Kuchar ties Tiger’s match play record
AUSTIN — Matt Kuchar has a place in the record book with Tiger Woods. Equally pleasing Friday was getting a spot in the weekend at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Kuchar had an easy time at Austin Country Club with a 7-and-6 victory over Si Woo Kim to win his 36th match in tournament history, matching the mark held by Woods.
“I still find it hard to comprehend that I’m saying that, that I tied one of his records,” Kuchar said. “So I’m hugely proud, please. There’s 300 more records, I’m sure, to go. But it’s a fun one to be able say you’ve got something you tied Tiger with.”
The final session of group play was all about getting to the knockout stage on the weekend, and a record number of top seeds survived.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (3), Patrick Cantlay (4), Max Homa (5) and Xander Schauffele (6) each won their groups. That’s the highest number advancing among the top eight seeds since the Match Play switched to group play in 2015.
McIlroy had no trouble against Keegan Bradley in a rematch of their Sunday singles match in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.
Scheffler won his eighth consecutive match dating to last year. He lost the opening two holes to Tom Kim and then won four of the next five holes to pull away in a 3-and-2 victory. Scheffler also had a chance to join Woods in the record book. Woods is the only player to have won golf’s most fickle tournament two years in a row.
“I’m not overthinking things,” Scheffler said. “I haven’t thought about last year once this week. Just glad to get through my group and focus on tomorrow.”
Next up for Scheffler is J.T. Poston, one of 11 players who won all three of their matches in stroke play.
That list includes J.J. Spaun, who has played only 46 holes in three days. Spaun’s last test was his toughest, against Min Woo Lee. He was 1 down with five holes to play when Spaun ran off four straight birdies for a 2and-1 win. He is the No. 61 seed, the lowest to advance.