Golf.com https://golf.com/tag/alex-noren/ Your life, well played. en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-favicon-512x512-1.png?width=50&height=50&fit=bounds alex noren Archives - Golf https://golf.com/tag/alex-noren/ 32 32 https://golf.com/?post_type=article&p=15489286 Thu, 14 Jul 2022 21:25:02 +0000 <![CDATA[Pro could have played the Open. Instead, he's playing the Barracuda.]]> Alex Noren isn't playing this week's Open Championship at St. Andrews ... because of a bad break. Here's the explanation.

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]]> https://golf.com/news/pro-open-championship-california-alex-noren/ Alex Noren isn't playing this week's Open Championship at St. Andrews ... because of a bad break. Here's the explanation.

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]]> Alex Noren isn't playing this week's Open Championship at St. Andrews ... because of a bad break. Here's the explanation.

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]]>

Alex Noren, should there be golf karma, should win the Barracuda Championship. Or at the very least get a friendly bounce this week.

He is deserving of a break, because he didn’t get one at St. Andrews. To that end, we’ll describe Noren’s scenario, in chronological order. 

— The 39-year-old Swede played last week’s Scottish Open and tied for a respectable 30th.

— He made his way over to this week’s Open Championship, where he was the first alternate to play. According to Jamie Weir of Sky Sports, he was in St. Andrews as late as Tuesday. 

— There is also a PGA Tour alternate-field event this week, and that’s the Barracuda. (You may already know where this is heading.)

News How to watch the 2022 Open Championship: TV schedule, streaming online, tee times
How to watch the 2022 Open Championship: TV schedule, streaming online, tee times
By: Kevin Cunningham

— Believing that no one would withdraw from the Open, Noren left Scotland and hopped a plane for California. He even talked to reporters on Wednesday. 

“I know that it’s the Open week, but I don’t think anybody would withdraw this late, and I love this course,” Noren said. “I thought it was great last time I was here two years ago. I had this week planned, and it’s three weeks of training before the Playoffs, and I just wanted to get here and kind of follow that plan.”

All good points. It’s tough to think that anyone would not play the Open, which is, simultaneously, the year’s last major, being played at one of the world’s finest courses and celebrating its 150th birthday. And yes, the Tahoe Mountain Club is a fun track. And yes, this is FedEx Cup crunch time; the playoffs start next month, and Noren is 75th in the standings. 

And yes, on Thursday morning in Scotland, Justin Rose withdrew with a back injury. Erik van Rooyen pulled out, too, with a neck injury. Rikuya Hoshino and Aaron Rai were in. Noren was not.

He was eight time zones away. 

These things can happen. Should he have waited it out? Maybe. Maybe not. 

But golf gods, if you’re listening, do your thing. 

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]]> https://golf.com/?post_type=article&p=15408729 Mon, 27 Jul 2020 15:59:20 +0000 <![CDATA[Why Alex Noren's trusted swing thought can help golfers who hit big hooks]]> Noren first discovered his go-to swing thought in college, and it's been his most trusted one ever since. It could potentially help you, too.

The post Why Alex Noren’s trusted swing thought can help golfers who hit big hooks appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/instruction/alex-noren-swing-thought/ Noren first discovered his go-to swing thought in college, and it's been his most trusted one ever since. It could potentially help you, too.

The post Why Alex Noren’s trusted swing thought can help golfers who hit big hooks appeared first on Golf.

]]> Noren first discovered his go-to swing thought in college, and it's been his most trusted one ever since. It could potentially help you, too.

The post Why Alex Noren’s trusted swing thought can help golfers who hit big hooks appeared first on Golf.

]]>

I’ve been lucky enough to spend time around professional golfers and their coaches, reporting on all the things that make them so good at the game we all love. And one thing that consistently surprises me is that pros are often just looking for that one simple swing feeling. Something they can trust that works for them. And when they find it, it’s rare they ever diverge from it.

A few weeks ago, I asked a few players for their go-to, never-fail swing thought (you can read about those right here), and I was reminded of it once again this week at the 3M Open, when Alex Noren popped into contention with a T-3 finish.

His swing thought, which you may have noticed before, was something he started working on in college at Oklahoma State. He use to hit an uncontrollable push-draw, and in a search to improve his driving, he began grooving a left-to-right fade.

“When I got to college people would tell me, ‘You’ve got to hit it in-between the jungle. You’ve got to hit it in the fairway,’” Noren said.

