Semifinals set for Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Defending champion Scottie Scheffler twice had to rally from deficits to win both matches and reach the semifinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for the third straight year. Rory McIlroy joined him by making 17 birdies in two matches that went the distance.
The final version of the Match Play lived up to its edge-of-the-seat reputation Saturday, with wild turns of momentum until four players remained.
Sam Burns advanced by beating Patrick Cantlay in 17 holes and then overcoming an early deficit to beat Mackenzie Hughes of Canada, 3 and 2.
Burns advances to meet Scheffler, his best friend on tour with whom he often shares a house when they’re on the road. Their last encounter was at Colonial last year, when Burns made a 45-foot birdie putt to beat Scheffler in a playoff.
Scheffler, who lost in the final in his Match Play debut in 2021, now has won 10 straight matches. He was 2 down against J.T. Poston in the morning with five holes left when he birdied the 17th to square the match and won the 18th with a par.
Two tied for lead in Punta Cana
Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark played bogeyfree Saturday for a 6under 66 and shared the lead with PGA Tour rookie Sam Stevens in the Corales Punta Cana Championship.
Stevens twice had the lead down the stretch on the Corales course until a wobbly finish, making bogey on the 16th, answering with a birdie on the par-3 17th and then missing the 18th green for a closing bogey and a 68.
They were at 14-under 202.
Knappe up one in South Africa
Alexander Knappe overtook fellow German Nick Bachem to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Jonsson Workwear Open in Johannesburg as he chases a first European tour title.
Knappe moved to 17 under par overall Saturday after collecting eight birdies in his third-round, 7-under 65 at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg.
He could have had a two-shot lead if not for a bogey on No. 17, his first dropped shot since the first round.