HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Ian Poulter is ready for a break after a long, eventful stretch on tour. He has one more important goal to accomplish, though, at the RBC Heritage before any time off.

“We’ll see if we have a last bit of plaid to put in the closet,” said a grinning Poulter, referring to the tartan jacket giving the winner at Harbour Town Golf Links.

The resurgent Poulter will have that chance Sunday after shooting a 4-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the RBC Heritage, putting him in position for his second victory in three weeks.

Before April, Poulter had not won on tour in more than five years. Now, he’s one more solid round away from adding another title to his dramatic win at the Houston Open on April 1.

No joke, Poulter’s play is for real.

Seven of the Englishman’s last 11 rounds have been in the 60s after having just three such showings in his first 20 rounds this season. His latest left him at 13-under 200, and a stroke ahead of Luke List (67) and Si Woo Kim (68).

“It’s been a long six weeks,” Poulter said.

He was incorrectly told he had qualified for the Masters after a quarterfinal appearance at the WCG Match Play championship. Then down to his final try to reach Augusta National, Poulter needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Beau Hossler. Poulter prevailed on the first playoff hole.

He’s kept up that stellar play at Harbour Town.

“There’s been quite a bit of lows in the last 18 months, to be honest,” Poulter said. “So if you ride the waves and you trust yourself and you believe in your ability, then hopefully, it’s still in there.”

Poulter let it out once more to move in front.

He made his run in spurts, moving out front with birdies on the fifth and six holes before getting his last two on the 12th and 13th. He saved par out of the bunker on the par-3 17th, rolling in a rock-solid 6-foot putt and making a routine par on the signature lighthouse hole, the 18th, to stay in front.

“It’s just nice to play good golf,” Poulter said.

Kim was in front at 12 under after birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. He fell back with bogey on No. 12 and could not catch Poulter down the stretch. Kim, defending champion at The Players Championship, said he was disappointed in himself for feeling nervous early here. “I think it’s going to motivate me to be more aggressive and play well,” he said.

List took off with three straight birdies on Nos. 14-16. List, who finished second earlier this season at the Honda Classic, is seeking his first PGA Tour win. List has withdrawn, tied for 39th and missed the cut in his three Harbour Town appearances. He had set the week up as a family vacation with a little golf involved. That’s changed. “I never really thought I’d play well here, but it’s kind of all come together,” he said.

Second-round leader Bryson DeChambeau had the confident stride of a pending winner with his first solo 36-hole lead as a pro – at least until the third round got going. After grabbing a two-shot lead with a birdie on No. 1, DeChambeau imploded with a triple-bogey eight on the normally birdie-able par-5 second.

DeChambeau struck his second shot past the green and out of bounds by some condos. He fluffed his fifth shot into a bunker, then missed a 5-foot putt for the dreaded snowman.

Three holes later, DeChambeau botched another par 5, the fifth, by rolling his blast from a bunker off the green and into a sprinkler cover.

“Unbelievable what’s happened on the par fives today,” DeChambeau said as he saw his ball.

DeChambeau had been 6-under par on Harbour Town’s three par 5s the first two rounds. He played them in 3-over Saturday on the way to a 75 to fall seven shots back.

In his only two previous appearances here, world No. 1 Dustin Johnson missed the cut badly – at 16 over in 2008 and 5 over in 2009. This time, he to channel the game that’s made him the world’s top-ranked golfer for more than a year. Instead, Johnson had bogeys on four of his first 11 holes before rallying to finish with a 72 and was 10 shots in back of Poulter.

Again, Johnson pointed to putter problems this week. Johnson missed five birdie putts of 16 feet or less on the front nine. “Around here, you’ve got to hole some putts if you want to compete,” he said.

Poulter and his chasers will have a quick turnaround Sunday with tour officials starting play at 7 a.m. and going off in threesomes on both tees because of expected bad weather in the afternoon.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Bryson DeChambeau shot a career-best 7-under 64 on Friday to take the lead into the weekend at the RBC Heritage Classic.

DeChambeau’s first event as a pro was at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2016. Two years later, he posted his lowest ever on the PGA Tour to get to 10-under 132, one ahead of red-hot Ian Poulter and Si Woo Kim.

Poulter showed he’s not done playing high-level golf with a bogey-free 64. Kim, The Players Championship winner, had a 65 that included a two-shot penalty for touching sand after a bunker shot.

Two shots behind DeChambeau were Chasson Hadley (68), past RBC Heritage winner Brandt Snedeker (64), Luke List (64) and first-round leader Rory Sabbatini (70).

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot a second straight 69 and was tied for 26th, six shots off the lead.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., all missed the cut.

