Scottie Scheffler reached the championship round at the Dell Technologies Match Play for the second straight year, this time with a lot more at stake.
A year ago, he was trying for his first PGA Tour victory. On Sunday, holding on to beat Dustin Johnson put him one win away from going to No. 1 in the world.
Scheffler took advantage of Johnson’s mishaps and balky putter to go 5 up through 11 holes, then had to hold off a ferocious rally at Austin Country Club. He regained control when Johnson missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to fall 2 down, and then closed him out when Johnson’s 15-foot birdie putt caught the lip.
The path doesn’t get much easier for Scheffler. Next up Sunday afternoon was Kevin Kisner, who outlasted Corey Conners of Canada in a match so tight no one led by more than one hole.
Kisner joined Tiger Woods and Geoff Ogilvy as the only players to reach the championship match at least three times since this World Golf Championship began in 1999.
