Australian golfer Marc Leishman has welcomed his first head-to-head showdown with five-time major champion Phil Mickelson at the World Golf Championships-Match Play in Texas.
Leishman, who has never faced the left-handed American in two Presidents Cup starts and three WGC-Match Play visits, booked a date with three-time Masters champion Mickelson in Saturday's (Sunday AEDT) final 16 courtesy of a nail-biting sudden-death playoff victory on Friday.
After England's Lee Westwood defeated American Pat Perez, the duo and pool opponent Leishman were all tied on two points following Jason Day's withdrawal from the tournament to be with his mother, who has lung cancer and underwent surgery in Ohio on Friday.
In a sudden-death playoff at Austin Country Club, Leishman stepped up and delivered a stellar iron shot on the second extra hole to set up short birdie putt he made to advance to the knockout stage.
The 33-year-old believes it will be tough to defeat Mickelson, who led 41 of his 42 holes during three sizeable group stage victories.
"I've never played him in match play; even in two Presidents Cups, so I'm really good looking forward to it," Leishman told AAP.
"Phil is a tough competitor and obviously a great player. I'll have to have my best golf to beat him, but I've been playing great golf as well so he's probably thinking the same about me."
Leishman said he would draw inspiration from his first US PGA Tour victory in five years at last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.
"My confidence is really high; I've put in a lot of work and it's pleasing to see results so hopefully I can come out on top," said Leishman.
Mickelson, 46, is buoyed by reaching the knockout stage at the WGC-Match Play for the first time since 2004 and welcomed the battle with Victorian native Leishman.
"To win the first three matches is a great start, but this weekend will be difficult," said Leishman.
"I'm excited. I haven't been to the weekend in match play in a long time. This has really been fun."
Meanwhile, world No.1 Dustin Johnson finished his cleansweep of group one with his third consecutive flogging of an opponent, brushing aside Jimmy Walker 5 and 3.
In the all-Spanish showdown between world No.10 Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm, youngster Rahm booked his spot in the elimination round with a 6 and 4 victory.
World No.6 Jordan Spieth failed to make it of of his group, the Texan native halving his match against American Ryan Moore while Japanese surprise packet Hideto Tanihara defeated countryman Yuta Ikeda 3 and 1 to progress from the group.
Also booking spots in the round of 16 were Americans Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka, Charles Howell III, Bill Haas, Kevin Na and William McGirt, as well as Englishmen Paul Casey and Ross Fisher, Sweden's Alex Noren and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen.
ROUND OF 16 MATCHES:
Marc Leishman vs Phil Mickelson
Dustin Johnson vs Zach Johnson
Brooks Koepka vs Alex Noren
Hideto Tanihara vs Paul Casey
Bubba Watson vs Ross Fisher
Bill Haas vs Kevin Na
Jon Rahm vs Charles Howell III
William McGirt vs Soren Kjeldsen.
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