The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: Scottie Scheffler has earned $6 million since this club switch appeared first on Golf.

The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: Scottie Scheffler has earned $6 million since this club switch appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Wall-to-Wall Equipment, the Monday morning gear wrap-up in which GOLF equipment editor Jonathan Wall takes you through the latest trends, rumors and breaking news.

Putt for dough

Not all club changes pan out, but it’s fair to say Scottie Scheffler hit the jackpot (quite literally) when he changed putters at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. With a win on Sunday over Kevin Kisner, the 25-year-old moved to No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career.

The victory continued a torrid stretch for Scheffler who won for the third time in his last five starts. From a monetary standpoint, that kind of stretch is beyond lucrative — to the tune of $6.173 million in just six weeks. Outside of a fairway wood change (more on that in a moment), the only gear adjustment to occur during that period was the putter switch.

It’s impossible to pin a run like Scheffler’s on one club, but there’s something about the new putter that’s certainly clicked for Scheffler since it went into play.

While Scheffler waited until Phoenix to make the change official, he started working with Scotty Cameron Tour rep Brad Cloke on the new wand in December during a trip to Cameron’s putter studio. Unlike most pros who change putters due to prolonged struggles, Scheffler merely wanted a fresh look.

“He just wanted to switch things up a little bit and give himself a slightly different look heading into 2022,” Cloke said. “Prior to visiting us in the Studio, he’d been messing around with an older Newport 2 Timeless he had at home. He’d added bunch of lead tape to the sole to try and get it to a similar swingweight as his Super Rat. He really liked the profile but the feel wasn’t exactly where he wanted it, so we went to work on building him a new setup with adjustable weighting.”

Scheffler chose to go from a Super Rat 1 to a 36.25-inch Newport 2-style head with sharper edges and two 25-gram adjustable weights in the sole. He also made a slight refinement to the alignment aid, shifting the black line from the topline to the flange.

As the saying goes, “driver for show, putt for dough.” Scottie can attest.

New addition

Adam Scott continued to take advantage of equipment free agency by adding another piece of fresh gear to the bag in Austin, Texas. After adding TaylorMade Stealth woods at the Players Championship and a L.A.B Golf putter ahead of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Scott inserted a Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi 3-iron (KBS Tour 130X shaft) in a dark finish that was easy to spot in a sea of satin chrome Titleist irons and Vokey wedges.

Known for their better-player cavity-back irons and blades, Mizuno has quietly gained a following as a viable long iron alternative for several big names.

Prior to adding a Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero 7-wood, Xander Schauffele played a Mizuno MP-20 HMB 3-iron. Scott’s Fli-Hi is a glorified long iron replacement that’s designed around a 431 stainless steel body and springy MAS1C face.

So long, partner

A lot of ink was spilled last week on Scottie Scheffler’s discarded Nike VR Pro Limited 3-wood. It looks like I should’ve worried more about his new addition (TaylorMade Stealth) than the predecessor.

Scheffler didn’t skip a beat with the 16.5-degree Stealth 3-wood as he rolled to his third Tour title in Austin. According to TaylorMade Tour rep Todd Chew, Scheffler originally tested a 15-degree Stealth as a Nike replacement during the preseason, but the club exceeded his usual 3-wood carry distance.

“Scottie could actually do more with the Stealth 15.0-degree head, but it would go too far,” Chew said. “With the titanium Stealth Plus head he could hit it even further, but that’s not what he needs from this club.”

To solve the problem, TaylorMade suggested Scheffler try a 16.5-degree Stealth 3HL (the HL stands for “high loft”) at a shorter length to see if it produced a similar carry distance to his gamer.

“[I]n Palm Springs we built him a Stealth 3HL 16.5-degree with a Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft,” Chew said. “His previous 3-wood was about 12.5 degrees of loft and in order to match launch conditions and distance with Stealth, we had to go to the Stealth 3HL, make it an inch shorter and finish the loft at 16 degrees.

