World number one Rory McIlroy maintained his perfect start to the WGC-Championship Match Play on Thursday to stay on course for a place in the last 16 with victory over Brandt Snedeker.

The Northern Irishman, an easy winner in his opening group game on Wednesday, defeated Snedeker by two up at San Francisco's Harding Park to make it two victories out of two in the lucrative $9.25 million event.

The 25-year-old superstar will now face his 2007 Walker Cup rival Billy Horschel on Friday with a place in the knockout rounds on offer.

Horschel joined McIlroy at the top of Group 1 after notching his second win of the tournament, beating Jason Dufner 3&2.

Friday's game between McIlroy and Horschel will revive memories of their ill-tempered duels in the Walker Cup eight years ago but the two men have put their animosity behind them and are now on friendly terms.

In other early games Thursday, Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee stunned world number five Jim Furyk to keep alive his hopes of qualification for the weekend.

The 45-year-old former paratrooper bounced back from his defeat to Germany's Martin Kaymer on Wednesday to sink Furyk 3&1.

With South Africa's George Coetzee downing Kaymer on the first sudden-death hole in the day's other Group 5 game, it has left all four players level with one win each after two games.

Elsewhere Thursday, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson set up a decisive battle with South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen in Friday's final round of group games after both men notched their second victories.

Watson, who demolished Miguel Angel Jimenez 5&4 on Wednesday, was almost as emphatic in dispatching Keegan Bradley, winning 4&2.

Oosthuizen bagged his second win, eliminating Jimenez in the process, beating the Spaniard by two up.

World number two Jordan Spieth was playing later Thursday against world number 41 Matt Every.

The format for this year's tournament was overhauled to eliminate the possibility of early round exits for top players.

The field has been split into 16 groups of four players, with the group winners advancing to the knockout rounds over the weekend.
Source: AFP