DeChambeau, 24, jump started his round with an eagle on the par-5 and took over the lead with birdies on the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes. He made a knee-knocking, 12-footer for par on the 18th hole after his approach landed in a front-side bunker. DeChambeau pumped his fist when the ball curled in, as pleased with his improved putting as his composure at rallying late to the lead.

“Two years, it’s time,” DeChambeau said.

He won for the first time on tour last summer, shooting a pair of 65s on the way to taking the John Deere Classic. He’s had three top 10s this season, including a second last month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. DeChambeau’s certain his play at Harbour Town is simply the next step in his progress to the top.

“I’m figuring out a lot of great things that are helping me on the golf course,” he said.

Poulter’s learned plenty the past few weeks. He was the talk of golf two weeks back with his stunning playoff win at Houston Open where he made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, then beat Beau Hossler on the first extra hole to gain entrance to Augusta National.

After an opening 69 at Harbour Town, Poulter put on a dazzling second-round, bogey-free display.

Poulter briefly took the lead alone with a 16-foot birdie on the par-3 seventh. He had a chance to reach 10-under, but lipped out an 8-footer on his final hole, the ninth. Poulter has shot five sub-70 rounds in his last six times around Harbour Town.

Poulter said his Houston victory wiped away any concerns holding him back. “The win helps a lot,” he said. “I can free myself up in my mind. I can start attacking pins and just play free golf. And when you’re in that position, sometimes the game feels easy when sometimes it isn’t.”

Even more remarkable than Poulter’s play may have been Kim’s scoring. He posted nine birdies along with a triple-bogey 6 on the par-3 14th where he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for touching the sand when he scrubbed the fringe of a bunker following a shot.

Kim quickly erased the error from his mind – and the scorecard – with birdies on the next three holes to regain his lost shots.

“This might be the first time that I’ve played so well with a triple bogey,” Kim said. “But I’m having great feel around the greens and I feel really confident.”

Johnson again played simply and steadily in his first Harbour Town appearance in nine years. His game remains good, his confidence high despite so many golfers between him and the lead. “I feel like I’m playing really solid,” he said. “I’m giving myself some chances and looking forward to the weekend.”

Much of the field thrived in mild, sunny conditions where even the course’s typically difficult closing stretch of No. 16, No. 17 and No. 18 along windy Calibogue Sound played much tamer than a typical round. Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira followed his 73 on Thursday with the lowest round of the tournament so, a 63, on Friday. Michael Kim went from an opening 76 to 66 in the second round. Dru Love, the son of five-time RBC Heritage champion Davis Love III, improved 11 strokes from his first round with his 66 on Friday.

In all, there were 53 rounds in the 60s among the 130 players who competed Friday.

Among those missing the cut were Paul Casey, Marc Leishman and Tyrell Hatton, all ranked among the top 20.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Rory Sabbatini shot a 7-under 64 for his lowest round ever at Harbour Town Golf Links and a two-stroke lead Thursday in the RBC Heritage, with top-ranked Dustin Johnson five shots behind.

The talk leading up to the tournament was of the return of Johnson, the South Carolina native who grew up about three hours northwest of here yet had not played in the Palmetto State’s lone PGA Tour stop since 2009. But it was Sabbatini who quickly moved to the top in perfect, windless conditions on what’s typically one of the most wind-swept layouts of the year.

Matt Kuchar, Billy Horschel, Chesson Hadley and John Huh shot 66s. Johnson had a run of four straight birdies in the middle of his round, but ended up with a 69. He was tied for 20th.

Sabbatini, starting on No. 10, birdied four holes on his front nine. He made a 52-foot putt on the par-3 14th and put his approach on No. 18 – the Pete Dye course’s signature hole with the lighthouse in the backdrop – to about 7 feet to set up another birdie.

“I think anytime you can birdie 18 on this golf course, it’s key because 18 is not a very forgiving hole,” he said.

Sabbatini, the last of whose six PGA Tour wins came in 2011, kept up the strong play with three more birdies coming in. He closed the round with consecutive birdies on his final two holes, the eighth and the ninth.

“All things considered, the course is probably as easy as I’ve ever seen it play,” Sabbatini said.

Sabbatini wasn’t sure he’d even tee it up after hurting his back Sunday while working on his stance. He received treatment every day since and decided to go as long as he good. Turns out it was all the way to the end. Sabbatini even got a bonus on his final tee box when he finally got his back to pop after stretching on No. 9 to make himself feel better. “And it kind of releases everything for the closure of the last hole,” he said.

Sabbatini surpassed his previous Harbour Town low of 66 in the 2009 final round when he tied for eighth, his best showing in eight previous appearances.

Johnson, ranked No. 1 for more than a year, won at Kapalua and has four other top 10s since January including last week at the Masters where he tied for 10th in the year’s first major. He looked to continue his strong play at Harbour Town where he posted 10 birdies to one bogey during Wednesday’s pro-am.

