Rickie Fowler pleased with clutch putting at Championship

Rickie Fowler said his putting game was where he wanted it, as he was one of two players to ensure progression at the WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship on Thursday.

Fowler and John Senden guaranteed passage to the last 16 at TPC Harding Park with a group match to spare, with the American edging Shane Lowry 1-up.

Two down with six holes to play, two Lowry bogeys brought Fowler back to all-square - before an 18th-hole birdie sealed a win for the world number 13.

But it was three consecutive clutch putts from Fowler on holes 15, 16 and 17 that kept him at all-square that proved the difference.

He sunk 16-, 18- and 31-footers to split the holes.

"I had to fight and claw my way back. Shane gave me a couple of holes on the back nine which I need to really get back into it," Fowler told PGA Tour Radio.

"Made some great putts coming in.

"It's been a long time coming but I've been waiting to make putts like that, since towards the end of last year.

"Nice to see those go in, I made a nice little putt for birdie on the last."

Fowler said his 31-footer on the par-three 17th was not in the pipeline.

"Originally, the plan was to get the ball inside of his [Lowry's], so I had him trying to make two and then at least I have to roll a par after him but I think that was quite a big putt.

"If I miss, I'm basically conceding the hole, as I can give him a two-putt there and I'd be walking down 18 one-down."

Fowler said he was pleased to already have his group wrapped up, ahead of his Friday match against winless Graeme McDowell.

"It's great. I had a hard-fought match with Harris [English] yesterday... we had a tough match. He was hard to beat. I tried to hit as much as I could out of it today. Just snuck it out," he said.

"Looking forward to moving forward, just trying to get the game a little bit more consistent, get the swing a little more under control, and we'll be good to go for the weekend."