Rahm, Johnson, Koepka among top seeds advancing at WGC-Match Play

There'll be plenty of firepower around this weekend as the WGC-Match Play hits the knockout stages.

World No. 1 Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka are among the big names to advance through group play after the first three days of action in Austin, Texas.

Despite losing his match Friday to Patrick Reed, Rahm still made it through round-robin play to set up a blockbuster matchup Saturday against Koepka. The four-time major winner completed a perfect 3-0 record in group play Friday to book his date with Rahm.

Morikawa's group was the last on the course Friday, with late drama putting the world No. 2's spot in the Round of 16 in jeopardy. The two-time major champion saw a four-hole lead evaporate on the closing stretch before he secured the victory on the 18th.

Johnson also swept his group to improve to a remarkable 8-0 in his last eight match-play games. He'll face 49-year-old Richard Bland - the tournament's Cinderella story - in the next round.

Defending champion Billy Horschel, as well as Tyrrell Hatton and Seamus Power, were the first three to advance to Saturday's Round of 16.

No. 4 seed Patrick Cantlay and No. 9 Bryson DeChambeau, who was making his return from injury, were among the surprising eliminations.

Scottie Scheffler defeated Matt Fitzpatrick on the sixth playoff hole to advance from Group 5 in the first of four playoff matches on Friday. Scheffler will face Horschel during the Round of 16 in a rematch from last year's final.

Winners

Group 1: Jon Rahm
Group 2: Collin Morikawa
Group 3: Will Zalatoris
Group 4: Seamus Power
Group 5: Scottie Scheffler
Group 6: Kevin Kisner
Group 7: Takumi Kanaya
Group 8: Dustin Johnson
Group 9: Richard Bland
Group 10: Corey Conners
Group 11: Adam Scott
Group 12: Billy Horschel
Group 13: Tyrrell Hatton
Group 14: Kevin Na
Group 15: Abraham Ancer
Group 16: Brooks Koepka

Round of 16

Bracket 1:

No. 1 Jon Rahm vs. No. 16 Brooks Koepka
No. 54 Richard Bland vs. No. 8 Dustin Johnson

Bracket 2:

No. 2 Collin Morikawa vs. No. 15 Abraham Ancer
No. 36 Corey Conners vs. No. 56 Takumi Kanaya

Bracket 3:

No. 24 Will Zalatoris vs. No. 25 Kevin Na
No. 29 Kevin Kisner vs. No. 32 Adam Scott

Bracket 4:

No. 42 Seamus Power vs. No. 13 Tyrrell Hatton
No. 5 Scottie Scheffler vs. No. 12 Billy Horschel