2022 WGC-Dell Match Play scores: Matches heat up for the starry pack; DeChambeau removed from promotion

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – The format changed enough even before the infamous Texas windstorm arrived. Kevin Kisner, Mackenzie Hughes and even Sergio Garcia showed how quickly fortunes can change on Thursday during the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Kisner added to his record for most wins since moving to Austin Country Club in 2016 when he dropped three birdies on the last four holes and went from two to nine later to beat Luke List on the final hole.

“Yesterday was a lot more fun,” Kisner said of his 4 and 3 wins in the opening session. “But today, I like that shot. I love being in that moment. I like holding the ball in my hand and trying to grind it out, and I feel like I have an advantage when it goes that way. .”

Hughes was in a similar predicament against Max Homa, until he won four straight holes in the back – twice helping Homa make a mistake – and held on to a 2-up win to keep his hopes up going into the weekend. .

“There are winds that blow 25 and then it can lie down and blow 10. But if you think it’s going to be 10 and then 25, it creates hesitation,” Hughes said. “I thought earlier in my head nine a lot of parsing and occasional birdie would be good enough.”

They were one of five players to get through at least 2 holes on the back nine and rally to win, with Lucas Herbert beating Xander Schauffele, Takumi Kanaya beating Tony Finau and Min Woo Lee ahead of Thomas Pieters. Bubba Watson lost 1 on two holes when he made a 35-foot birdie on par-3 on day 17 and won the 18th game by par to beat Webb Simpson.

Not to be missed Garcia and Kevin Na.

Garcia, the Spaniard currently living in Austin, dropped three holes before British Open champion Collin Morikawa with five holes remaining. He won the next three holes with birdie and matched Morikawa for half.

“The me you would offer me a tie at the 14th tee, I would definitely take it and walk – run – to the clubhouse,” Garcia said.

It was part of an active afternoon of round-robin play, with 15 of 32 games going through.

That included Lee Westwood, the 48-year-old from England, losing to Bryson DeChambeau by two holes and taking a 7 to 8-foot eagle to the eagle at par-5 at 16th corner to the square he played, halving. round 17. with birdies and won the 18th game when DeChambeau hit a wedge on the green and caused the bogey to lose the game.

Next up for Westwood is 49-year-old British Richard Bland, whom he has known for 30 years dating for their moment on the junior track in ill health. Both have a chance to win the group, while DeChambeau has been eliminated from the next round.

Westwood was the only golfer in the 64-man field to have played in the first edition of this World Golf Championship in 1999 when it took place at La Costa. Such experience only taught him to lower any expectations he had in his game.

“There’s been a lot of weird stuff happening this week, and I think that’s what makes it interesting,” he said.

Westwood reached the semi-finals in 2012 in Arizona. Since the format moved from knockout to 16 groups of four playing in a round robin, he has never advanced into the weekend.

With just one day to go, 19 players are clear and that’s not good news. They were mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the group and made it to the knockout stages.

DeChambeau, who played for the first time since February 3 in Saudi Arabia because of injuries to his left hand and hip, was wild and cost him. Also eliminated was Patrick Cantlay, the world No. 4 tennis player. He lost half of his first match to Keith Mitchell, and was then placed fifth by Seamus Power of Ireland, who beat him by 14 holes.

Patrick Reed fought to halve the match against Sebastian Munoz, but all in vain. Reed was also disqualified.

Paul Casey played just two holes on Wednesday and no more. He went back into contractions on opening day and conceded a game against Corey Conners. He tried to warm up for Thursday’s game and it didn’t get any better, so he gave up Alex Noren. Casey withdrew from the tournament, and that was true. He will face Louis Oosthuizen, who has had two losses and is disqualified. The two will not compete, and Oothuizen will have his first win of the week.

Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are among 12 players who have not lost a game, meaning nothing. No one is guaranteed to advance. All must treat Friday as it is a new beginning.

The group included Tyrrell Hatton, who could have been speaking the entire field when he said, “It was definitely more stressful for me.”

Copyright 2022 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.