Scottie Scheffler becomes world No 1 after WGC Match Play final win against Kevin Kisner | Golf News

March 27, 2022 admin

Scottie Scheffler, ranked world No 5 going into WGC Match Play, moves to world No 1 after 4&3 final victory over Kevin Kisner; Scheffler beat Dustin Johnson 3&1 in the semi-finals, and Seamus Power 3&2 in quarter-finals; Kevin Kisner defeated Corey Conners to book meeting with Scheffler

Last Updated: 27/03/22 11:54pm

Scottie Scheffler moves to world No 1 after beating Kevin Kisner in the WGC Match Play final

Scottie Scheffler secured a 4&3 WGC Match Play final victory over Kevin Kisner on Sunday, becoming the world No 1 as a result.

Scheffler, who was world No 5 heading into the tournament, beat Dustin Johnson 3&1 in the semi-finals, and then Seamus Power 3&2 in quarter-finals; Kisner defeated Corey Conners to book a meeting with Scheffler.

Kisner joined Tiger Woods and Geoff Ogilvy as the only players to reach the final match at least three times since this World Golf Championship began in 1999. He lost in the showdown in 2018 and won the following year. His record of 23-6-1 on this Pete Dye design, is a winning rate second only to Ogilvy.

Scheffler’s semi-final: Johnson missed short putt at crucial time

Scheffler made it into his second consecutive WGC final after he held on to beat Dustin Johnson 3&1.

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Highlights of the WGC Match Play semi-final between Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler took advantage of Johnson’s mishaps and balky putter to go 5 up through 11 holes, then had to hold off a ferocious rally at Austin Country Club. He regained control when Johnson missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to fall 2 down, and then closed him out when Johnson’s 15-foot birdie putt caught the lip.

Scheffler was solid as usual, and Johnson was the worst he had been all week, especially on the green where Scheffler twice missed putts inside 10 feet and still had a 3-up lead through seven holes.

He nearly holed out from the fairway on the 10th, Johnson missed another putt on the 11th and Scheffler was 5-up and on his way. And then it changed.

Johnson won the 12th with a birdie. Scheffler, despite leading 4 up, curiously went with driver on the reachable par-4 13th over a portion of Lake Austin and came up short in the water. Johnson hit it tight on the next two holes, making from 10 feet and 4 feet for birdies.

He was 1 down and had all the momentum when Scheffler hit his second on the par-5 16th, uphill and into the wind, to about 12 feet. He missed the eagle attempt. Johnson, who was in a bunker, blasted out to 4 feet. But his short putt spun out of the cup, and he never recovered.