“We were really close with matching launch conditions which was important to Scottie. It was coming out of a different window because of the difference in loft in the heads and he has since been able to figure out how to flight it the way he wants to flight it. The benefits of the 16.5-degree head are that he can hit it much higher and farther if he wants to but also match previous conditions, which were lower and feature more spin.”

Fresh look

For a majority of his peers, Xander Schauffele’s issues with the putter wouldn’t be categorized as a full-on problem. Ranked 70th in SG: Putting entering the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Schauffele hadn’t finished outside the Top 70 in SG: Putting since he joined the PGA Tour in 2016. While he wasn’t ready to make a wholesale change to his putter, Schauffele was open to the idea of seeing what else was out there.

“He still wanted to stay in the same head shape,” said Odyssey Tour rep Joe Toulon. “It was more about changing up the visuals a bit and seeing if that helped.”

Instead of shaking up the alignment lines affixed to the top of the head, Schauffele chose to change the color of the paint, going from a bright white to a black that popped against the silver finish. In the end, the black paint on one line, in particular, sold Schauffele on the White Hot OG #7CH.

“It was that small line on the topline,” said Toulon. “He was already using a black line on the sidestamp of the ball, so the addition of a black alignment line on top made him feel like that line extended from the putter to the ball. For him, it was all about helping with alignment.”

Since he made the change, Schauffele has logged two top-15 finishes in his last three starts. With the Masters on deck, the return of Schauffele’s ever-reliable putter couldn’t have come at a better time.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: Scottie Scheffler has earned $6 million since this club switch appeared first on Golf.

The post Scottie Scheffler was asked about becoming No. 1. His answer was stunning.  appeared first on Golf.

The post Scottie Scheffler was asked about becoming No. 1. His answer was stunning.  appeared first on Golf.

“You were the runner-up last year at this championship. This year, winning it puts you as the world No. 1-ranked player. Can you just describe what it takes and what that accomplishment means to you.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll believe it when I see it when I see on the world rankings tomorrow. But …”

As the NBC cameras rolled, Scottie Scheffler began to answer announcer Kathryn Tappen’s question, then stopped. He’s an honest man, and if he was going to answer sincerely, he needed a sec. 

The past 15 minutes had been a blur. In short order late Sunday afternoon, Scheffler had defeated Kevin Kisner 4 and 3, won the WGC-Match Play for his third title in five events, and, as Tappen said, moved to No. 1. The tournament was also played in his home state (Texas), and in his college town (Austin), and on a course he’s played dozens of times (Austin Country Club), though that was obvious by the support. 

After Scheffler shook hands with Kisner, shook hands with Kisner’s caddie, Duane Bock, hugged and fist-bumped his caddie, Ted Scott and shook hands with an official, he hugged his wife, Meredith. They both wiped away tears. They then hugged again. Tappen asked for an interview, and Scheffler politely said, “Sorry, do mind waiting one sec? Sorry.”

More Schefflers approached. With more hugs. His dad’s words were caught by NBC mics. 

“I love you, Scott. I’m more proud of who you are than your golf. You’re a wonderful young man.” The younger Scheffler laughed a bit.     

“I would say this week, it’s definitely got a special place in my mind and heart,” he said in his post-tournament press conference. “I’ve got a lot of good memories being here in college. It’s been a long journey to this point. I had some pretty low points in college where I really fought my swing and I fought some injuries. I fought a lot of stuff during college.

“To be out here and win this golf tournament in front of the fans down here is really special. Like I said, I always dreamed of playing in this tournament, and just to be out here was a treat, and to be able to play seven rounds and finish and win is really special.”

How did he get to No. 1? Technically, of course, through his golf. And an absurd run. At the start of last month, he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open for his first PGA Tour win. He then won again, two starts later, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And then again on Sunday. He had gone from answering questions of when he’ll win, to answering those of when he’ll lose. Of course, this was always the plan. 

“I grew up wearing long pants to go practice because I wanted to be a professional golfer,” Scheffler said in his post-round press conference. “That’s what I dreamed of. I dreamed of being out here. I’ve always been, I would say, fiercely competitive, and so for me getting out here was a goal per se, and being out here, I like competing and I enjoy the challenge of playing out here every week. Just competing out here is really fun for me and just being able to win tournaments is pretty awesome.

