"Already 3 Wins" Scheffler: "This Time, Match King"..."Instantly World Ranking No.1" (Summary)

In the Dell Technologies Match Play Semifinals, Johnson Defeats Kisner in Final for "2.1 Million Dollar Jackpot," Koepka Finishes 3rd

Scottie Scheffler is cheering while holding the trophy immediately after winning the Dell Technologies Match Play. Austin, USA=Getty Images/Multibits Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Revenge match, third win of the season, and becoming ‘Number 1’."

‘Last year’s runner-up’ Scottie Scheffler finally ascended to the title of ‘Match King.’ On the 28th (Korean time), at the Austin Golf Club in Texas, USA (par 71, 7,108 yards), during the World Golf Championships (WGC) Series Dell Technologies Match Play semifinals (total prize money $12 million), he defeated Dustin Johnson by 3 holes and then overcame Kevin Kisner (both from the USA) by 4 holes in the final. This marks his third victory following the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the 14th of last month and the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the 7th, with a winner’s prize of $2.1 million (25.7 billion KRW).

Scheffler entered the PGA Tour in 2020 and immediately won Rookie of the Year. Despite playing 70 events with two second-place finishes and three third-place finishes, he was frustrated by the lack of wins. In August 2020, on the second day of the Northern Trust, he recorded a ‘dream 59.’ Last March, he made his presence known by finishing runner-up in this very tournament. He added a second place at the Houston Open in November 2022 season and joined the ranks of PGA Tour champions at the ‘golf liberation zone’ Phoenix Open last February.

Scottie Scheffler is teeing off on the 14th hole during the final of the Dell Technologies Match Play. Austin, USA - Photo by Getty Images/MultiBits

In just three weeks, he secured two wins at the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational and now claimed the WGC Series championship trophy. It is noteworthy that he has swept three wins in his last five tournaments. He currently holds first place in both the money rankings ($7,398,014) and the FedEx Cup points rankings (2,170 points), and the tremendous prize of being world number one awaits him. This is the first time a player has reached number one without having played a major tournament in their first winning season.

It is interesting that Scheffler defeated defending champion Billy Horschel (USA) by one hole in the round of 16. They played a seesaw battle throughout 18 holes until Scheffler seized victory with a birdie on the 16th hole (par 5). In the semifinals against Johnson, his ‘early spurt’ stood out as he won four of the first eight holes. In the final against Kisner, he took the lead early by winning holes 2, 4, and 6, and sealed the match with a birdie on the 14th hole (par 4) in the back nine. He burst into tears with his wife, exclaiming, "My dream has come true."

Kisner finished second but earned $1.32 million (1.616 billion KRW). Having reached the finals three times in four appearances (2018 runner-up, 2019 winner, and 2020 canceled due to COVID-19), he is truly a ‘match play master.’ Corey Conners (Canada) added off-course buzz by defeating Johnson by 3 holes in the third-place match. Johnson had advanced to the semifinals with an undefeated streak of five consecutive wins including three wins in the preliminary round, but his iron shots faltered on the day, making his path difficult.

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