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WGC Match Play

Sc-HOT-tie Scheffler Takes Match Play

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AUSTIN – Scottie Scheffler won the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, defeating Kevin Kisner in the Championship Match, 4 and 3. Scheffler earned his third career PGA Tour victory, with the first two coming on February 13 (42 days ago) and March 6 (21 days ago). With the victory, Scheffler moves to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career and extends his lead in the FedExCup standings to 780 points

Corey Conners finishes third with a 3-and-1 victory over Dustin Johnson in the Consolation Match. When he won his Quarterfinal match, Conners became the first Canadian in tournament history to advance to the Semifinals.

Johnson (4th) earned his second Top-10 in his last three starts on Tour (T-9 at The PLAYERS Championship).

Finals and Consolation Match Scores

Championship Match

Scottie Scheffler (5) def. Kevin Kisner (29), 4 and 3

Consolation Match

Corey Conners (36) def. Dustin Johnson (8), 3 and 1

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Chad Ramey won the Corales Puntacana Championship by one stroke, earning his first PGA Tour victory in his 16th career start. Ramey became the first rookie to win on Tour since Garrick Higgo at the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree.

The 29-year-old Ramey became the youngest winner of the Corales Puntacana Championship

PGA Tour rookie Alex Smalley earned his career-best finish (T-2) in only his third event.

After holding the lead in each of the first three rounds this week, Ben Marin finished a stroke back and as a co-runner-up along with Smalley.

Corales Puntacana: Final Leaderboard

Chad Ramey – 70-65-69-67—271 (-17)

Alex Smalley – 69-65-73-65—272 (-16)

Ben Martin – 66-66-70-70—272 (-16)

Jhonattan Vegas – 70-70-65-68—273 (-15)

Cameron Percy – 71-68-67-67—273 (-15)

 

Heading Towards a “Sweet 16” at WGC

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AUSTIN – The World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play preliminary rounds began Wednesday and conclude today. After today’s rounds at the Austin Country Club, 16 players will move on to compete in the “Round of 16” starting Saturday morning.

Paul Casey (back spasms) played two holes Wednesday and conceded his match to Corey Conners. Casey warmed-up for Thursday’s match and the back issues continued, so he forfeited to Alex Noren. Casey has withdrawn from the tournament.

After today’s final preliminary round, play will continue Saturday morning with the “Round of 16” and then the Quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning is the Semifinals and Sunday afternoon is the Championship and Consolation (3rd Place) Match.

Main Event: WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

COURSE: Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas

ARCHITECT: Pete Dye

YARDS/PAR: 7,108 yards/Par 71

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $12,000,000/$2,100,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Billy Horschel

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 550

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @DellMatchPlay

The Basics:

Tournament website: Dell Technologies Match Play Championships

WGC Match Play Tee Times – Dell Tech Match Play Tee Times start today with matches beginning at 10:10am (ET) and go to 2:15pm (ET).

Weather: Today’s forecast in Austin, Texas is for sunny skies and 59-84 degree temperatures as day progresses. There’s a 0% chance of rain. Winds only 4-5 mph. Sunny skies for all weekend.

WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

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AUSTIN – From 64 to 32. That’s the way Match Play at Bracket-ville works. But, it’s NOT one and done like the college basketball game. It’s a series of three matches and best record survives and advances. The World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play preliminary round stage began Thursday and continues today and tomorrow.

The theme of Thursday’s Match Play? A slow stream of UPSETS but when the final tally was complete, higher seeds managed to win at a 20-10-2 clip over their lower-seeded opponents. The top five seeds are undefeated (4-0-1) with the highest-seeded player to lose first match being No. 6 Justin Thomas losing to Luke List, 3 and 2.

Eleven players making their WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play tournament debut combined for a 5-5-1 record. Wins were had by: Lucas Herbert, Maverick McNealy, Seamus Power, Harold Varner III, and Cameron Young.

Kevin Kisner broke a tie with Matt Kuchar for most matches won since the event moved to Austin Country Club in 2016 (17) while defending champion Billy Horschel opened with a 3-and-2 victory over Min Woo Lee.

Paul Casey conceded his match against Corey Conners (thru 2 holes) due to back spasms. It was the first match conceded at the event since Kevin Chappell conceded a match against Ian Poulter in 2018 (third match of group play). Casey still has scheduled matches vs. Alex Noren and Louis Oosthuizen, a tough road back.

After Friday’s final preliminary round, Saturday morning will be the ‘Round of 16” and Saturday afternoon will move-on to the Quarterfinals. Sunday morning is the Semifinals and Sunday afternoon is the Championship and Consolation (3rd Place) Match.

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Meanwhile, the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic teed-off this morning at 6:45am (ET) and tee-times go to 1:09pm (ET).

In the Dominican Republic: Puerto Rico native and local favorite Rafael Campos will be making his fifth start at the Corales Puntacana and second of the season (T-59/Puerto Rico Open). Last season, Campos posted two Top-3 results on Tour in a 29-day span with T-3 at 2021 Puerto Rico Open and T-2 at 2021 Corales Puntacana Championship.

Joel Dahmen earned first Tour title at 2021 Corales Puntacana Championship and seeks to become the event’s first repeat winner. He’s qualified for the FedEx Cup playoffs the last four consecutive seasons and enters the week after a T-39 at the Valspar Championship.

WGC Dell Tech Match Play/Corales Puntacana Golf

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AUSTIN – How about some EXTRA golf this weekend with the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play starting today and the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic tomorrow?

In Texas, with tee-off in less than an hour from this posting, Kevin Kisnerand Matt Kuchar have each won 16 matches since the tournament moved to Austin Country Club in 2016, tied for the most of any player in that span. Kisner, the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play champion, is the No. 29 seed and is grouped with Justin Thomas, Marc Leishman and Luke List.

Matt Kuchar not in field this week.

Sergio Garcia (28-22-1) has played in 51 matches, the most in tournament history, and is the 43rd seed (Group 2).In the Dominican Republic, This event marks the first of a four-year extension for the Dominican Republic’s only PGA Tour event. The event was played twice in the 2020-21 PGA Tour Season after the 2020 tournament was postponed to September due to COVID-19, marking the first of three events to be contested twice in 2020-21.

All of the past winners at the Corales Puntacana Championship, including both champions when the event was played on the Korn Ferry Tour(Dominic Bozzelli in 2016, and Nate Lashley in 2017 are back at Corales Golf Course in search of a second victory in the event.

Among the highlights of the field this weekend, the 2020 Corales Puntacana Championship winner Hudson Swafford is the only player in the field that has won on the PGA Tour this season (The American Express). He can become the fifth multiple winner of the season with a victory. If Swafford wins (or another player that has won this season wins the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play), it would be the fourth consecutive week on Tour with a champion that had already won this season.