“The rankings never really crossed my mind. It was always just about being out here and competing.”

After the hugs and tears and words with his wife, family and friends, he was presented his trophy. On NBC, Tappen asked three questions. Here was the third, and Scheffler’s answer. 

“You were the runner-up last year at this championship. This year, winning it puts you as the world No. 1-ranked player. Can you just describe what it takes and what that accomplishment means to you.”

 “Yeah, I think I’ll believe it when I see it when I see on the world rankings tomorrow. But, um, you know, I never really got that far in my dreams, to be honest with you. I just … You know … [Scratches face.] [Steps away.] [Wipes face.] [Crowd cheers.] [Wipes face.] 

“I never made it that far. [Scratches back of head.]

“I just love playing golf, and I love competing. [Scratches back of head.] I’m just happy to be out here, to be perfectly honest with you.”

He answered sincerely.  

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The post Winner’s bag: Scottie Scheffler at the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Scottie Scheffler at the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

Scottie Scheffler won for the third time this season and vaulted to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking with a 4-and-3 victory over Kevin Kisner at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Take a closer look at Scheffler’s gear, including a new TaylorMade Stealth fairway wood that was added to the bag.

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft), 8 degrees

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth (Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft), 16.5 degrees

Utility: Srixon Z U85 (3-iron; Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X shaft)

Irons: Srixon ZX7 (4-iron; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12F, 56-14F degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts), Titleist Vokey Design 2021 Proto (60K degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Timeless Tourtype GSS Tour Prototype

Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

The post Winner’s bag: Scottie Scheffler at the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play appeared first on Golf.

The post Won and 1! Scottie Scheffler wins Match Play and moves to World No. 1  appeared first on Golf.

The post Won and 1! Scottie Scheffler wins Match Play and moves to World No. 1  appeared first on Golf.

This was annoying. Twice on Sunday afternoon, before he hit tee shots at Austin Country Club, Scottie Scheffler swatted away at some sort of insect. The first time, Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, even waved a white towel at it. 

Annoyance has been somewhat circling Scheffler of late. Earlier, it was the question of whether he’d ever win. Sunday, it was Scheffler’s opponent in the WGC-Match Play. Though, those were his words, not ours. 

“Yeah, just trying to be really annoying,” Kevin Kisner said earlier the week. “When you’re really annoying, it can get under their skin. I don’t have the most firepower but never give a hole away is kind of my M.O., and that’s what I love about this golf course is I can chase the ball out there in the fairways and hole a few putts.”

With the bugs, Scheffler brushed them off, and he continued on. With the doubts and Kisner? Same. To keep the insect theme going, Scheffler is playing like a speeding semi, while everything and everyone else are just in the way. 

The final against Kisner was a clinic. Scheffler won the second hole, never lost one and won 4 and 3. And those whispers of when he’d win almost seem like a joke now. Scheffler won his first PGA Tour tournament at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February. He then won again, two starts later, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And then again on Sunday. 

And on Monday, he’ll be the world’s top-ranked player. 

“I really don’t know what to say,” Scheffler said on NBC after the victory. Then he laughed. 

Against Kisner, after winning the second hole, Scheffler won the 4th on a 20-foot birdie putt, and he took a 3-up lead on the 6th. On the par-5 12th, he kept his advantage after following up one of his worst shots of the week with one of his best. From just off the green, Scheffler duffed his pitch into a greenside bunker — then holed the next shot for birdie. 

Three holes later, he was the winner. He now heads to the Masters as not only the world’s highest-ranked player, but also its hottest.  

“He’s playing fantastic,” Kisner said on NBC. 

The takeaway 

Augusta National would be wise to check Scheffler’s jacket measurements. Now. 

The match 

— In the morning semifinals, Scottie Scheffler defeats Dustin Johnson 3 and 1, and Kevin Kisner defeats Corey Conners 2-up. In the finals, Scheffler will play Kisner, and in the consolation match, Johnson will play Corey Conners. 

