SPIETH-REED MATCH TO DECIDE WHO MOVES ON
Cup partners, rivals both 2-0 in Group 4 heading into today.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed enjoy few things more than trying to beat each other, and that’s when they are partners. The stakes are even higher in the Dell Technologies Match Play.
Win or go home.
Spieth and Reed did their part Thursday by winning their matches for a second straight day to set up a showdown on the skirts of Hill Country in Texas. They play today to determine who wins the group and advances to the weekend of this World Golf Championship.
Reed fired the first shot when asked what made Spieth a good opponent in match play.
“I don’t know. My back still hurts from the last Ryder Cup,” he said with a laugh, alluding to the way he carried Spieth in their partnership at Hazeltine to a 2-1-1 record in team play during a rare American victory.
Spieth dodged trouble early against Li Haotong, who missed putts inside 8 feet on two of the opening three holes, won the second hole when Spieth hit into the hazard and thought he won the fourth hole until Spieth matched his birdie by chipping in from short of the green.
Spieth never trailed and pulled away with a savvy play on the par-4 13th over the water and into the wind. He hit driver well to the right toward the gallery, which gave him a clear look at the green without having to hit over any of the lake. His pitch-and-run settled a foot away for birdie and a 2-up lead, and Spieth closed him out, 4 and 2.
Right behind was Reed in his match against Charl Schwartzel, and the South African was 2 up at the turn until Reed won the next two holes to set up a tight finish. Schwartzel stayed 1 down when he missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th. Needing a birdie on the 18th to halve, Schwartzel could only watch as Reed hit a wedge that nearly went in and stopped a few inches away.
Reed and Spieth are 7-2-2 as partners in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. They don’t have much of a relationship except in team competitions, and even then it’s unusual.
“Because we’re so competitive with each other within our own pairing at the Ryder Cup, we want to outdo each other. That’s what makes us successful,” Spieth said.”
That isn’t the only match between undefeated players this week.
Alex Noren of Sweden had another easy time, beating Thomas Pieters in 14 holes, and won for the sixth time in his last seven matches. He faces Tony Finau, who dispatched of Kevin Na to win his second straight match.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson will effectively play a practice round today. A year after the world’s No. 1 player couldn’t be beaten, Johnson couldn’t beat anybody. He lost to Bernd Wiesberger on Wednesday, and fell behind early in a 4-and-3 loss to Adam Hadwin on Thursday.
Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson still have life.
McIlroy had an easy time beating Jhonattan Vegas, while Brian Harman knocked out Peter Uihlein in the other match in their group. Harman will win the group if he beats McIlroy today; McIlroy has to win to have any chance of making it to the weekend.
Mickelson, who lost to Charles Howell III in the opening round, rallied from 4 down after eight holes and won the last three to beat Satoshi Kodaira. Mickelson needs Howell, who won again Thursday, to lose a match.
PGA: Tony Romo fell apart on the back nine and made his PGA Tour debut with a 5-over 77 in the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback shot even par on the front nine before a bad stretch of three bogeys and a double bogey toward the end of his round. He was 14 shots behind Brice Garnett, the early leader who opened with a 63.
Romo now works as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports. He received a sponsor’s exemption into the tournament, which is held the same week as a World Golf Championships event in Texas.
LPGA: Laura Davies had a nightmare round days after contending for a title at age 54, and Caroline Hedwall, Jackie Stoelting and Hee Young Park topped the Kia Classic leaderboard.
Davies shot a 10-over 82 on Thursday at rainy Aviara Golf Club — four days after tying for second behind Inbee Park in the Founders Cup, and five days after shooting a 9-under 63 in the Phoenix event.
Fighting Achilles tendon and calf problems in her left leg, Davies opened double bogey-bogey-par-bogey. She bogeyed Nos. 9, 10 and 12, had another double on 15 and bogeyed 16. The 82 was the World Golf Hall of Famer’s highest score on tour since also shooting 82 in the 2013 Marathon Classic. On Monday, she jumped 208 spots to No. 155 in the world.
Hedwall, Stoelting and Park opened at 6-under 66 in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week at Mission Hills.