Dustin Johnson beat Jon Rahm by one hole in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club to complete the WGC career grand slam.
Dustin Johnson resisted a back nine comeback by Jon Rahm to win the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and claim his 15th career victory, solidifying his position as the World’s Number one golfer.
Johnson was five up through eight holes in the final against Jon Rahm and the Spaniard was still four down with six to play. But Rahm drove the 13th green to make a birdie and reduce the deficit to three. He then won the 15th with another birdie and, after an incredible shot through the trees on the 16th he made another gain and was just one down with two to play.
“I just made a swing as hard as I could,” Rahm said. “And somehow the ball went under the first tee, rose just over the next one … and went through. I don’t know what happened. I think either Seve, God or both of them just made a gap in the trees and made my ball go through there.”
But Johnson held on over the last two holes and tapped in on the last to get the job done.
“It got a little faster than I would have liked starting on about 16,” he said. “But I was able to hang in there.”
3 Talking points from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
1 – Dustin Johnson seems to be unbeatable at the moment. He won the Genesis Open by five shots, he won the WGC-Mexico Championship and has now won the Match Play. He has now won all four WGC Championships in his career. DJ is feeling confident that he can win every event he enters and that must surely include the Masters in two weeks time. “If I’m playing my best, yeah I’ll play anybody, anytime,” he said.
2 – Bill Haas won the third place match against Japan’s Hideto Tanihara by 3&2. The Japanese player had taken DJ to the 18th hole in the semi final. Despite just missing out in the semi and the consolation match, it was a great week for Tanihara who also scored a hole-in-one on the 7th hole of his last match against Haas.
3 – Jon Rahm has climbed to 14th place on the Official World Golf Ranking. The Spaniard only turned professional last year but he has already established himself as a contender for the biggest prizes in the game. He won the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this season and has earned more than $4 million in prize money in less than a year.
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas
Mar 22-26
Purse: $9,600,000
1 Dustin Johnson (USA)
2 Jon Rahm (Esp)
3 Bill Haas (USA)
4 Hideto Tanihara (Jap)
Note: Player name in bold signifies Titleist ball usage
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