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.
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.