— On the 405-yard, par-4 1st, Scheffler and Kisner each birdie, Scheffler on an 8-foot putt, Kisner on a 3-footer. Score: All-square. 

— On the 462-yard, par-4 2nd, Scheffler pars and wins. Kisner barely escapes a greenside bunker, can’t hole the next shot, and Scheffler takes a 1-up lead. Score: Scheffler 1-up. 

— On the 423-par-4 3rd, Kisner and Scheffler par. Score: Scheffler 1-up. 

— On the 177-yard, par-3 4th, Scheffler birdies on a 20-foot putt, Kisner pars and Scheffler takes a 2-up lead. Score: Scheffler 2-up. 

— On the 372-yard, par-4 5th, Scheffler hits his tee shot into a greenside bunker, fails to get up and down and pars, while Kisner drives short of the green, pitches on and pulls his birdie putt. Score: Scheffler: 2-up. 

— On the 595-yard, par-5 6th, Kisner just lands on the green with his second shot, and Scheffler hits to the left of it. From there, Kisner’s winding eagle putt comes up 12 feet short, Scheffler chips on and is given the putt, and Kisner can’t match the birdie. Scheffler goes 3-up. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

News

How Scottie Scheffler can make history at the WGC-Dell Match Play

By: Zephyr Melton

— On the 194-yard, par-3 7th, Scheffler hits to 12 feet with his tee shot, and Kisner misses the green. From there, Kisner chips on, Scheffler misses his birdie putt, and Kisner makes his par putt to halve the hole. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 475-yard, par-4 8th, Kisner hits just over the green with his second shot, and Scheffler hits to the center of the green. Each player two-putts. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 465-yard, par-4 9th, Scheffler hits his tee shot left, Kisner finishes in the fairway, and each two-putt. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 388-yard, par-4 10th, Scheffler and Kisner each hit the fairway, each hit the green in two, and each player two-putted. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 161-yard, par-3 11th, Scheffler hits to 16 feet, and Kisner hits just over the green. Kisner just misses the 48-footer, then Scheffler just misses. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 586-yard, par-5 12th, Scheffler hits right off the tee, Kisner hits into a fairway bunker, and they are short and right of the green after their second shots. From there, came the stunning. Kisner chips on, and Scheffler duffs one — only to hole out from a bunker. Kisner makes his birdie putt to halve the hole. Score: Scheffler 3-up.   

— On the 290-yard, par-4 13th, Scheffler and Kisner avoid water off the tee. On the second shots, Kisner hits to the center of the green, Scheffler hits over, and he chips on. Kisner has a chance to win the hole on a 28-foot putt, but just misses, and Scheffler rolls in a short par putt to halve the hole. Score: Scheffler 3-up. 

— On the 454-yard, par-4 14th, Kisner is short of the green on his second shot, and Scheffler hits to 15 feet. On the third shots, Kisner pitches just onto the green, misses the par putt and concedes the hole. Scheffler is 4 up. Score: Scheffler 4 up with four holes to play.

— On the 421-yard, par-4 15th, Kisner hits over the pin on his second shot, and Scheffler is a few feet closer. Kisner misses the birdie putt. Scheffler then just misses, and he wins 4 and 3 for his third PGA Tour title. With the win, Scheffler moves to world No. 1. 

— In the consolation match, Conners defeats Johnson 3 and 1. 

The final word 

“I never made it that far in my dreams.” — Scheffler on NBC while talking about his rise to No. 1 

The post Won and 1! Scottie Scheffler wins Match Play and moves to World No. 1  appeared first on Golf.

The post Why ‘Be Annoying’ became Kevin Kisner’s match-play mentality appeared first on Golf.

The post Why ‘Be Annoying’ became Kevin Kisner’s match-play mentality appeared first on Golf.

It’s not easy to explain Kevin Kisner’s match play brilliance, but the evidence is becoming overwhelming. 

Kisner reached the WGC-Match Play final for the third time in his career this week, a feat that puts him in the same league as really just one other person: Tiger Woods. Woods reached it four times, but his match play days are likely in the rear-view mirror now. Kisner this week was just adding to his already illustrious career.