To help him do this, he would practice — and over-exaggerate — a feeling of keeping his torso and hands ahead of his clubhead as he turned through on the downswing.

Watch a supercut of him rehearsing the move below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_XcdLcF2sg/

Why does he do this? Because when he keeps his hands and torso ahead of the clubhead, it keeps the body turning and therefore prevents the hands from becoming overactive and rolling the clubface closed. In layman’s terms: It keeps the big muscles working, and his hands from getting flippy. It’s one to try if you’re a golfer who tends to hit blocks or hooks.

Noren’s body keeps moving, which prevents his hands — and the clubface — from rolling closed. Instgram

And as you can see, his actual swing looks nothing like his swing feeling, but it’s by overreacting the feeling that helps him get his golf swing into a place he wants it, where he feels comfortable hitting his now-favorite pull-fade.

The post Why Alex Noren’s trusted swing thought can help golfers who hit big hooks appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://www.golf.com/?p=15379111 Mon, 13 Apr 2020 19:01:56 +0000 <![CDATA[How Alex Noren's unique 10-finger grip revolutionized his putting]]> Noren is a good example of a player whose putting approach looks unconventional, but the results are still sparkling.

The post How Alex Noren’s unique 10-finger grip revolutionized his putting appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/instruction/putting/how-alex-noren-grip-revolutionized-his-putting/ Noren is a good example of a player whose putting approach looks unconventional, but the results are still sparkling.

The post How Alex Noren’s unique 10-finger grip revolutionized his putting appeared first on Golf.

]]> Noren is a good example of a player whose putting approach looks unconventional, but the results are still sparkling.

The post How Alex Noren’s unique 10-finger grip revolutionized his putting appeared first on Golf.

]]>

Putting is an interesting aspect of the game in that there are numerous ways to approach the skill, many of which might look unconventional, that are still effective. There are traditional styles like Tiger Woods, feel-based approaches like Ben Crenshaw and even science-backed tactics like Bryson DeChambeau. But no matter what method you choose, the most important thing is finding something that makes you feel confident when you pull the flat stick out of the bag.

Alex Noren is a good example of a player whose approach looks unconventional, but the results are still sparkling. In the last five full seasons on the PGA Tour, Noren has ranked inside the top 20 in Stroke Gained: Putting three times, twice ranking inside the top 5. And all of this comes with a putting grip that differs from many of his peers.

As he explained in a recent video from Golfing World, Noren tried to use a conventional grip and style on the greens in his younger days.

“I was trying to look like Tiger,” Noren said. “You know, the perfect putting.”

But then in 2011, the Swede explained he changed his grip and style on a whim the Tuesday before the Scandinavian Masters in his home country. The results were immediate. He won the tournament as he “putted the best (he’s) ever putted that week.”

The new grip is basically a modified left-hand low approach with an extreme forward press, which is why he uses a putter with five degrees of loft.

“The grip is quite basic,” Noren said. “I put my left hand low. It levels out the shoulders.”

Noren puts all of his fingers on the grip as he grasps the club. This is different from conventional styles where players use either an overlapping or interlocking grip. He also lines up both of his thumbs pointing down the top of the grip. He then takes address and uses a severe forward press at address.

“My practice I always try to feel loose and in motion,” Noren said. “Instead of standing still too long. And I’m quite quick once I get over the ball. I try not to think too much. I have a couple of looks and then go.”

While Noren’s putting might look a bit odd to the untrained eye, it’s an excellent example of how there are several different methods that can get the job done on the greens.

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]]> https://www.golf.com/?p=14196578 Sun, 02 Dec 2018 04:22:02 +0000 <![CDATA[Tiger Woods falls, Tony Finau surges, and other things you missed from Round 3 of the Hero]]> Tony Finau surged to the top of the leaderboard while Tiger Woods fell to the bottom during the third round.

The post Tiger Woods falls, Tony Finau surges, and other things you missed from Round 3 of the Hero appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/tournaments/heres-what-you-missed-from-round-3-hero-world-challenge/ Tony Finau surged to the top of the leaderboard while Tiger Woods fell to the bottom during the third round.

The post Tiger Woods falls, Tony Finau surges, and other things you missed from Round 3 of the Hero appeared first on Golf.

]]> Tony Finau surged to the top of the leaderboard while Tiger Woods fell to the bottom during the third round.

