Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson won their respective matches at the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas to retain perfect records in contrasting fashion, while Jason Day overcame a back injury to join them with a victory Thursday. On a day that also saw third seed Rory McIlroy win to improve to 2-0-0, world No. 1 Spieth oozed confidence with the state of his game at Austin Country Club. "Very pleased to get today done with quickly," top seed Spieth told Golf Channel after dusting off Frenchman Victor Dubuisson 5&4. Spieth, who will defend his title at the Masters in two weeks, moved to 2-0-0 in the 64-man World Golf Championships event. Fellow American Mickelson, however, said he had played poorly and been lucky to beat compatriot Daniel Berger in a bizarre finish to their match. Five-time major champion Mickelson won 1-up when Berger conceded defeat after injuring his wrist when he struck a rock trying to play his second shot at the final hole. Australian Day also remained perfect when he shrugged off back spasms that hit him after his tee shot at 15 on Wednesday to beat Thai Thongchai Jaidee 5&3. Northern Irishman McIlroy beat American Smylie Kaufman 3&1 to keep pace. Every player contests three matches in his group in a round-robin format, with 16 players advancing to the knockout phase that starts Saturday. Other players with perfect 2-0-0 records are Americans Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson, Bill Haas, Kevin Na and Brooks Koepka, South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, Englishman Andy Sullivan and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello. Park, Miyazato share lead In Carlsbad, United States, South Korea's Park In-bee and Japan's Ai Miyazato share the lead with two others after firing bogey free 67s in the opening round of the LPGA Tour's Kia Classic Thursday. The pair are tied with Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Brittany Lang who also shot five under for a one stroke lead over three others. World No. 2 Park needed just 27 putts as she has her putting working after a slow start to 2016. Former world No. 1 Miyazato, who missed the cut last week in Phoenix, also had a bogey free round and even managed to squeeze in an eagle on the par-five 10th. World No. 1 Lydia Ko, Jane Park and Hur Mi-Jung are tied for fifth at four-under par. American Michelle Wie posted her best round since the Coates Golf Championship, shooting a two-under par 70 to sit three shots adrift tied for 14th. Defending champion Cristie Kerr finished with a one-over par after a 73.
