WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
March 24-28
Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas
$10,500,000
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
Add 'World Golf Champion' to the resume. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6IP96PsFy6
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2021
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Billy Horschel has won his first World Golf Championship event in his fifth start, winning six of his seven matches at Austin Country Club.
WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
He made a single birdie in the championship match after chipping from 40 feet at the 5th and beat Scottie Scheffler 2&1.
"It was one of those days where I didn't play very good," saidHorschel. "I was just grinding it out."
Fans asked about @BillyHo_Golf’s strategy with the change in weather @DellMatchPlay.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2021
He answered. 👇 pic.twitter.com/IbG2KKDtK4
WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
With this win, Horschel moves up to seventh in the FedEx Cup standings and to 17th in the World Rankings, reaching the top 20 for the first time since July 2015.
“I've always felt I had the talent to compete with the best players day-in and day-out. I think the difference between me and maybe a Dustin Johnson or Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas is just the consistency day-in and day-out,” said Horschel.
WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
“My goals are lofty. If I could get to double digit wins and those be four majors and The Players… I've always felt like I want to be one of those guys who have won a Grand Slam. I think I only have one top-5 in a major, so obviously I sound ridiculous saying this, but I think I have that talent, I know I have that talent, I just haven't played well enough and done what I needed to do.”
He also bears in mind that this is a Ryder Cup year.
“If you looked at some of the other formats, how I played in team events, what I've done at Zurich (winning with Scott Piercy in 2018). I've had success there. I've had success playing at QBE Shootout. So I feel like I'm a really good partner to pair up with a lot of people."
Matches won for @BillyHo_Golf this week @DellMatchPlay:
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2021
1UP over Homa
3&2 over Morikawa
3&1 over Streelman
19 holes over Fleetwood
3&2 over Perez
2&1 over Scheffler pic.twitter.com/2hrKD5lGwc
WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
“I feel like I should have been on Ryder Cup teams before but that's my fault because I haven't done what I needed to do to take care of that. But maybe this year is the year. It's always been one of my priorities. If I do happen to make a Ryder Cup team in my career, I'll be happy.”
Matt Kuchar finished third after beating Victor Perez.
“Every year we come here I really enjoy myself, I enjoy the format,” Kuchar said. “Certainly, it was anti-climatic playing in the afternoon match, but once you get out, once you get going, the juices get going and you don't want to lose.”
Players were hampered by the wind all day and the only birdie of the championship match was Horschel's at the 5th.
WGC - Match Play 2021 R5
Finals |
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Billy Horschel (32) |
> |
2 & 1 |
Scottie Scheffler (30) |
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3rd Place |
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Victor Perez (31) |
2 & 1 |
< |
Matt Kuchar (52) |
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Semifinals |
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Victor Perez (31) |
3 & 2 |
< |
Billy Horschel (32) |
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Matt Kuchar (52) |
1 UP |
< |
Scottie Scheffler (30) |
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Quarterfinals |
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Billy Horschel (32) |
> |
19 HOLES |
Tommy Fleetwood (21) |
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Victor Perez (31) |
> |
4 & 3 |
Sergio Garcia (39) |
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Jon Rahm (3) |
3 & 1 |
< |
Scottie Scheffler (30) |
|||||
Matt Kuchar (52) |
> |
2 & 1 |
Brian Harman (54) |
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Round of 16 |
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Tommy Fleetwood (21) |
> |
4 & 3 |
Dylan Frittelli (64) |
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Billy Horschel (32) |
> |
3 & 1 |
Kevin Streelman (53) |
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Sergio Garcia (39) |
> |
2 & 1 |
Mackenzie Hughes (48) |
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Robert MacIntyre (41) |
5 & 4 |
< |
Victor Perez (31) |
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Scottie Scheffler (30) |
> |
5 & 4 |
Ian Poulter (60) |
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Jon Rahm (3) |
> |
3 & 2 |
Erik van Rooyen (62) |
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Bubba Watson (55) |
2 & 1 |
< |
Brian Harman (54) |
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Matt Kuchar (52) |
> |
1 UP |
Jordan Spieth (49) |
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