Garcia comes up aces on a frenetic Friday at Match Play
Already the most fickle event in golf, the Dell Technologies Match Play on Friday was an endless frenzy. “You just never know what can happen out there," Billy Horschel said after beating Max Homa on the third playoff hole. 64 seed in Match Play history to make it to the weekend. 60 seed, while Erik van Rooyen (62) advanced by beating Daniel Berger with a par on the second playoff hole. The eight playoffs to decide group winners broke the previous mark of five in 2017 since group play began six yeas ago.
Great Scot! MacIntyre battles world No. 1 Johnson to a draw
“It was a tough match,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I was dying to win that match,” MacIntyre said. The Spaniard, whose American home is in Austin, won his second match and thus eliminated Hatton, the No. He missed the birdie putt and Rahm, who would have had a putt from the same range, smile a sigh of relief. Johnson was 10 feet away for eagle, and MacIntyre still had him putt it (Johnson made it).
The Latest: Dustin Johnson, MacIntyre battle to a draw
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)AUSTIN, Texas – The Latest on the Dell Technologies Match Play (all times CDT):6 p.m.Bob MacIntyre of Scotland gave the world's No. 1 player all he could handle in the Dell Technologies Match Play. Johnson has not advanced out of group play since he won the Match Play in 2017. In the Dell Match Play two years ago, he went 1-2 and failed to advance out of his group. Ad___(This item has been corrected to show that DeChambeau won his first match last time at the Dell Match Play.)
An opening day of emotions and a few surprises at Match Play
In the Dell Technologies Match Play, every day can feel like Sunday. “I turned out to hit that shot really well, went super high over the trees. It was his biggest loss in Match Play since Ben Crane beat him, 8 and 7, in the second round of 2011. Kevin Kisner, the defending champion from 2019 — the Match Play was the third event to be canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — won his seventh straight match by beating Louis Oosthuizen. When you're up against an opponent who plays really, really well and you play just a little better, it's really satisfying."
Spieth rounding into form for fickle week of Match Play
In that respect, Spieth is happy to be at his second home — he spent three semesters at the University of Texas — for the Dell Technologies Match Play. He has played consistently better every step of the way and made the Match Play field with room to spare. That means he faces one of the top 16 seeds — Matt Fitzpatrick, in his case — when this unique World Golf Championship begins Wednesday. “Missing a World Golf Championship via not qualifying for it was the first one, and I didn’t like that at all. 1 seed for the fourth straight time in the Match Play, though it has only led to victory once.
A pandemic, a plan and a return to golf with no interruption
Kevin Kisner tees off on the 10th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is ready for golf to move ahead a year after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sport. He remembers a tough week one year ago that began with the tour announcing a multi-billion dollar media rights deal and ended with the tour shutting down for three months. The tour got a big boost from a mobile testing site and cooperation from its players to put health and safety first. Since the return in June, the PGA Tour has played 33 out of 36 weeks in 18 states and four countries without having to shut down.
Love appointed captain again, this time for Presidents Cup
The PGA Tour has selected Love to be U.S. captain for the Presidents Cup in 2022 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was captain when Europe rallied from a 10-6 deficit to beat the Americans in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, and he was Ryder Cup captain for a rare U.S. victory four years later at Hazeltine. He also was an assistant captain in the Ryder Cup under Corey Pavin in 2010 and Jim Furyk in 2018 and is on the staff of Steve Stricker this year. The Presidents Cup was supposed to be played this year until the COVID-19 pandemic led to the Ryder Cup being postponed one year to this September. ... Tony Finau has 35 finishes in the top 10 since the start of the 2016-17 season on the PGA Tour without winning.
Johnson gets 2-shot lead and another crack at FedEx Cup
Dustin Johnson selects a club from his bag on the practice range during practice for the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Atlanta. It's not like I've got a two-shot lead going into the final round, Johnson said, who speaks from experience of once losing a six-shot lead in the final round of a World Golf Championship. 1 seed a year ago, opened with a 70 and was in a three-way tie for the lead after one day. Imagine if he gets it going at East Lake while staked to a two-shot lead. Ten shots is surmountable over four days if somebody gets really hot.Horschel and Hughes at least have that chance.
Johnson, Matsuyama tied for lead at tough Olympia Fields
Every par at Olympia Fields is hard work, and Johnson played the final 13 holes Saturday with nothing worse than that. It's what carried him to a 1-under 69 and a share of the lead with Hideki Matsuyama, leaving them as the only players under par going into the final round. I feel like it's fairly similar, just obviously these conditions and the greens are a lot more difficult," he said. Rounds like that go a long way at Olympia Fields, the former U.S. Open course playing like one with its thick rough and rock-hard greens and enough wind to make the fairways look tighter than they are. All of them are one round away on a golf course where small mistakes can lead to bogeys or worse on just about every hole.