The inexplicable nature of his success comes in part because golf media keep asking Kisner, “What gives?” and he just keeps calling himself an underdog. We get swept up into forgetting that he’s a top 40 player on the planet.

Before his rollercoaster match with Adam Scott, he described it bluntly: “That’s the way I’ve been my whole life. I’m 5’10” and 160 pounds; I’m pretty much an underdog out here.” (At 23-6-1 in this event over the years, we’re going to use different word than underdog moving forward, no matter how much Kisner wants to use it.)

But if Kisner’s motto is to invoke the underdog mentality, what can an underdog do in match play? “It gets tiring whenever you’re in the fairway and on the green every time and you hoop a few putts,” Kisner said before his Elite 8 matchup. “They get sick of that quickly.”

News

How good was Kevin Kisner's Match Play rally? It's never been done before. 

By: Nick Piastowski

Or in other words, they get annoyed. Annoyed has been Kisner’s word of the week, and just about every other week at the match play event. The way he plays is shorter than other players, but focused directly on accuracy. Should that really make sense at the big, beefy golf course that is Austin Country Club? It’s easy to get caught up in the long bounding drives of Dustin Johnson or Scottie Scheffler, but remember, this course was designed by Pete Dye. Mr. Dye, the creator of torture chambers such as TPC Sawgrass and Whistling Straits, where trouble awaits just about everywhere. There’s plenty of that at ACC, too, and Kisner avoids most of it by just playing his game. 

Moments before Kisner started his final match of the week, Paul Azinger explained what “annoying” golf looks like on the NBC broadcast. “By that he means put it in the fairway, hit first into the green, just keep the pressure on.” 

Work your way to the green, but do it at your pace. John Wood, the walking on-course reporter following the final match, has watched Kisner work in multiple matches this week. He wouldn’t call it a gamesmanship-type pace, but it’s slower than normal, and plodding. Kisner plays to his strengths, and is great in the moments where you can “annoy” your opponent. Like hitting it close while they wait to size up a wedge shot. Flipping the advantage, or at least the perception of an advantage. “I try to get my opponent to think about me and not his game,” he said.

When you hit it further than Kisner and have to watch him hit it close, or make putts first, it can certainly increase the theoretical pressure in your mind. Saturday night, as he sized up his opponent for Sunday morning’s semifinal, Kisner kept repeating his motto. “[Corey Conners] hits it longer than I do and stripes the hell out of it. All I’ll try to do is annoy him with my putter.”

And then before his championship match, “I want to keep staying annoying out there and see what happens.”

He did it on the first hole of the Scheffler match, too. Tee shot into the fairway, shorter than Scheffler’s. Hit it  first, and hit it close. Kisner pitched his ball inside four feet, closer than Scheffler. Pressure, pressure, pressure. 

Of course, Scheffler made his 9-footer for birdie. This guy is pretty good, too. But nothing about it was comfy. Nothing about playing match play with Kevin Kisner is comfy. 

The post Why ‘Be Annoying’ became Kevin Kisner’s match-play mentality appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play purse: Payout info, winner’s share in Austin appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play purse: Payout info, winner’s share in Austin appeared first on Golf.

After a week’s worth of play, we’ve reached the final round at the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas. Below, find everything you need to know about tournament money, including prize money payout, purse, winner’s share and much more.

2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play final matches preview

Scottie Scheffler might well be the hottest player in the world right now, and on Sunday afternoon, he has the opportunity to grab his third victory of 2022 … before the end of March. Scheffler enters the semifinal round against Dustin Johnson riding a boatload of confidence after chipping in to clinch his quarterfinal victory on Saturday afternoon. Victories on Sunday against Johnson and the winner of the Kevin Kisner/Corey Conners match would give Scheffler his first-ever WGC win, and perhaps most notably, push him into serious consideration as the betting favorite at next week’s Masters.

