Austin, TX — The Round of 16 and quarterfinals concluded, and four golfers have moved on to compete in the semifinals. No. 8 Dustin Johnson will face off against No. 5 Scottie Scheffler, and No. 36 Corey Conners will go up against No. 29 Kevin Kisner.
Dustin Johnson wins heavyweight matchup
Johnson had a strong start to the day after going 3 & 2 against Richard Bland during the Round of 16. Johnson advanced to the quarterfinals where he was matched up against, Brooks Koepka. Koepka and Johnson are two of the longest hitters on tour and they hashed it out on the tee, each showing off their insane power. Koepka hit a 442-yard bomb on the par-5 12th. Although Johnson didn’t outdrive Koepka on the 12th, he still smashed a 403-yard drive giving him a short wedge in.
The front nine was slow for Johnson, as he allowed Koepka to take control early with a 2-up lead. He was able to minimize the deficit by the time the two made the turn. Once the back nine began, so did Johnson. He took early control and kept it through the end. He gained a 2-up lead on the 18th hole l after driving the 369-yard par-4, giving him his quarterfinal victory.
Kevin Kisner Advances
Kisner defeated Adam Scott in a close match during the quarterfinals, nearly earning his first loss this week. Scott dominated Kisner after taking an early 3-up lead on the front nine. Kisner was able to catch up before making the turn, but Scott still had aa 1-up lead going into the back nine. The back nine didn’t come around quickly for Kisner. He didn’t win a back nine holes until the par-4 15th where he recorded a birdie. Meanwhile, Scott recorded a par which he would do on the final four holes to give Kisner the outright lead and win. Kisner beat Scott 1-up and advanced to the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal matchup against Will Zalatoris was much smoother for Kisner. He gained an early lead on the front nine and kept it until Zalatoris was forced to concede on the 15th hole. Kisner dominated his second match of the day and punched his ticket to the semifinals where he will face off against Corey Conners. This will be Kinser’s third time in four years reaching the semifinals.
Semifinals Matchups
Dustin Johnson v. Scottie Scheffler / 7:05 a.m. PST.
Corey Conners v. Kevin Kisner / 7:20 a.m. PST.
