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A16 SPORTS
Wednesday 22 March 2023
Last Match Play, last chance for Kuchar at Tiger’s record

By DOUG FERGUSON — no matter the oppo-
AP Golf Writer nents. Kuchar is the No. 59
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Matt seed and faces Viktor Hov-
Kuchar has a chance to land, Chris Kirk and Si Woo
break at least one record Kim — all of whom have
belonging to Tiger Woods, won tournaments in the last
and the Dell Technologies four months.
Match Play will be his last “Good form is the most im-
chance. portant thing to success,”
That’s because this is the he said.
last edition of the Match Scottie Scheffler has a little
Play. And for starters, of both. The No. 1 player in
Kuchar feels lucky just to be the world already has two
part of the 64-man field at wins this year, the most re-
Austin Country Club. cent two weeks ago at
At stake: He needs to win The Players Championship.
three matches to set the Scheffler made his debut in
record for most matches the Match Play in 2021 by
won in a tournament that reaching the champion-
dates to 1999. Kuchar is ship match and losing to
guaranteed three match- Billy Horschel, and then he
es, starting Wednesday, in won the Match Play last
the group format. year over Kisner.
Kuchar has reached the Fi- Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the second tee during a practice round for the Dell Woods is the only player to
nal Four four times, winning Technologies Match Play Championship golf tournament in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, March 21, have won Match Play in
the championship in 2013, 2023. Associated Press consecutive years.
losing to Kevin Kisner in “Match play is a little bit
2019 and twice losing in the was the last of them to go. played since 2019 due to No. 77 in the world ranking different,” Scheffler said.
semifinals. His career mark The WGC at Firestone the pandemic, and the to fill the field, and another “But I think the guys play-
is 34-11-4. Woods, the only moved to Memphis, Ten- China Golf Association sign of these divisive times ing the best golf do what
three-time winner of Match nessee, in 2019 and then hasn’t allowed it to resume. in golf. they have to do to win the
Play, has a 36-12 mark. was converted two years PGA Tour Commissioner Jay That means 11 players match and win the tourna-
“This is an event I love, an later to a FedEx Cup play- Monahan doesn’t expect would not be in Austin if ment and I think it’s a good
event that’s been really off event. that event to continue with not for LIV Golf, including format. It’s a little funky, but
good to me,” Kuchar said The WGC that initially al- the move toward so many Kuchar. a change of pace.”
Tuesday as he ducked in- ternated between the elevated events in the new “I guess I’m grateful for LIV Scheffler won last year as
side from a steady drizzle. U.S. and Europe moved to schedule. for a lot of things,” Kuchar the No. 5 seed, and only
“It’s something I had my Doral (and absorbed a reg- And now the Dell Match said with a laugh, a ref- three top seeds in the pre-
eye on and had to do ular PGA Tour event), and Play is done after this year, erence to the $20 million vious 23 years have won
some asking around, ‘Hey, then headed to Mexico a blow for fans who enjoy purse this week, which was the Match Play — Rory Mc-
how do I look to get in this City when a sponsor could the most unpredictable part of the PGA Tour’s re- Ilroy in 2015, Dustin John-
thing?’ I’m awfully excited not be found for the Don- nature of 18-hole matches sponse to the Saudi-funded son in 2017 and Woods
it worked out.” ald Trump-owned course, and for Austin, which will be threat of LIV. three times (2003, 2004 and
Match Play was the most and then was shut down by without the highest level of Kuchar can break Woods’ 2008). Two players in his
unique of the World Golf the COVID-19 pandemic. golf. record by sweeping his group, Tom Kim and Davis
Championships when the The HSBC Champions in It ends with a 64-man field three matches in group Riley, are playing for the first
series began in 1999, and it Shanghai hasn’t been that had to dip down to play, but that’s never easy time. q

Arsenal in MLS All-Star Game at

Washington, DC, on July 19

fore the coronavirus pan- then announced in Novem- pean opponent was Atlé-
demic. ber 2019 that it was chang- tico Madrid, which won 3-0
The Gunners, pursuing their ing to its All-Stars against in 2019 at Orlando, Florida.
first Premier League title those of Liga MX. The 2020 The Gunners have an eight-
since 2004, also were the match in Los Angeles was point lead over defending
All-Star opponent in 2016. canceled because of the champion Manchester City
They won 2-1 at Avaya Sta- pandemic, but the format in the Premier League. Ar-
dium in San Jose, California, was used the following two senal has nine games re-
on goals by Joel Campbell years, with MLS winning on maining and City has 10.
and Chuba Akpom. Didier penalty kicks in Los Angeles MLS’s All-Star Game had an
Drogba, then playing for in 2021 and 2-1 last year at East vs. West format in 1996
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka celebrates their victory at the English
Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Crystal Montreal, scored for MLS. St. Paul, Minnesota.Arsenal and ‘97, from 1999-2001
Palace at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, March 19, 2023. MLS announced Tuesday will become the third Euro- and in 2004. Its American
Associated Press it was returning to its most- pean club to appear in two players met its international
used All-Star format. MLS All-Star Games after players in 1998, and MLS
NEW YORK (AP) — Arsenal in Washington, D.C., on July The league began having Manchester United (2010 All-Stars played the U.S.
will play Major League Soc- 19, the first European oppo- its top players face a Eu- and ‘11) and Chelsea (2006 national team in 2002 and
cer’s All-Stars at Audi Field nent in the game since be- ropean opponent in 2005, and ‘12). The previous Euro- Mexico’s Chivas in 2003.q