morikawa was routed emphatically by Ancer, who roared into a five up lead after nine holes to set up his win.
Ancer faces Canada's Corey Conners in the last eight. Conners, the 36th seed, defeated Japan's Takumi Kanaya 5&3.
K.Thomson--BTB