The post Tiger Woods falls, Tony Finau surges, and other things you missed from Round 3 of the Hero appeared first on Golf.

]]>

The third round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas was another one filled with plenty of birdies, as 17 of the 18 golfers in the field shot even par or better on Saturday. The best scores of the day belonged to Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed, who both shot a 6-under 66.

Here’s what you need to know from Round 3 of the Hero World Challenge.

Tiger falls to last place

Tiger Woods shot an even par on Saturday to remain at 2-under for the entire tournament. But the strong play and movement up the leaderboard for others put Tiger all alone in last place heading into Sunday’s final round. Fortunately for Tiger, his third round was not overshadowed by rules violations like his second round was on Friday.

He racked up five birdies on the day, four of which came on par-5 holes. His fifth and final birdie was registered on the par-3 18th, a hole which brought bad omens to Tiger on Friday. Unlike his second round when his only bogey of the day didn’t come until the final hole, Tiger carded four bogeys on Saturday.

Most notably, Tiger double bogeyed on the par-5 third hole. As a result, he found himself playing from behind trying to return to under par the entire round. Once again, Tiger’s struggles could be pointed to none other than his short game. Woods remains 11 shots back of the leaders heading into Sunday’s final round. Based on how many strokes back he is and how inconsistent his putting has been so far, a Sunday afternoon charge from Tiger at his own event seems unlikely at this point.

Finau surges to the front

Speaking of leaders, Tony Finau found himself at the top of the leaderboard after the third round. He’s now tied at 13-under overall alongside Jon Rahm and Henrik Stenson. Finau entered the day at 8-under overall and just two shots off the lead, but his 5-under 67 performance on Saturday has him in the lead after 54 holes.

After settling for bogey at the par-3 second tee, Finau would not finish a hole over par for the rest of the day. Finau posted six birdies in the round, including four on the front nine. He would then register back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15.

Rahm and Stenson both entered Saturday as co-leaders after 36 holes and shot 3-under 69 to remain in the lead heading into Sunday. Each had five birdies and two bogeys on the day. With three tied for the lead heading into the final round, golf fans are in for a great finish on Sunday at Albany.

Honoring the President

On Friday night, Former President George H.W. Bush passed away at age 94 at his home in Houston. In his free time, Bush 41 enjoyed both playing golf and attending events such as the Ryder Cup and Presidents to hang out with the pros. Not surprisingly, many golfers chose to honor the late president during Saturday’s third round.

Guys such as Finau, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Bryson DeChambeau all wrote “41” on their hats. Classy move by some of the best in the sport.

A wild finish for Noren

Alex Noren finds himself at 8-under through 54 holes and only five shots off the lead. He shot 2-under for the round on Saturday. But it was his finish that can only be described as crazy.

After 14 holes, Noren had racked up two birdies and two bogeys on the day. He earned himself an eagle at the par-5 15th, yet only to have it be forgotten about by a triple bogey at the 16th hole. But wait, there’s more. His fortunes then return from bad to good at the 17th tee when he nails a hole in one. He then finished the day with a birdie on 18. Needless to say, Noren had a roller-coaster finish to his third round on Saturday.

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]]> https://www.golf.com/?p=14181237 Fri, 09 Nov 2018 17:02:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Tiger Woods to host loaded field at Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas]]> The star-studded field for the 2018 Hero World Challenge will not leave golf fans disappointed.

The post Tiger Woods to host loaded field at Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/tournaments/tiger-woods-host-loaded-field-hero-world-challenge-bahamas/ The star-studded field for the 2018 Hero World Challenge will not leave golf fans disappointed.

The post Tiger Woods to host loaded field at Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas appeared first on Golf.

]]> The star-studded field for the 2018 Hero World Challenge will not leave golf fans disappointed.

The post Tiger Woods to host loaded field at Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas appeared first on Golf.

]]>

Golf fans, mark your calendars for November 29-December 2. You’re not going to want to miss this year’s edition of the Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas.

The star-studded, invitation-only field was released on Thursday, and it does not disappoint. The Tiger Woods-hosted PGA Tour event will consist of players representing six different countries, as well as four of the top five players and 16 of the top 23 players in the world.

Tiger Woods Hero World Challenge
The field will not disappoint at the Hero World Challenge, which is hosted by Tiger.

