2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play recaps: Quarterfinals at Austin CC
Eight players battled Saturday afternoon at Austin Country Club for the chance to compete in the semifinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship. Here’s how the quarterfinals played out, and click here for how the morning Round of 16 results:
Billy Horschel (32) def. Tommy Fleetwood (21), 19 holes
This was tight throughout. Fleetwood birdied the first for a 1-up lead but couldn’t get 2 up until Horschel bogeyed the 11th. Horschel, however, won the 12th with a birdie and they halved 13 in bogey and 14 in birdie, with Horschel first making from 30 feet and Fleetwood matching him from 13 feet. They tied the par-5 16th in birdie as well, but Horschel finally evened the match with an 8-footer for birdie at the par-3 17th. After Horschel scrambled for par at the 18th and Fleetwood missed a 12-foot birdie putt for the win, Horschel prevailed on the first extra hole (par-5 12th). Fleetwood hit his tee shot out of bounds, leaving Horschel to just make par to advance to the semifinals.
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: Full bracket | Scoring | Group standings
Victor Perez (31) def. Sergio Garcia (39), 4 and 3
Despite losing the first hole, the Frenchman was in control of this match. He built a 2-up lead through eight holes and held that advantage until the par-4 13th, where Garcia went into the water while trying to drive the green. Three up with five to play, Perez parred No. 14 and rolled in a 7-footer for birdie and the win at the 15th. Garcia, who was battling a sore left foot, made one birdie and four bogeys in the afternoon.
Scottie Scheffler (30) def. Jon Rahm (3), 3 and 1
The top-seeded player to advance from pool play vs. the local favorite, and the former Texas Longhorn got off to a crowd-stirring start, jumping out to a 3-up lead through five holes. Rahm was able to cut his deficit to one hole by the turn, but Scheffler promptly won the 10th and 12th holes with birdies. The highlight of the match came at the 14th, where Rahm chipped in for birdie and Scheffler followed with a 10-footer to match.
In all, the two combined for 14 birdies and just one bogey, with a conceded birdie to Scheffler at the 17th ending it.
Matt Kuchar (52) def. Brian Harman (54), 2 and 1
Kuchar was a machine and Harman was finally human. After making 24 birdies, one eagle and just one bogey over his first four matches, Harman dropped two shots early and fell 3 down through 10 holes. Kuchar, the 2013 champion and 2019 runner-up, didn’t make any mistakes, recording six birdies and no bogeys. Harman fought until the end, stuffing his tee shot on the par-3 17th to a foot, but Kuchar calmly rolled in a 10-footer to tie the hole and win the match.