However, things did not come as easily for Johnson in his first time here since 2009.

Johnson took bogey on his second hole, the 11th. He caught fire in mid-round, starting a run of four straight birdies on the 18th hole. But Johnson missed 8-foot par putts on the fifth and sixth holes and took one more bogey on his closing hole, the ninth.

“I haven’t played here in a while, so it’s definitely a little bit different being here,” Johnson said.

Kuchar, playing with Johnson, took advantage of the mild conditions to get himself in early positon for his second tartan winner’s jacket.

Kuchar, ranked 21st in the world, stood at 1 under after his first 11 holes before birding four of his final seven – all on putts of 15 feet or less – to move into second.

Kuchar said the move from Augusta National’s massive greens to Harbour Town’s tiny greens was a big difference. “Once you get on these greens, you feel like you have a chance to make putts,” he said. “To come from last week where getting on the green doesn’t mean much, you still have a lot of work to go.”

Kuchar tied for 28th at the Masters last week.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – For the first time in more than 20 years, the PGA TOUR is launching a new advertising campaign designed to capture and celebrate the energy and spirit of today’s TOUR.  Titled “Live Under Par,” the campaign plays on golf’s unique scoring language to portray the relentless pursuit of excellence by TOUR players, both competitively and in how they embrace the values of the game like sportsmanship and respect, as well as the PGA TOUR’s ingrained mission of giving back.

The thematic of “Live Under Par” immerses spectators into the contagious excitement of the sport, showcasing its vast 360-degree impact both inside and outside the ropes. As part of the current integrated marketing strategy of the TOUR, the campaign aims to reach beyond the core golf fan and attract new and diverse fan segments to the sport. Further, it will serve as a call to action for dedicated golf fans to share their passion for the game and invite newcomers to “join the PGA TOUR.”

“The ‘Live Under Par’ campaign goes beyond capturing the incredible ability of PGA TOUR players to score below par each week by showcasing and celebrating that same attitude of excellence that exists between players, players with fans, and players interacting with communities and charities,” said Joe Arcuri, Chief Marketing Officer of the PGA TOUR.  “The new campaign captures not just a way to play, but a way to be.”

You don’t need a club in your hand to #LiveUnderPar. pic.twitter.com/FvMqP25Y0s

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) April 10, 2018

Developed in collaboration with new roster agency Troika of Los Angeles, “Live Under Par” becomes the TOUR’s first new theme and tagline since “These Guys Are Good,” the longest-running advertising campaign among major sports, debuted in 1997.

“’Live Under Par’ is an invitation for both players and fans to participate, no matter which side of the ropes you’re on,” said Gilbert Haslam, Executive Creative Director, Troika.  “The campaign provides fans with new ways to engage in all the PGA TOUR has to offer and celebrates the shared mindset and spirit behind the constant pursuit of greatness. ‘Live Under Par’ is unique to the game, but with meaning that resonates far beyond it.”

The PGA TOUR has been proactively shaping marketing plans through a fans-first lens to reach beyond the core fan. The TOUR has analyzed real-time fan consumption across all media platforms to further understand and enhance the areas where target segments are most engaged.

One of the first initiatives the TOUR made under the fans-first approach was relaxing cell phone and social media guidelines at tournaments – providing both fans and players with the opportunity to create and share personally captured content. “Live Under Par” is a testament to the success of those changes and prominently features fan-captured content throughout the exhilarating commercial spot debuting in conjunction with the campaign.

“We consider this campaign more of an evolution, growing from how our players’ competitive excellence was presented so effectively through ‘These Guys Are Good’ to doing that and so much more,” Arcuri said. “We are pulling the camera lens out, so to speak, to highlight the fun and excitement on TOUR and highlight the special interaction we see every week between our players and fans. We believe this, in turn, will help spur broader interest among a more diverse group of fans.’”

“Live Under Par” will debut with a combination of television, digital, social, print, radio and advertising, along with tournament activation and support of PGA TOUR players. To experience the campaign, visit www.liveunderpar.com.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Canada’s Adam Hadwin is off to a fast start at the Augusta National, and after one round is in a good position to top his finish from last year.

The 30-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., shot an impressive 3-under 69 on Thursday in the first round of the Masters to enter into a seven-way tie for fourth, three shots back of leader Jordan Spieth. Hadwin made his first appearance at Augsta National last year, finishing tied for 36th.

Hadwin could have been in a tie for second with Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar but he bogeyed on the par-4 18th hole to fall back into the pack.

Thanks to three top-10 finishes, Hadwin has already earned more than US$1.1 million this season. His best result was a tie for third at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January. Hadwin also finished in the Top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings last season.