Elsewhere, Kevin Kisner is in the midst of yet another match play master class in Austin. Kisner, who has long been regarded as one of the game’s best matchplay competitors, is looking for his second career win at the Dell on Sunday. A win on Sunday would be the fifth of Kisner’s career, and just his second since the 2019 Dell Match Play.

You can find complete payout information, including winner’s share, for the Dell Match Play’s $12 million purse below; you can tune into the action all afternoon long on NBC.

Dell Technologies Match Play payout information, winner’s share

1. $2,160,000

2. $1,296,000

3. $816,000

4. $576,000

5. $480,000

6. $413,000

7. $380,000

8. $350,000

9. $320,000

10. $297,000

11. $275,000

12. $253,000

13. $233,000

14. $223,000

15. $213,000

16. $203,000

17. $193,000

18. $183,000

19. $173,000

20. $163,000

21. $153,000

22. $143,000

23. $133,000

24. $123,000

25. $113,000

26. $103,000

27. $93,000

28. $83,500

29. $78,200

30. $73,000

31. $69,000

32. $65,000

33. $61,000

34. $57,000

35. $53,000

36. $51,000

37. $49,000

38. $47,000

39. $45,000

40. $43,000

41. $41,000

42. $39,000

43. $37,000

44. $35,000

45. $33,000

46. $31,000

47. $29,500

48. $28,000

49. $27,000

50. $26,000

51. $25,000

52. $24,400

53. $23,900

54. $23,400

55. $23,000

56. $22,600

57. $22,300

58. $22,000

59. $21,800

60. $21,600

The post 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play purse: Payout info, winner’s share in Austin appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play live coverage: How to watch Sunday appeared first on Golf.

The post 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play live coverage: How to watch Sunday appeared first on Golf.

After a week’s worth of golf, we’ve finally reached the final round of play from the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas. Below, find everything you need to know to tune into the final matches on Sunday.

WGC-Dell Technologies final matches preview

Can anybody stop Scottie Scheffler? After four days of dominant play, Scheffler enters Sunday’s final round just two victories away from a victory in Austin just a few miles from his alma mater. The former Texas Longhorn, World No. 5 player and budding superstar looks to grab his third victory of 2022 (already!) on Sunday, closing out a stretch of dominance that has vaulted him into Masters betting favorite territory.

News

How Scottie Scheffler can make history at the WGC-Dell Match Play

By: Zephyr Melton

Looking to hold off Scheffler on Sunday are Dustin Johnson (in the semifinal match) and, should Scheffler advance, the winner of the match between Corey Conners and Kevin Kisner. Kisner — long regarded as one of the best match play competitors in the sport — would surely relish the chance to capture a victory over either Scheffler or Johnson, two Ryder Cuppers who were selected for the team over him.

Below, find everything you need to know to watch the semifinal and final matches on television, including the TV schedule and streaming information.

How to watch the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on TV

Golf Channel and NBC will share TV coverage of the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Golf Channel will provide early coverage on Sunday with NBC taking over for the heart of the final round. Check out the full TV schedule below.

Sunday, March 27: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, ESPN+); 3-6 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)

How to watch the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play online, streaming

 You can also stream the Golf Channel and NBC TV coverage via Peacock on Saturday and Sunday.

How to bet on the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

Looking to make a (legal!) wager yourself? We teamed with BetMGM, and the online sportsbook is offering a “Risk-Free Bet” up to $1000 promotion. Sign up for an account to get into the action today.

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The post How good was Kevin Kisner’s Match Play rally? It’s never been done before.  appeared first on Golf.

The post How good was Kevin Kisner’s Match Play rally? It’s never been done before.  appeared first on Golf.

Kevin Kisner is as confident as they come in match play, and on Austin Country Club’s course, but even he had to believe that, facing a deficit over 200 players have tried and failed to overcome, he was toast, too. 

Right, Kis?  

“Well, it’s not looking good,” he said afterward. 

And there it is. If you’ve wondered why Kisner is one of the best one-on-one players of his generation, and why he’s so successful at the WGC-Match Play, and why he’s been so good at Austin CC (a reporter even jokingly asked him if he’s ever considered writing a book for members), it’s this: 

‘Well, it’s not looking good’ is about the closest you’ll get to an early concession from the 36-year-old South Carolinian. Still, there Kisner was during his Saturday morning round of 16 match against Adam Scott, down three holes with four to go, and history says it was actually looking bad. 