Three past champions of the event, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama, and Bubba Watson, will all participate again in the tournament. The defending champion Fowler shot an 18-under 270 to win last year’s event by four strokes. Matsuyama also shot an 18-under 270 to claim victory at the 2016 tournament, but his win was only by two strokes. Watson’s 2015 victory at the Hero World Challenge came by three strokes when he shot 25-under 263.

World No. 1 Justin Rose, who recently reestablished himself in the top spot in the World Golf Rankings, will partake in the event after his victory last weekend at the Turkish Airlines Open. World No. 3 Dustin Johnson, No. 4 Justin Thomas, and No. 5 Bryson DeChambeau will all participate as well in the tournament. Brooks Koepka, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is the lone top five player in the World Golf Rankings to not be in the 16-man field.

Xander Schauffele, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, and Webb Simpson will round out the American portion of the field in the event. The remaining international players to be invited to the tournament include Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day, and Alex Noren.

The 18-player field will be filled out after two exemptions are issued later this month. The event will be held in Albany for the fourth consecutive year, and fans will be able to watch the tournament on Golf Channel and NBC. Unlike “The Match” that Woods will partake in with Phil Mickelson beforehand, the Hero World Challenge will be open to the public.

The tournament will also be played for charity. Woods’ charity, The TGR Foundation, will be the primary beneficiary from the event. The Tavistock Foundation and Bahamas Youth Foundation will also receive contributions from the tournament.

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]]> https://www.golf.com/?p=14150819 Sat, 29 Sep 2018 17:16:51 +0000 <![CDATA[U.S., European teams halve hole with ... triple bogeys?!]]> Every player in the group except Sergio Garcia hit a ball in the water at the par-3 2nd hole Saturday afternoon.

The post U.S., European teams halve hole with … triple bogeys?! appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/tournaments/bubba-webb-sergio-noren-halve-hole-triple/ Every player in the group except Sergio Garcia hit a ball in the water at the par-3 2nd hole Saturday afternoon.

The post U.S., European teams halve hole with … triple bogeys?! appeared first on Golf.

]]> Every player in the group except Sergio Garcia hit a ball in the water at the par-3 2nd hole Saturday afternoon.

The post U.S., European teams halve hole with … triple bogeys?! appeared first on Golf.

]]> SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson won the first hole of their afternoon match against Sergio Garcia and Alex Noren with a birdie.

Then things got weird.

Water guards the green at the par-3 2nd hole, and Watson splashed his tee shot to lead things off. Then Noren followed him, finding the water with a tee shot of his own.

Simpson made it three in a row when he, too, found the water from the drop zone. Garcia followed from the drop zone and finally cleared the hazard, but barely: He spun back off the green up onto the fringe and against the collar.

Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson could hardly believe it.

Watson finally got the U.S. team on the green with his next shot, but his approach settled some 30 feet left of the hole. No matter: Simpson drained that putt. Meanwhile, Noren duffed his tricky chip, leaving Garcia with a 15-footer for double bogey.

In the end, it was matching triple-bogey sixes for the squads. Alternate shot is a beautiful thing.

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]]> https://www.golf.com/?post_type=golf_video&p=14089560 Wed, 18 Jul 2018 17:50:15 +0000 <![CDATA[British Open 2018: GOLF.com Picks]]> The post British Open 2018: GOLF.com Picks appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/british-open-2018-golf-com-picks/ The post British Open 2018: GOLF.com Picks appeared first on Golf.

]]> The post British Open 2018: GOLF.com Picks appeared first on Golf.

]]> The post British Open 2018: GOLF.com Picks appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/07/01/alex-noren-wins-french-open-at-venue-of-this-years-ryder-cup/ Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:24:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Alex Noren wins French Open at venue of this year's Ryder Cup]]> Alex Noren won the French Open by one shot on Sunday after a final round four-under 67.

The post Alex Noren wins French Open at venue of this year’s Ryder Cup appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/tournaments/alex-noren-wins-french-open-at-venue-of-this-years-ryder-cup/ Alex Noren won the French Open by one shot on Sunday after a final round four-under 67.

The post Alex Noren wins French Open at venue of this year’s Ryder Cup appeared first on Golf.

]]> Alex Noren won the French Open by one shot on Sunday after a final round four-under 67.

The post Alex Noren wins French Open at venue of this year’s Ryder Cup appeared first on Golf.

]]> PARIS (AP) — Alex Noren won the French Open by one shot on Sunday after a final round four-under 67.

