No Joy For Australians at WGC Dell Match Play

 

A scene from the Austin Golf Club this week – photo Getty Images Darren Carroll

All three Australians have been eliminated from the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Champions in Austin in Texas.

Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Marc Leishman all missed out on the chance to advance to the Round of 16 and with none entered for next week’s Texas Open in San Antonio they now focus their attention on The Masters in ten days’ time.

Day was eliminated even before today’s third round of round robin competition having lost his opening two encounters against Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, although he did defeat And Sullivan today.

Both Leishman and Smith maintained mathematical chances of advancing heading into day three having both recorded a win and a loss in rounds one and two.

Today, however, both needed several potential scenarios to fall in their favour and it was not to be.

Leishman could only tie with Russell Henley and Smith lost a two-hole lead through 12 holes against Rory McIlroy, McIlroy holing a 30 foot out from of the green at the last to tie the match, although Ian Poulter, who Smith lost to on day two, would have advanced anyway after he won his match today.

One player from each of the sixteen groups advances to the round of 16 to begin the knockout matches to determine the winner on Sunday.

Noted casualties include world number one and former winner Dustin Johnson, who lost to Kevin Na today in a close match, Na recording a birdie at the last to win 1 up, although it would be Scotland’s Robert McIntyre who advanced from their group.