The World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play is coming to Austin March 23-27, and if you want to go see 64 of the best players tee it up, you’ll have to get on a waitlist. Tournament officials announced on Friday all tickets have been officially sold out, making this the quickest sell out in event history.
Dell signed on as title sponsor of the WGC Match Play earlier last spring and the venue change to Austin will mark the sixth move for the event since it’s inception in 1999. Austin Country Club has signed on to host through 2019. Before moving to Austin Country Club next year, LaCosta Resort in Carlsbad, California played host for seven years from 1999-2006, with Metropolitan Golf Club in Australia hosting in 2001. The Gallery Golf Club and Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona played host from 2007-2014, with TPC Harding Park as the golf course of choice last year.
Austin Country Club was founded in 1899 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in the state of Texas. It was also home to Harvey Pennick, one of the most legendary golf instructors who ever lived. The golf course moved to is current location in 1984 and was designed by Pete Dye. While the front nine features traditional Texas Hill Country style golf, the back nine has a gorgeous setting along Lake Austin with Pennybacker Bridge as a backdrop.
Austin last played host to a PGA Tour sanctioned golf tournament from 2003-2009 when the Champion’s Tour FedEx Kinko’s Classic and Triton Financial Classic were played at The Hills Country Club. Austin also played host to the Legends of Golf from 1978-1994.
The WGC Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club will again see the same format that was introduced this past year at TPC Harding Park. Instead of single elimination, the 64 players in the field will be divided into 16 four-player groups Wednesday-Friday. The player with the best record from each group will advance to the round of 16 on Saturday morning, followed by quarterfinals Saturday afternoon, semifinals Sunday morning and the championship match on Sunday afternoon. This change was made to keep eyes on the television in the event big names like Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and others get ousted on the first day.
Rory McIlroy won the 2015 WGC Match Play Champion after defeating Gary Woodland 4 & 2 at TPC Harding Park in San Fransiciso. The top 64 players in the World Golf Rankings on March 13 get into the WGC Dell Match Play. You’ll be able to see live coverage of the tournament on the Golf Channel and NBC.
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