World No. 5 Scottie Scheffler commits to WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

AUSTIN, Texas – Tournament officials announced today that former Texas Longhorn and World No. 5 Scottie Scheffler is set to return to Austin for the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, March 23-27. Joining Scheffler is 11-time PGA TOUR winner Sergio Garcia and a World Golf Championships title holder, Abraham Ancer.

Scheffler, who moved to Dallas after graduating from the University of Texas in 2018, is set to make his second start in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play this March. At his debut appearance in 2021, Scheffler took hold of his college-town advantage making 15 birdies in 31 holes, beating Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter and then World No. 2 Jon Rahm to advance to Sunday’s Championship Match.

Ultimately outlasted by Billy Horschel who clinched the match on No. 17 to win 2-and-1, Scheffler gave a standout performance celebrated by fans, beating three former WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play champions and two players from the top 10 in the world during his debut appearance and just his second year on the PGA TOUR. Prior to turning professional in ‘18, Scheffler won three straight state championship titles in high school before earning All-America honors at The University of Texas from 2014-2018.

Since his 2021 appearance, Scheffler has continued to climb the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and enters this week ranked 5th in the standings. Most recently, the 25-year-old earned his first PGA TOUR victory at the WM Phoenix Open, defeating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff with a birdie on the third extra hole (No. 18). Just 21 days later, he won his second title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard by one stroke over Horschel and two others. With the win, Scheffler moves to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings for the first time in his career.

Garcia, a native of Spain who is now a part-time resident of Austin, has fond history with the state of Texas, beginning with his professional debut in 1999 at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, and two years later with his first PGA TOUR win at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth. Garcia has advanced to at least the round of 16 eight times in his WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play career, including each of the last two years. With 18 prior tournament appearances to his credit, only Lee Westwood has more starts in the event than Garcia.

“Sports fans in Austin take special pride in former Longhorns and in 2021 Scottie Scheffler gave fans a hometown hero to root for,” said Executive Director Jordan Uppleger. “The wave of people following that Championship Match cheering him on was a sight to see and his runner-up finish will cement him at Austin Country Club as a fan favorite. Since then, it’s been fun to watch him develop into a force on Tour that arguably dates back to that second-place finish right here in our backyard. Garcia also gave fans a historic moment when the Austin-resident made a walk off hole-in-one on the 4th hole to advance to the Round of 16 – it’s something fans still talk about even a year later. We can’t wait to have Scheffler and Garcia back to re-create some of that magic.”

Ancer, who lives in San Antonio, will make his third career start at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play this year. The 31-year-old has already collected a World Golf Championships title in 2021 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational for his first PGA TOUR win, beating Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns in a playoff. In his first two starts at Austin Country Club he holds a record of 4-2-0 and will look to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time this year and is currently ranked 21st in the OWGR.

The long-awaited return of normal capacity at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is in part due to its annual status of hosting one of the strongest fields of the PGA TOUR season. Already committed to the 2022 event are World Nos. 1 and 2 Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, 2020 FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson and 2019 PGA TOUR Player of the Year Brooks Koepka. Only the top 64 players in the OWGR are invited to play in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, a strict qualification guideline that ensures the field in Austin annually consists of the very best players from around the world from all Tours.

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