The Swede started the day seven shots behind compatriot Marcus Kinhult but he birdied two of his last three holes to finish at seven-under 277, just ahead of Scotland’s Russell Knox, England’s Chris Wood and Julian Suri of the United States.

The American finished with a double bogey on the last hole for a 69, while Wood bogeyed two of the last four holes for a 73.

The 21-year-old Kinhult, who had a two-shot lead going into the final day, struggled in a round of 76 and finished joint-fifth with England’s Matthew Southgate and Spain’s Jon Rahm at Le Golf National, venue of the Ryder Cup in September. Rahm had a triple bogey on the 12th hole.

World No. 2 Justin Thomas carded a level-par 71 to finish joint-eighth with Alexander Bjork of Sweden and Sergio Garcia and Jorge Campillo of Spain.

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]]> https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/03/25/smooth-sailing-bubba-watson-dominates-kevin-kisner-to-win-wgc-dell-technologies-match-play/ Sun, 25 Mar 2018 17:45:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Smooth sailing: Bubba Watson dominates Kevin Kisner to win WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play]]> Bubba Watson dominated Kevin Kisner from the opening tee box en route to a lopsided victory in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. It's Watson's 11th career PGA Tour victory, and a big boost with the Masters two weeks away.

The post Smooth sailing: Bubba Watson dominates Kevin Kisner to win WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/smooth-sailing-bubba-watson-dominates-kevin-kisner-to-win-wgc-dell-technologies-match-play/ Bubba Watson dominated Kevin Kisner from the opening tee box en route to a lopsided victory in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. It's Watson's 11th career PGA Tour victory, and a big boost with the Masters two weeks away.

The post Smooth sailing: Bubba Watson dominates Kevin Kisner to win WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

]]> Bubba Watson dominated Kevin Kisner from the opening tee box en route to a lopsided victory in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. It's Watson's 11th career PGA Tour victory, and a big boost with the Masters two weeks away.

The post Smooth sailing: Bubba Watson dominates Kevin Kisner to win WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

]]> AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Bubba Watson made the final of the Dell Technologies Match Play look as though he were on vacation all along.

Watson won his second World Golf Championships title Sunday with the biggest blowout since the championship matched switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over Kevin Kisner.

Watson wasn’t as sharp as he was in the semifinals against Justin Thomas, whom he beat in 16 holes to deny Thomas going to No. 1 in the world ranking. He didn’t have to be in the final. If not for missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-5 sixth, Watson would have won the first seven holes.

Kisner had a lot to do with that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in his semifinal match, Kisner didn’t put up much of a fight. He made four straight bogeys and only twice on the front nine was putting for birdie.

Watson had scheduled a family vacation out of the country on Sunday, which he had to postpone. Watson figured he hardly ever makes it this far in golf’s most fickle format, so it was a good problem to have.

There was nothing fickle about his game, especially on the final day.

Watson never trailed in the 28 holes he played Sunday, and he was never seriously threatened.

The tougher match was against Thomas, the PGA champion who needed only to reach the championship match to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world. Watson went out to a 3-up lead on the front nine, and when Thomas closed to 1 down at the turn with his first birdie putt, Watson won two of the next three holes to regain control. Thomas didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 16th, and by then it was too late. Watson made his birdie from 3 feet for a 3-and-2 victory.

Thomas said he was too consumed with what was at stake in the semifinals.

“I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much. And that really sucked,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest. And I think you’re constantly getting questions about it with the media. But I need to be mentally stronger than that, and understand that it’s just a match.”

Noren beat Thomas in the consolation match, 5 and 3.

One year after Watson disappeared from among the elite in golf, he has won his last two starts. He was No. 117 in the world when he arrived at Riviera, where he won for the third time in his career. With his 11th victory on the PGA Tour, he now is back up to No. 21.

And the two-time Masters champion added his name to the growing list of contenders at Augusta National.

“I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can get this focus and my putter rolling like it is,” Watson said.

Watson played 109 holes over seven matches, going to the 18th hole just once when he halved his match with Julian Suri on Friday. Through it all, he said he wasn’t committed to only four or five shots. He was hitting high draws, low cuts, all the shots he created as a kid in the Florida Panhandle when he was just a boy with a club and a wild imagination.

He wouldn’t have imagined such an easy time against Kisner in the all-Georgia Bulldogs final that ended with the fabled “dog license” score in match play. A dog license in Britain used to cost seven shillings, six pence (referred to as 7 and 6).

