The 2017 Dell Match Play began on Wednesday at Austin Country Club. It’s the second WGC event of the year as the PGA Tour continues its slow, winding road to the Masters in two weeks.
Dell Match Play 2017 results: Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth suffer upset losses on 1st day
The Dell Match Play tournament began on Wednesday with a number of surprising results.
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Unlike most PGA Tour events, the Dell Match Play has more of a tournament format. Golfers are split up into 16 groups of four, playing a round-robin schedule for the first three days. Points are determined by one 18-round selection of golf — players get one point for winning and half a point for halving with their opponents. The group winners get put into a 16-team single-elimination tournament that takes place over the final two days.
The first day of the tournament was eventful, to say the least. Jordan Spieth is one of the biggest favorites this weekend, but he had a surprising loss to 54th-ranked Hideto Tanihara and finds himself in last place in his group so far. No. 2 ranked Rory McIlroy was also shocked, dropping his first round to Soren Kjeldsen. On the other hand, Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 golfer, took care of business against his first-round opponent.
Perhaps the biggest story of the day was the withdrawl of Jason Day. The defending champion left his round early and revealed his mother has cancer in an emotional press conference. Day will not continue on in this event.
Wednesday’s Day One scores
Group 1: Dustin Johnson def. Webb Simpson 5 & 3, Martin Kaymer def. Jimmy Walker 3 & 2
Group 2: Soren Kjeldsen def. Rory McIlroy 2 & 1, Gary Woodland def. Emiliano Grillo 3 & 2
Group 3: Pat Perez def. Jason Day via withdraw, Marc Leishman def. Lee Westwood 3 & 2
Group 4: Louis Oosthuizen def. Ross Fisher 4 & 3, Hideki Matsuyama halved Jim Furyk
Group 5: Hideto Tanihara def. Jordan Spieth 4 & 2, Ryan Moore halved Yuta Ikeda
Group 6: Justin Thomas def. Chris Wood 2 & 1, Kevin Na def. Matthew Fitzpatrick 5 & 4
Group 7: Sergio Garcia halved Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm def. Kevin Chappell 3 & 2
Group 8: Alex Noren def. Thongchai Jaidee 3 & 2, Bernd Wiesberger def. Francesco Molinari 2 Up
Group 9: Patrick Reed halved Jason Dufner, Brooks Koepka def. Kevin Kisner 6 & 5
Group 10: Tyrrell Hatton def. Charles Howell III 2 & 1, Rafa Cabrera Bello def. Jeunghun Wang 4 & 3
Group 11: K.T. Kim def. Danny Willett 4 & 2, Russell Knox def. Bill Haas 3 & 2
Group 12: Paul Casey def. Joost Luiten 2 & 1, Charl Schwartzel def. Byeong Hun An 6 & 5
Group 13: Bubba Watson def. Jhonattan Vegas 1 Up, Thomas Pieters def. Scott Piercy 3 & 2
Group 14: Phil Mickelson def. Si Woo Kim 5 & 3, Daniel Berger def. J.B. Holmes 7 & 5
Group 15: Branden Grace def. Andy Sullivan 4 & 2, William McGirt def. Brandt Snedeker 2 Up
Group 16: Matt Kuchar halved Brendan Steele, Tommy Fleetwood def. Zach Johnson 1 Up
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