Johnson gets challenge but reaches semifinals
Dustin Johnson answered a rare challenge and Jon Rahm delivered another early knockout Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the Dell Technologies Match Play, staying on track for a potential showdown between No. 1 in the world and golf ’s brightest new star at Austin, Texas.
Johnson has looked so unbeatable this week that he led all 71 holes he had played until he lost a 3up lead at the turn and was all square in his quarterfinal match when Alex Noren of Sweden holed a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 12.
Johnson answered with three birdies in four holes and won, 3 and 2.
After a 6-and-4 victory over Charles Howell III in the morning fourth round, the 22-year-old Rahm was even better in a 7-and-5 victory over Soren
Kjeldsen. Rahm said only his 65 in the final round to win at Torrey Pines was a better brand of golf.
“The golf I’ve played the last three matches really has been very impressive, even to myself,” he said. “And it seemed to get better as I played, which is something that doesn’t happen often.”
Rahm faces a semifinal match Sunday morning against Bill Haas, who ended Phil Mickelson’s hopes with a 2-and-1 victory in the quarterfinals. Mickelson never trailed in any match until he fell behind on the first hole to Haas, and he had never led when the match ended on the 17th hole.
Johnson, going after a third straight PGA Tour title, faces one of this tournament’s biggest surprises in Hideko Tanihara of Japan. Tanihara began the week by beating Jordan Spieth. On Saturday, he took down Paul Casey with two late birdies in the morning, and then Ross Fisher ,4and2,to reach the semifinals.
Chris Stroud birdied his final hole to cap off a five-under-par 67 and take a one-shot lead in the Puerto Rico Open as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.
Stroud is at 15-under 2011, just ahead of past winners Bill Lunde and D.A. Points, who each shot 69. The Puerto Rico Open is the 277th start of Stroud’s career. The closest he came to winning was a playoff loss in the 2013 Travelers Championship.
Mirim Lee shot a five-under 67 and took a oneshot lead over fellow South Korean Mi Jung Hur after three rounds of the Kia Classic at Carlsbad. Second-round leader Cristie Kerr shot a 71 and is three back of Lee, who is at 13-under 203.