AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) – If the semifinals at Austin Country Club on Sunday didn’t pique your interest, match play may not be for you.
The morning matches at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play contained all the format has to offer, from spectacular lead changes to suffocating performances, laying the groundwork for Scottie Scheffler and Kevin Kisner’s afternoon final.
Kisner overcame a late-round revival from Corey Conners, while Scheffler jumped out to an early lead against Dustin Johnson and never looked back.
“It seemed like I was in a heavyweight fight.” Kisner remarked of Conners, “He’s a hell of a ball striker, always in action, hitting tremendous shot after great shot.” “I was definitely fortunate enough to come out on the right side of this one.”
With a 1-up lead at the turn and a 14-foot birdie putt at the 10th hole, Kisner appeared to have the match under control, with Conners nearly out of play and 100 feet left of the green. Kisner, on the other hand, missed his birdie putt and had to struggle for par.
Conners kept the pressure on with a birdie putt from 38 feet on the 11th hole, and he won the 12th hole after Kisner’s second ball went into a water hazard. It was the first time since Thursday’s fourth hole that Kisner had trailed in a match.
“It threw a wrench in my get-up there with the up-and-down on 10 and then making that putt on 11, but glad I was able to come out on top,” said Kisner, the 2019 WGC-Match Play champion who will be making his third appearance in the title match.
Kisner took the lead when Conners missed a 10-foot par putt at the 17th hole, and he won by two strokes with a birdie at the 18th.
Scheffler, who is playing in his second consecutive championship match, birdied the first and third holes to take a 2-up lead and led 5-up after 11 holes before finishing out the match with birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 to win 3-and-1.
Scheffler will become the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking if he defeats Kisner in the finals.
