GOLF: Rory McIlroy switches focus to Masters after WGC Matchplay exit at Austin

McIlroy needed to beat American left-hander Brian Harman to have a chance of reaching the last 16 in Austin, but gifted his opponent several holes on his way to a comprehensive 5&3 defeat.

The 2015 champion, who came into the event on the back of a victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, made a mess of the third, fifth and ninth to fall three down and a conceded birdie on the 10th was matched by Harman from eight feet.

Another birdie on the next extended Harman's lead and although he gave McIlroy a glimmer of hope by finding water with his approach to the 12th, there was to be no way back for the four-time major winner.

"Obviously a couple of days extra at home that I wasn't planning on," McIlroy said in quotes reported by GolfWeek. "Just chill out, rest up a little bit, recharge the batteries, get into the gym. Sort of have a good week training and a good practice week. And just get myself ready for Augusta."

Harman, who ended the group stage unbeaten with two and a half points from three matches, told PGA Tour Live: "You can actually gain a little bit of an advantage if you're first coming into the green and for me I've played with Rory enough times to know that I can't keep up with him off the tee box.

"But I can hit it plenty far to be aggressive into these greens so for me it was about playing my game and hitting the tee shots that I was capable of."

Harman's win meant he topped the group ahead of compatriot Peter Uihlein, who beat McIlroy on day one and Jhonattan Vegas 4&3 on Friday.