In a mind-blowing stat from data guru Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group, 228 players had faced that deficit or greater at Austin CC after the Saturday round of 16 — and went 1-221-6. You can probably guess the ‘1.’ (After the quarters, it dropped to 1-222-6, but more on that in a sec.) 

On the par-4 15 against Scott, Kisner stuffed a wedge to 4 feet and birdied. He was two down with three holes to go. 

“That definitely changed the momentum, hitting a wedge in there to 4 feet,” Kisner said. “He hit a great shot to probably 9 or 10 feet and hit a great putt, just missed it on the high side, and for me to make that, I knew on 16 that I had the advantage because he had a terrible lie down in the rough and I was in the bunker.

“Kind of felt like the momentum was switching my way.”

On the par-5 16th, as Kisner alluded to, from a greenside bunker, he holed out for an eagle three. He was one down with two holes to go. 

“I told my caddie right before I hit it, I said, we can use that wind to fly it right in the hole, I think, and it came out just perfectly and slowed down with the wind, and I couldn’t see it go in, but he said it trickled in like a putt,” Kisner said. “Those are things you dream about.”

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On the par-3 17th, Kisner parred and Scott three-putted from the fringe. The match was all square. On the par-4 18th, each player was under 50 yards away after their tee shots, Kisner hit to 7 feet, Scott to 40, and Kisner birdied and Scott parred. 

And that was that. In the afternoon quarters, Kisner defeated Will Zalatoris 4 and 3 — like Kisner earlier, Zalatoris would have also needed to rally from a three-plus hole deficit to win — and on Sunday morning, Kisner will play Corey Conners in the semifinals. The winner will play whoever advances between Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler. 

Should Kisner win there, it would be his second WGC-Match Play crown, and it’s fair for you to (still) wonder how he’s getting it done. Even he admitted the day before that he’s “5-10 and 160 pounds; I’m pretty much an underdog out here.” So what gives? For one, it’s the format. “I liken it to trying to win a golf tournament in every match,” he said. “I really love being in contention on Sunday in a stroke-play event. If I’m teeing off in 30th, it’s hard for me to get really into it. Out here, it feels like Sunday every day, which is a lot of fun.”

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Austin CC is also big here. Or not big. “I don’t feel like I’m behind the 8-ball on the first tee from a distance standpoint,” Kisner said. “I haven’t played a single person yet in five matches that hits it anywhere remotely close to the same distance as me. I’ll give you an example: On 11 tee, I tried to cut a 6-iron and Will hit a 9-iron and flew it past my ball. In a lot of events, I’m dead in the water. I’m behind the 8-ball before I tee off. I love that I can work the ball, use slopes, use the firmness of the fairways and the greens to help me.”

But maybe to best understand why Kisner is a match for match-play, listen to what he told reporters after he said, “Well, it’s not looking good.” 

“But I don’t ever give up. I knew I needed to make some birdies. I knew I needed him to start thinking about it. 

“That’s what I’m always trying to do is get the opponent to think about what I’m doing instead of what they’re doing, and I was able to do that, I think, when I holed that bunker shot on 16.”

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If your opponent talks, you are quiet. If your opponent is quiet, you talk. 

It’s match play week on the PGA Tour, and the differences are more subtle than the change in scoring from traditional stroke play. Yes, you’re still playing a golf course. But it’s a game of one-on-one, too. 

Few know match play better than John Wood. He’s caddied in the finals of the WGC-Match Play with three players. He’s an on-course mic for NBC’s coverage this week. And earlier this week on Twitter, Wood dished on tips to outsmart a match-play opponent, and none of the insights is a cliche. Though they are geared more toward a caddie, the tips are genuine ways to psych someone out.  

Like knowing whether someone is a talker or not.

With that, here’s Woody. (And do yourself a favor and give him a follow on Twitter.) 

