WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play. Bubba Watson Wins.

Bubba Watson, USA, beat Kevin Kisner to claim the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play title at Austin Country Club in Texas.

Bubba Watson / getty

The first hurdle for Bubba was beating Justin Thomas 3 & 2 in the semi’s before conquering Kevin 7 & 6 in the final round to become the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play champion;

“It’s absolutely amazing.”

“You don’t think about lists or anything, you just think about trophies and trying to win.”

“And having two majors, and now having two World Golf Championships, the closest things to majors,  what an honor and a privilege, overwhelming sensation to know that I have another trophy at the house.”

“I really don’t think it was pressure.”

“I think it was just energy. I don’t think I scared him on the first tee.”

“I think it was just his energy was gone after a couple of holes.”

“And he was fighting, but just didn’t have the fight that he really wanted and needed.”

Kevin thought he was tired after dispatching Alex Noren 5 & 3 in the semi’s;

“I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful.”

“I couldn’t hit anywhere close to where I was trying.” 

“Long week. A little tired, probably. Lose some legs, and just didn’t have it.”

“And finally made a few good swings coming in, but those were too little, too late.”

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WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. The Final Four.

The final four have made it to the semi’s for the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play competition at Austin Country Club in Texas.  Justin Thomas will play Bubba Watson while  Alex Noren will take on Kevin Kisner tomorrow

Justin Thomas / getty

Justin defeated Kyle Stanley 2 & 1 to get into the semi’s, sinking a  great putt on fifteen to keep momentum going;

 “That putt on 15 was huge after just a terrible wedge, another terrible wedge shot and a pretty bad putt as well.”

“To have about a 6, 7-footer on the read that I’d already missed two of, about half a ball to a ball out to the right. And twice I hit it too hard when I was reading it with softer speed.”

“So it’s funny how that always happens. You have a putt late in the round when you need it and it’s a putt that you haven’t had success with earlier in the day.”

“If I miss that, he’s got all the momentum in the world and I’m only 1-up with 3 to go, and he could win the match outright, let alone an extra hole.”

“To make that putt to stay 2-up with three to go was huge.”

Bubba beat Kiradech Aphibarnrat 5 & 3, also with good putting;

 “It was a great match,  I gave him one on nine, he gave me one on ten.”

“We had difficult putts, him being the first putter on eleven, putted it seven feet from the hole, so he missed that and I two-putted.”

 “It could have went either way, and today I made putts and I got the breaks going my way. I didn’t three-putt when I needed a two-putt.”

Alex Noren had a win over Cameron Smith 4 & 2, and spoke about match-play;

” You can go through holes that maybe mentally you’re a little bit out of it and then you get into it when it’s 72 holes.”

“In match play, you’ve just got to be really focused all the time and anything can happen. And then you have to play good each round. You can’t just give up a round and then think you’ve got three more.”

Kevin obliterated Ian Poulter 8 & 6, saying he was prepared for a difficult match today;

“Probably didn’t see that one coming. I thought it was going to be a difficult match. Obviously Ian’s match play record speaks for itself.”

Poults summed up his day;

 “I think the word is disappointed. I gave him no fight at all. It was rubbish. It’s a shame is all it is.”

“It’s bizarre. Bizarre. A couple of poor shots early on. Just didn’t have it this afternoon. It’s a real shame.”

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WGC Mexico Championship. Shubhankar Sharma Stuns Everyone To Lead.

Shubhankar Sharma, of India, stuns everyone as he leads the WGC Mexico Championship after 36 holes at  Chapultepec Golf Club, in Mexico City, playing in his first ever PGA Tour event.

Shubhankar Sharma / getty

Shubhankar shot -5 under par 66 in the second round to lead the WGC Mexico Championship by two strokes at the half-way stage with a -11 under par total. And it could have been better, except for a couple of three putts;

“I’m really happy and I couldn’t have been in a better position.”

“I just kept the ball in play all day and it was great to finish with three birdies in a row.”

“I played so well, and the bogeys that I made today were just three-putts.”

“I thought about nothing, I just wanted to have fun. It’s my first WGC and I was happy that I’ll play four days because I missed the cut in the last two events that I played.”

“I worked all my life to come and play at a high stage like this. You have to expect great things from yourself if you want to play at a high stage.”

Sharing second place are Xander Schauffele, USA, -3 under 68 today, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain, -4 under 67 and also from Spain Sergio Garcia with a second round -6 under 65, all two shots back at -9 under for the tournament.

Rafa is putting well;

“I’ve been playing very good golf and making some putts as well, I’m not leading but I’m right up there, so in a great position for the weekend.”

There is a large group at -7 under, including World number 1 Dustin Johnson, yesterdays leader Louis Oosthuizen, and last weeks winner Bubba Watson.

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Genesis Open. Bubba Watson Wins.

Bubba Watson wins the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California, the third time he has won the event.

Bubba Watson / getty

Bubba won the Genesis Open with a last round -2 under 69 to post the winning score of -12 under par, his 10th career PGA TOUR victory;

“It’s unbelievable.”

“To do it twice was amazing, and then have a chance on the back nine on Sunday to do it again, and then to pull it off, that’s very special.”

“My goal has always been to get ten wins.”

 “Double-digit wins? I am thrilled. Nobody thought Bubba Watson from Bagdad, Florida, could ever get to 10 wins.”

“Let’s be honest. No lessons. Head case. Hooking the ball. Slicing the ball. Can’t putt.” 

