Group 1 Formation at Dell Technologies Match Play
"I am the ultimate competitor."
The 'Young Gun' Kim Joo-hyung challenges the 'Match King.' From the 22nd (local time), the World Golf Championships (WGC) Series Dell Technologies Match Play (total prize money $20 million) will be held over five days at the Austin Country Club (par 71, 7,108 yards) in Austin, Texas, USA. Sixty-four players are divided into 16 groups and compete in a group stage like the World Cup soccer, with the top player from each group advancing to the round of 16, where they face off again in one-on-one matches.
'PGA's crowd-puller' Kim Joo-hyung will face world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in the Dell Technologies Match Play.
The Dell Technologies Match Play began in 1999. It is the only regular PGA Tour event played in a match play format. After sponsorships by Anderson Consulting, Accenture Consulting, and Cadillac, Dell has been the sponsor since 2016, and the tournament has been held continuously at the Austin Country Club. Dell announced it will end its sponsorship starting next year. This year is the final tournament. The Houston Open is expected to move to this slot next year.
World No. 17 Kim Joo-hyung is the player who achieved the youngest two PGA Tour wins (at 20 years and 3 months) last August at the Wyndham Championship and the Shriners Children's Open. With fluent English skills and energetic play, he is gaining attention in the global golf community. He signed a contract with Nike, which also sponsors 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), shining a spotlight on him.
Kim Joo-hyung possesses a competitive spirit, which is why he is expected to win in match play. In September last year, he showcased outstanding skills at the Presidents Cup, a men's golf team competition excluding the USA and Europe. On the third day morning foursomes, he partnered with Lee Kyoung-hoon, and in the afternoon four-ball, he teamed up with Kim Si-woo, securing two consecutive wins. Notably, he made eagles in two consecutive matches, emerging as the top star. Kim Joo-hyung's Presidents Cup record stands at 2 wins and 3 losses.
Kim Joo-hyung is in Group 1 with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (USA), No. 38 Alex Noren (Sweden), and No. 54 Davis Riley (USA). The showdown with defending champion Scheffler is intriguing. Scheffler recently secured his second win of the season and sixth career victory at The Players Championship, known as the 'fifth major,' which concluded on the 12th. Last year, he defeated Dustin Johnson and Kevin Kisner (both USA) in the semifinals and finals, respectively, to become World No. 1 for the first time in his career. Scheffler is attempting to become the second player in history to defend the title consecutively, following Tiger Woods (USA), who won in 2003 and 2004.
World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) is grouped with No. 22 Billy Horschel, No. 39 Keith Mitchell, and No. 49 Rickie Fowler (all USA). World No. 3 Rory McIlroy competes against No. 20 Keegan Bradley, No. 48 Danny McCarthy, and No. 52 Scott Stallings (all USA) for a spot in the round of 16. South Korea's No. 16 Im Sung-jae, No. 34 Kim Si-woo, and No. 35 Lee Kyoung-hoon are also eyeing the championship.
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