1. ‘Stay in the hole’ 

“Stay in the hole,” Wood wrote. “Make your opponent hit as many shots under pressure as possible. If you’re in trouble, get the ball back in play hopefully past where his ball is so he has to hit the next shot not knowing what you’re going to make. You never know when an opponent may be teetering on the brink of breaking down. Hero shots are a last result.” 

2. ‘Know your opponent’s game or stats’

“Know your opponent’s game or stats,” Wood wrote. “No need to inform your player, but they are helpful in making the right decisions. Left-right tendency off tee; three-putt avoidance; 3- to 6-feet putting percentage; strokes gained/lost around green; fourth-round putting stats.”

3. Start one way, then go the other

“Don’t be afraid to pretend you’re going to hit one shot but really are going to do something else, just to make them think,” Wood wrote. 

4. ‘Switch places with your opponent’

“When in a situation where you don’t know what to do, switch places with your opponent and think, “What does he hope I do?”, then do the opposite,” Wood wrote.

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5. ‘Flash the wrong club’

“If you think your opponent or his caddie are relying too much on what you’re hitting, if they always have their eyes on you, flash the wrong club to the TV spotter,” Wood wrote. “That’s on them, not you.”

6. ‘No need to be overly friendly’

“No need to be confrontational, but no need to be overly friendly either,” Wood wrote. “If your opponent likes to talk, freeze him out for the first few holes. If he likes to be quiet, engage him in conversation. It’s not your responsibility to make him comfortable.”

7. ‘Drag your opponent kicking and screaming to every extra tee’

“When you are multiple holes down on the back nine, do everything in your power to drag your opponent kicking and screaming to every extra tee you can get him,” Wood wrote. “You may be four down with four to play, but if you can get him to the last two, WORRY will sink in. Like earlier, you never know when you will catch fire or your opponent will break down.”

8. ‘It’s not your responsibility to help them’

“Tell your player quietly not to listen to what you’re about to say,” Wood wrote. “Then tell him, just loud enough for the opponent or his caddie to hear: ‘This shot always plays really long,” even when it doesn’t. Again, it’s not your responsibility to help them. If they are depending too much on your opinion, it’s OK to fudge it a little. He should be believing in what he thinks, not what he overhears you say.”

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Lucas Herbert missed from 31 inches. But would his opponent have from 22?

We’ll never know. In a somewhat odd sequence during Friday’s play at the WGC-Match Play, Herbert lipped out a par putt from just under a yard away on the first hole of a pool-play playoff with Takumi Kanaya, then he quickly missed again from 14 inches, and the match at Austin Country Club was over. Kanaya had had a par putt from just under 2 feet away, but Herbert picked up Kanaya’s mark after his second miss from close in and tossed it to him. 

“Yeah, I was thinking of going to the next hole,” Kanaya said afterward. “But, yeah, I think it was a tough finish for Lucas. Very much pressure.”

Herbert, understandably, did not talk to reporters. Still, we’re left with a couple questions that only match play can raise. 

Would Herbert have made Kanaya putt for his par if he had made his 31-inch par putt? While we don’t know, consider that Herbert did not give him the putt when Herbert earlier on the green had putted for birdie, from 17 feet, 6 inches away.  

Then there’s Herbert’s 14-inch putt. Had he made that for a five, would he have made Kanaya putt for a four? Here’s what he know for sure. After missing the 31-incher, Herbert took one step forward with his right leg, leaned over, lifted his left in the air and missed. Was he actually putting it? Or was he admitting defeat? Keep in mind, too, Herbert could have marked his 14-incher for bogey.   

On Golf Channel’s broadcast, analyst and major champion Justin Leonard believed the match was over after Herbert missed for par. 

“That next one didn’t really matter,” he said.    

Have shorter putts been missed than Kanaya’s 22-incher? Yes. But in match play, do you make someone putt a 22-incher? It depends on the player. And the situation. 

In the end, Kanaya moves on to Saturday’s round of 16. And Herbert does not. 

“My father told me when I was young, don’t give up, keep going, keep going, keep trying, don’t give up,” Kanaya said. 

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