Justin Thomas commits to return to World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play

AUSTIN, Texas – 2017 FedExCup champion Justin Thomas has committed to return to Austin for the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play March 27-31 at Austin Country Club, tournament officials announced Thursday. The nine-time PGA TOUR winner joins a stacked field that has already received commitments from each of the top five players in the current FedExCup standings as well as World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year Brooks Koepka, defending champion Bubba Watson and former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth.

Thomas, the No. 4-ranked player in the world, has made three prior appearances at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, with his best finish being a fourth-place effort in 2018 after losing to eventual champion Bubba Watson 3&2 in the semifinals and falling 5&3 to Alex Noren in the third-place match. On his way to the semifinals, Thomas took down Luke List (2-Up), Patton Kizzire (3&1), Francesco Molinari (7&5), Si Woo Kim (6&5), and Kyle Stanley (2&1) en route to a 5-2-0 record for the week. Thomas failed to advance out of the group stage in 2016 and 2017. He won his first World Golf Championships event in August at the 2018 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Thomas is currently ranked No. 5 in the FedExCup standings with five top-10s in only eight starts this season, including a runner-up finish at the Genesis Open. The 25-year-old, whose next start will come at THE PLAYERS Championship next week, has less than two months remaining to join Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Jack Nicklaus as one of the four youngest players in PGA TOUR history to reach 10 career wins. Woods holds the record at 23 years, 6 months, 4 days, while Nicklaus is the third-youngest to reach 10 wins at the age of 24 years, 3 months, 12 days.

The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play also announced Friday that for the fourth consecutive year the event will provide complimentary tickets to active duty and Reserve military members plus one dependent each. Tickets will be distributed by the Texas Military Department State Family Programs Office located at the Soldier and Airman Support Center, Building 34, Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas on a first come, first served basis. Parking will be complimentary for military members at Camp Mabry Wednesday-Sunday March 27-31, 2019. Military members at Fort Sam Houston and Fort Hood are encouraged to visit www.dellevents.org to submit your request for tickets, which will also be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’re honored to once again offer our friends in the military the chance to come out and enjoy this great event,” said Jordan Uppleger, Executive Director of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. “It’s the least we can do to show our appreciation for the incredible sacrifice our military and their families make on a daily basis to protect our freedom.”

In addition to complimentary tickets, the tournament will honor the military with a presenting of the colors and playing of the national anthem in a ceremony on the first tee before Sunday’s semifinals matches tee off.

Military members are also encouraged to visit the Birdies for the Brave Patriots' Outpost presented by United Rentals, a hospitality venue dedicated exclusively to military members and their dependents, which will serve as their home base at the golf tournament. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the Patriots' Outpost will offer complimentary food and beverage, as well as great views of the 7th hole from right of the 7th tee box.

Birdies for the Brave is a national military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR dedicated to honoring and showing appreciation to the courageous men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Birdies for the Brave was originally created in 2006 by PGA TOUR player Phil Mickelson and his wife,

Amy, to support combat-injured troops. The PGA TOUR subsequently adopted Birdies for the Brave and expanded the program to include a variety of military outreach efforts during PGA TOUR tournaments and in communities nationwide, including a series of fundraising events that have raised more than $18 million for military homefront groups that directly support wounded veterans and military families. For more information, visit www.birdiesforthebrave.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

With Thomas’ commitment, seven of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking have already committed to this year’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Players already committed include Johnson (No. 1), Koepka (No. 3), Thomas (No. 4), Bryson DeChambeau (No. 5), Xander Schauffele (No. 8), Jon Rahm (No. 9) and Francesco Molinari (No. 10).

Although tickets are expected to sell out for a fourth consecutive year, a limited supply of daily grounds tickets remain on sale at http://www.delltechnologiesmatchplay.com. Wednesday and Thursday tickets are currently priced at $130 plus taxes and fees with Friday-Sunday tickets going for $160 plus taxes and fees.

As one in a series of four World Golf Championships events sanctioned and organized by the operational committee of the International Federation of PGA Tours, which includes the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is one of the most exciting and biggest events on golf’s calendar.

For more information, follow the tournament’s social pages: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.dellmatchplay.com.