Jason Day delivers as Rory McIlroy rues missed chances

Rory McIlroy will go into the Masters without a victory in 2016 after the defending champion lost his semi-final of the WGC-Dell Match Play to new world number one Jason Day.

Day, who will replace Jordan Spieth at the top of the world rankings today by virtue of his performance at Austin Country Club, won a hard-fought contest by one hole to set up a final with former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who defeated Rafael Cabrera-Bello 4&3.

McIlroy has never successfully defended a title in his professional career and was famously prevented from even attempting to do so in last year’s Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, after suffering a serious ankle injury while playing football.