Watson holed a 10-foot birdie on the opening hole, and then Kisner took care of the rest. His drive was short and to the right on the hill at No. 2, and he did well to get it just short of the green, failing to get up-and-down. Kisner then hit just inside the hazard and had to play up short of another hazard. Then, he found a bunker on the par-3 fourth hole. His next drive went right into the trees on the reachable par-4 fifth.

Watson missed his short birdie putt to win the sixth hole, but not to worry. Kisner’s next shot bounced off a spectator’s head and next to a fence, and he had to chip off loose soil across the green for another bogey.

This can happen in match play, and Kisner saw it Saturday in his 8-and-6 victory over Ian Poulter.

“I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful,” Kisner said. “I’ve just got to forget this 12 holes and get back to working on the things that got me here.”

Even in a final match that lacked any drama, Watson still managed to shed a few tears. His mother was with him in the gallery on the weekend, and they shared a warm embrace after he made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole to win the match.

“It’s crazy to think about it,” Watson said. “I’ve got two World Golf Championships, and two majors. It’s unbelievable to think about that, giving my mom a hug. Six years old, having one golf club for a year, no lessons. I can sit here and make up stories all day, but it’s absolutely remarkable that I’m able to life a trophy like this.”

As for that vacation?

Watson was cryptic as ever.

“I’m going on vacation tomorrow, no matter if it’s at home or wherever it is, it’s vacation,” he said. “Golf clothes will not be seen until next Saturday.”

The post Smooth sailing: Bubba Watson dominates Kevin Kisner to win WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/03/25/bubba-watson-downs-justin-thomas-in-wgc-match-play-semifinals-meets-kevin-kisner-in-finals/ Sun, 25 Mar 2018 14:30:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Bubba Watson downs Justin Thomas in WGC Match Play semifinals, meets Kevin Kisner in finals]]> Bubba Watson took down the second-ranked player in the world in Justin Thomas, and he's got a spot in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

The post Bubba Watson downs Justin Thomas in WGC Match Play semifinals, meets Kevin Kisner in finals appeared first on Golf.

]]> https://golf.com/news/bubba-watson-downs-justin-thomas-in-wgc-match-play-semifinals-meets-kevin-kisner-in-finals/ Bubba Watson took down the second-ranked player in the world in Justin Thomas, and he's got a spot in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

The post Bubba Watson downs Justin Thomas in WGC Match Play semifinals, meets Kevin Kisner in finals appeared first on Golf.

]]> Bubba Watson took down the second-ranked player in the world in Justin Thomas, and he's got a spot in the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

The post Bubba Watson downs Justin Thomas in WGC Match Play semifinals, meets Kevin Kisner in finals appeared first on Golf.

]]> Bubba Watson knocked off the No. 2 player in the world to advance to the finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where he’ll eye his second win in the last two months and second career WGC title.

Watson, the 35th seed, beat second-seeded Justin Thomas 3 and 2 in their semifinals matchup Sunday at Austin Country Club. Watson will now face Kevin Kisner in the finals later Sunday. Kisner, the 32nd seed, beat 13th-seeded Alex Noren in 19 holes in their semifinals matchup. Thomas and Noren will face off for third.

Thomas never led in the match. Watson birdied the first hole to go 1 up, and he was 3 up until Thomas won his first hole, the par-3 7th. Thomas birdied the 9th to cut Watson’s lead to 1 up at the turn, but Watson won the 10th and 12th to increase his advantage to 3 up and the pair halved the next three holes to end the match.

Winning his semifinals match would have been enough to vault Thomas to the top-ranked player in the world, supplanting Dustin Johnson, but after his loss to Watson he’ll remain at No. 2.

Kisner won his opening hole versus Noren with a par, they halved the second with pars and then halved the next four with birdies. Noren birdied 7 to even the match and then took a 1-up lead with a birdie on 8 after he made his sixth consecutive birdie. Kisner squared it with an eagle on the par-5 12th, and they halved the next six holes. Kisner won the match on the first extra hole when he made birdie. Kisner has two career PGA Tour victories (compared to Watson’s 10) and has never won a WGC.

TV coverage for the finals and third-place match begins at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

The post Bubba Watson downs Justin Thomas in WGC Match Play semifinals, meets Kevin Kisner in finals appeared first on Golf.

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