Alex Noren claimed a thumping 5 and 4 win over Thomas Pieters to maintain his 100 per cent record on day two of the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play.
On a day when a host of European Tour Members made it two wins out of two, Noren got the ball rolling as he stayed bogey-free for the week after a 4 and 2 win over Kevin Na on Wednesday in Group 13.
Tyrrell Hatton also kept hold of his winning record against Brendan Steele in Group 12, where Alexander Levy kept his hopes alive with a one up win over Charley Hoffman.
Noren will now take on Tony Finau on Friday in a winner-takes-all battle, while Ryder Cup team-mates Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed will battle it out to see who wins Group 4.
The 35 year old Noren hit a stunning approach to seven feet to win the first before a lovely tee-shot into the par three fourth left the Swede a 22-footer for birdie and he was soon two up.
You have got to win it all and it makes it very clear in your mind and you go out and try to win it. Today I needed to get a win - Alex Noren
An approach to tap-in range on the par five sixth produced a fourth birdie of the day and a tee-shot to five feet on the par three seventh brought a fourth birdie in a row, with Noren already beginning to look out of sight at the turn.
A 33-foot putt on the tenth had Noren five up and while Belgian Pieters birdied the 13th after driving the green on the par four, a 19-footer on the next sealed the deal.
"I had the best day on the greens ever today," said Noren.
"I kind of like it's very direct, it's only one guy going through. You have got to win it all and it makes it very clear in your mind and you go out and try to win it. Today I needed to get a win.
"Tony is such a good player, I've played a lot with him this year. He hits so long and is very consistent as well. I need to play as well as I did today, probably."
Finau won his first three holes against Na with pars and while Na reduced the deficit to one hole, the big-hitting American won the 15th and 16th to defeat his countryman 3 and 2.
Steele parred the third and birdied the fifth and sixth to move ahead of Hatton but the Englishman parred the eighth and birdied the ninth to cut the gap to one at the turn.
Hatton hit his tee-shot to three feet on the 11th to level things up and then won the 13th and 14th with pars before an eagle from 25 feet on the 16th gave him a 3 and 2 victory.
"It wasn't looking good through seven holes," he said. "I had a lot of work to do but I'm very happy with how I played the last nine, ten holes, especially with the conditions. It's pretty tough out here, very gusty. To finish with an eagle there is great."
I had a lot of work to do but I'm very happy with how I played the last nine, ten holes - Tyrrell Hatton
A half against Hoffman on Friday would hand Hatton the group but should he lose and Levy beat Steele, the two will go to a play-off.
The Frenchman bogeyed the second to go one down against Hoffman but birdies on the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth sent him three up. Bogeys on the tenth, 13th and 14th opened the door to Hoffman but a par up the last was enough to seal the win.
Reed and Charl Schwartzel shared just five halves in their match as the American won one up, while Spieth won three holes out of four from the 13th to beat Li Haotong 4 and 2.
In Group 5, Cameron Smith maintained his 100 per cent record with a one up win over Hideki Matsuyama, while Patrick Cantlay beat Yusaku Miyazato by the same score.
