Schaeffler, Johnson, Kiesner, and Connors Secure Semifinal Spots... Who is the 'Match King'?

Dell Technologies Match Play Day 4: Scheffler "Starts Revenge Match," Competing for Title Against Past Champions Johnson 2017 and Kisner 2019

Scottie Scheffler is teeing off on the 10th hole during the quarterfinal match on the fourth day of the Dell Technologies Match Play. Austin, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It is a revenge match for Scottie Scheffler, who was the runner-up last year.

On the 27th (Korean time), at the Austin Golf Club in Texas, USA (par 71, 7,108 yards), during the Round of 16 of the World Golf Championships (WGC) Dell Technologies Match Play (total prize money $12 million), Scheffler defeated defending champion Billy Horschel (both from the USA) by 1 hole, then crushed Seamus Power (Ireland) by 3 holes in the quarterfinals. He will face Dustin Johnson (USA) in the semifinals. The format divides 64 players into 16 groups for the preliminary round, similar to the FIFA World Cup, and the group winners advance to the Round of 16, where they compete again in one-on-one matches.

Scheffler was especially motivated by the disappointment of finishing second last year. In his first appearance, he defeated top-ranked players such as Ian Poulter (England) in the Round of 16 and Jon Rahm (Spain) in the quarterfinals, drawing the spotlight, but was stopped by Horschel in the final, losing by 2 holes. This is why the Round of 16 match against Horschel attracted attention. After a seesaw battle, Scheffler’s birdie on the 16th hole (par 5) sealed a 1-hole victory. The “42nd seed” Power’s surge ended in the quarterfinals.

Former champions such as Johnson in 2017 and Kevin Kisner (both USA) in 2019 joined the semifinals. Johnson, in particular, defeated Richard Bland (England) and Brooks Koepka (USA) consecutively, continuing a “5-match winning streak” including 3 wins in the preliminaries. It is interesting that he reached the top with a “7-match winning streak” when he won in 2017. Considering that Scheffler recently swept two PGA Tour wins at the Phoenix Open on the 14th of last month and the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the 7th, this is practically the final match.

Kevin Kisner is discussing course strategy with his caddie on the 14th hole during the quarterfinal match on the fourth day of the Dell Technologies Match Play. Austin, USA=Getty Images/Multivitz

Kisner is also formidable. He has been particularly strong in match play, finishing second in 2018 and winning in 2019. He is on an upward trend with three top-10 finishes in 10 events during the 2022 season and placed 4th in The Players Championship, known as the “fifth major,” which ended on the 15th. His Round of 16 match against Adam Scott (Australia) was a highlight. Trailing by 3 holes, he won all of the last four holes from the 15th to the 18th to complete a dramatic 1-hole comeback victory. He even added a “shot eagle” on the 16th hole (par 5).

Cory Conners (Canada), the “36th seed,” is attempting a lower-ranked upset. He defeated European powerhouses such as Paul Casey (England), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), and Alex Noren (Sweden) to achieve 3 wins in the preliminaries, and in the Round of 16, he won decisively by 5 holes against Takumi Kanaya (Japan). In the quarterfinals, he edged out Abraham Ancer (Mexico) by 2 holes. Having won once at the Valero Texas Open in April 2019, he now has the opportunity to claim his second career victory in a high-profile match.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.