Jordan Spieth Commits To WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas – Former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth, who hasn’t been shy about his love for Austin, is returning to his self-described “favorite city in the world” when Austin hosts the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play March 27-31, tournament officials announced Tuesday. Sergio Garcia, who married a Longhorn and frequently spends time in Austin, has also committed to return to Austin Country Club as the 64 best players in the world return for the only individual match-play event on the PGA TOUR schedule.
“I love making the trip to the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play,” Spieth said. “I’m always looking for ways to get back to Austin when I get the chance, and I have great memories at [Austin Country Club] playing with the team there. The TOUR and ACC have done a great job making Match Play a really great event, and I’ve always enjoyed playing this format.”
Spieth, who lives in nearby Dallas, is set to make his sixth career start in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where he has failed to advance out of the group stage each of the last two years. In 2018, Spieth won each of his first two matches before falling to Patrick Reed 2&1 in a highly anticipated elimination match for their group. Spieth’s furthest run at the event came in his first appearance in 2014, when he lost in the quarterfinals to Ernie Els 4&2.
In two years at the University of Texas, Spieth earned first-team All-American honors and was named the 2012 Big 12 Player of the Year. As a freshman, Spieth helped Texas defeat Alabama in 2012 for the national championship with a 3&2 victory over Justin Thomas in the championship match. The two, who are close friends, have gone on to combine for 20 PGA TOUR victories in the time since.
Garcia, who finished T6 at the WGC-Mexico Championship last week, is set to make his 17th career start at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play after falling 3&2 to Kyle Stanley in the round of 16 in 2018. The 39-year-old Spaniard has had an amazing record in match play at the Ryder Cup but has never made the championship match in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
In addition to Spieth and Garcia, six of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking have already committed to return to Austin Country Club, with Dustin Johnson (No. 2), Brooks Koepka (No. 4), DeChambeau (No. 5), Xander Schauffele (No. 7), Jon Rahm (No. 8), and Francesco Molinari (No. 10) all set to compete in the match-play event.
Johnson, the 2017 champion, moved back up to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings after a dominant performance at the WGC-Mexico Championship, where he ran away from the field with a five-shot victory over Rory McIlroy. McIlroy was the only player in the field within 10 shots of Johnson’s 21-under 264 total as Johnson secured his 20th career PGA TOUR victory. The win marked his sixth career WGC title, trailing only Tiger Woods’ 18 on the all-time list for WGC victories. He remains the only player in history with victories at all four WGC events after previously winning the 2014 WGC-HSBC Champions, 2015 and 2017 WGC-Mexico Championship, 2017 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
His win in Austin in 2017 was one of the most dominant marches to the winner’s circle in tournament history. In total, he led 94 percent of the holes he played and never trailed in a single match over 112 holes on his way to a 1-up victory over Rahm in the championship match.
Daily and weekly tickets remain on sale for the 2019 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play but are expected to sell out for the fourth consecutive year with attendance once again capped at 10,000 per day. Fans can purchase their daily and weekly grounds tickets at dellmatchplay.com.
With a rare, match-play format consisting of the top 64 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play field annually consists of the very best players from around the world from all Tours. Fans attending the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play have the opportunity to see players like Johnson, DeChambeau, Rahm, Koepka, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
As one in a series of four World Golf Championships events sanctioned and organized by the operational committee of the International Federation of PGA Tours, which includes the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is one of the most exciting and biggest events on golf’s calendar.
For more information, follow the tournament’s social pages: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.dellmatchplay.com.
