AUSTIN — World No. 1 Dustin Johnson stayed on track to become the first player to win all four World Golf Championships events when he advanced to the semifinals at the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas Saturday.
Johnson lost three consecutive holes during his quarterfinal against Alexander Noren, but had enough in reserve to secure a 3&2 victory over the Swedish eighth seed at Austin Country Club.
Next up for the American top seed is a Sunday morning semifinal against Japanese 54th seed Hideto Tanihara, while Spaniard 21st seed Jon Rahm and American 42nd seed Bill Haas meet in the other semi. The final will be played in the afternoon.
“It’s a long way to go but I like my chances,” Johnson told NBC television after dusting off Noren.
A victory Sunday would make Johnson the only player other than Tiger Woods to win consecutive World Golf Championships events, after his Mexico Championship triumph three weeks ago.
Giant killer Tanihara, a 14-times winner on his home tour, earned a spot in the final four with an emphatic 4&2 win over Englishman Ross Fisher.
Even if he goes no further, Tanihara has already achieved his objective of qualifying for the Masters in two weeks.
He started the week ranked 60th in the world, but is now assured of jumping into the top 50 and punching his ticket to Augusta.
Haas, meanwhile, took out five-time major winner Phil Mickelson 2&1 in an all-American quarterfinal.
Mickelson endured a frustrating afternoon on the greens, but nonetheless sounded satisfied with his preparation for the Masters, where he will shoot for a fourth green jacket.
“I didn’t get the putts to go this match the way I had been making them previously and that was the difference,” he said.
Rahm made quick work of the other quarterfinal, giving Dane Soren Kjeldsen a 7&5 shellacking.
Rahm could not remember playing better, except perhaps over the final nine holes en route to his maiden PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines in southern California two months ago.
Lee earns Classic lead
Lee Mi-rim shrugged off an opening bogey to card six birdies in a five-under 67 Saturday and seize a one-shot lead after three rounds of the LPGA Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California.
With a 13-under total of 203, Lee was one in front of fellow South Korean Hur Mi-jung, whose seven birdies in a six-under 66 included three in a row to cap her round.
It was a further two strokes back to Korea’s Chun In-gee, who signed for a 67, and American Cristie Kerr, the overnight leader who bogeyed the last for a one-under 71 that left her tied for third on 206.
Lee, who captured both of her LPGA tour titles in her rookie season in 2014, finds herself in a familiar position.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Lydia Ko was absent for the weekend action, having missed the cut for just the second time in her LPGA career Friday. — Agencies