“So many emotions going through my head right now.”

“You never know if you’re going to play good again. You never know if you’re going to lift the trophy.”

Kevin Na, and Tony Finau share second, both carding -2 under 69 today, for a -10 under par total.

Scott Stallings, 3 under 68 today, tied with Patrick Cantlay, even par 71, for fourth place at -9 under par.

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Genesis Open. Basket Case Bubba Has 54 Hole Lead.

 

TV pundits called Bubba Watson a basket case, for playing in a celebrity basketball game Friday night, but Bubba came out and played great golf today to lead the Genesis Open after 54 holes at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.

Bubba / getty

Two time winner here Bubba carded a third round -6 under par 65 to lead the Genesis Open at the 54 hole stage at -10 under par, and will have a one shot advantage at the start of play tomorrow;

“You’ve got to hit shots from every different angle, you’ve got to move it right to left and left to right, so it’s just fun.”

“Then the greens are the equalizer so it makes me look like I putt as good as the other guys.”

“The tougher the golf course, the more focus I have. The tougher the shot, I’ve been able to focus better.”

“When I get my mind on something, I can focus and do pretty well at the game of golf.”

“Like last night when Tracy McGrady was coming at me, I was focused on not getting hurt and I didn’t, so it worked out.”

In second place on  his own, courtesy of a 54 ft 7 inch putt on the last green is Patrick Cantlay, signing for a third round -2 under 69, and a -9 under par total;

“I feel like if I can just engage and not worry about where I am on a particular hole or what’s going on and I just engage and stay present in whatever I’m doing at that particular time, it all turns out better than what you would expect.”

“Making sure you stay present and having that confidence in yourself that if you just click in and focus, it all will be good and that’s kind of the head space I’m in.”

Four players are then tied in third place at -8 under par, Cameron Smith, Australia, with back to back bogey free rounds, today -6 under 65. He is joined by Kevin Na, -4 under 67 and Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland, -1 under 70 today.

Low round of the day came from World #1, and Defending Champion Dustin Johnson, -7 under 64, and at -6 under is only four shots off the lead, he will be a threat tomorrow.

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Career Builder Challenge. Austin Cook 54 Hole Leader.

Austin Cook is the 54 hole leader of the Career Builder Challenge in California.

Austin Cook 

Austin carded a third round Career Builder Challenge -8 under par 64 on the La Quinta course, to lead the tournament by one shot at -19 under par.

Yesterday’s leader Andrew Landry scored -2 under around the Stadium Course to share second place at -18 under par with Martin Piller who signed for a -5 under 67 at La Quinta.

Tied in fourth spot are Jon Rahm, Spain, -2 under 70 at the Stadium Course and Scott Piercy, -6 under 66 also at the Stadium Course, both at -17 under par , two shots off the pace.

Jon had problems with the par three’s;

 “Three of the bogeys were on par-threes, which none of them was in a water hazard, which shows maybe poor club, poor shot, poor approach shot, some was just bad luck.”

“But other than that I played good golf, a little bit of a survival day, you always get those in a tournament.”

“I still had a couple of good shots there, I’m just hoping, looking forward to tomorrow that I continue to play the same way I did the first two days, especially on this course as it’s a lot more demanding.”

“So it all depends on the weather conditions.”

“The course is firming up and I know if we have similar wind to today, if we shoot something under par you’ll be way up there contesting it over the last few holes.”

Notables missing the cut, which was made at -8 under,  include Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed, Vaughn Taylor, and  Chris Kirk.

Phil missed the cut here for the first time in 24 years, he struggled today for  a +2-over par 74,  in the heavy winds, playing the PGA West Stadium Course, missing the 54-hole cut by four shots.

The last round will be played over the more difficult Pete Dye designed PGA West Stadium Course, and with the leaderboard being tight at the top,it will be an exciting final round tomorrow. 

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Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. J.J. Spaun Leads Suspended 2nd Roound

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J.J. Spaun, USA, leads the  Shriners Hospitals for Children Open as 2nd round play was suspended due to darkness at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

J.J. Spaun / getty

J.J. had a completed second round of -6 under par 65 to lead the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, with a -11 under par total, putting well to give him a three shot lead at the moment;

“I think we were just real deliberate on our numbers out there, it’s super swirly, windy.”

“Out here you’ve got so many undulations around the greens and you’ve got tight hazards next to the pins and the greens, so it’s crucial to get the right number, and we did that well today. “

“That kind of set us up for having a bunch of looks out there.”

“I’m putting well, I’m hitting it well, I’m just trying to play simple golf.”

In second place is Kelly Kraft, USA, who has completed 15 holes of his second round at -4 under for the day, and a -8 under par total, which included a hole-in-one on par three 5th, using a 6-iron on the 174-yard hole.

Robert Garrigus is third, he finished early in the day with a total of -7 under par, carding -6 under 65 for the day, his putter working well, even though his tee shots were not;

“I really didn’t swing it as good as I wanted to off the tee.”

“I was hitting some squirrelly shots, but the putter worked really well today, which can cure a lot of things.”

Many players will come back early tomorrow to complete their second rounds, and then  moving day will begin in earnest.

The current projected cut is +1 over par, and some of them are below the cut line presently, but could make it tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if any of them can recover, it is not impossible.

Bubba Watson, USA, and defending champion Rod Pampling, Australia, are two of those hoping that the cut line stays where it is. 

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