Mike Weir, who is celebrating the 15th anniversary of his 2003 Masters victory this year, makes up the other half of this week’s Canadian contingent. He shot a 4-over 76 on Thursday to tie for 62nd.

@ahadwingolf opens strong with a 3-under 69 to sit 1 off the lead at #TheMasters ????

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on Apr 5, 2018 at 4:06pm PDT

Weir, from Bright’s Grove, Ont., was an assistant captain at last September’s Presidents Cup, where Hadwin was a member of the International team. Weir told The Canadian Press in January that he was impressed with Hadwin’s attention to detail, work ethic and “inner fire.”

“He wants to be great,” said Weir at the time.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A look at some of the anniversaries this year at the Masters:

75 years ago (1943)

Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts decided after the 1942 Masters to stop the tournament for the rest of World War II. According to the Augusta Chronicle, the club’s greenskeeper raised turkey and cattle on the grounds while the club was closed. Roberts said in his autobiography that the cattle destroyed several azalea and camellia bushes and ate the bark of several young trees. There were plenty of WWII connections to the Masters. Jones was commissioned as a captain in the Army Air Corps, and his unit landed at Normandy a day after the D-Day invasion. Leading the Normandy invasion was Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who later became a member at Augusta National during his two terms as U.S. president.

50 years ago (1968)

The 1968 Masters is best remembered for five words: “What a stupid I am.” Roberto de Vicenzo birdied the 17th hole in the final round to take a one-shot lead over Bob Goalby, only to bogey the last hole. The Argentine was so angry at his bogey that he didn’t properly check his card, which was kept by Tommy Aaron, and he signed for a 4 on the 17th instead of a 3. Under the rules, he had to accept the higher score, giving him a 66 instead of a 65. And instead of an 18-hole playoff the next day, Goalby was the winner by one shot. Goalby closed with a 66 to finish at 11-under 277. De Vicenzo had won the British Open a year earlier, but this scorecard blunder remained his most famous moment until his death last year.

25 years ago (1993)

Bernhard Langer won the 1993 Masters for his second green jacket, closing with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory over Chip Beck. His first Masters victory in 1985 was remembered for Curtis Strange twice going for the green when he had the lead and finding water. The 1993 Masters featured Beck choosing to lay up when he was trailing. Langer had a three-shot lead when Beck laid up on the par-5 15th from 236 yards away. He made par, while Langer followed with a birdie to stretch the lead. There was one other similarity to Langer’s victories. He was harshly criticized in 1985 for saying “Jesus Christ” in the Butler Cabin interview while expressing surprise at Strange’s lead. The controversy led to Langer becoming a Christian, and when he won in 1993, he said it again because it was Easter. “I sometimes joke that I’m the only one to mention ‘Jesus Christ’ in Butler Cabin twice,” he said.

20 years ago (1998)

Mark O’Meara became the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1960 to birdie the last two holes for a one-shot victory in the 1998 Masters, which also was the last year the Augusta National gallery witnessed a Jack Nicklaus charge. O’Meara holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 67 to beat Fred Couples and David Duval, and at 41 he became the oldest first-time winner of the Masters. Couples had a wild back nine with a double bogey on No. 13 and an eagle on the 15th. Duval missed birdie chances on the 17th and 18th for a 67. He was in Jones Cabin watching O’Meara when Augusta National chairman Jack Stephens told him: “Don’t worry, David. Nobody ever makes that putt.” O’Meara made the putt. Nicklaus, 58, birdied four of his first seven holes and pulled within three shots of the lead, causing so many roars that even Tiger Woods in the group ahead backed off putts. But he had to settle for a 68 and tied for sixth.

15 years ago (2003)

“The Green Jacket is going north of the border!”

Mike Weir of Sarnia, Ont., captivated an entire country, becoming the first Canadian and left-handed golfer to win The Masters tournament. The Canadian Golf Hall-of-Famer missed the cut a week prior to The Masters, which eventually helped him get back to his fundamentals.. Playing over a condensed three days due to rain, Weir leaned on his accuracy and short game to put himself in position to win. Weir forced a playoff with Len Mattiace, a then two-time TOUR winner, back at the 10th hole. With Mattiace struggling, Weir had a safe two putts to win, becoming the 2003 Masters champion.

Weir captured the ’03 CareerBuilder Challenge as part of a three-win season — including the Masters — en route to being named the Lou Marsh Award winner as Canada’s athlete of the year. He’s the last golfer to win the honour.

10 years ago (2008)

Four months after Trevor Immelman had a tumor removed from his diaphragm, the South African won the 2008 Masters by three shots over Tiger Woods. And it wasn’t even that close. Immelman had a five-shot lead with three holes to play until hitting into the water for double bogey at No. 16. He closed with a 75 and joined Arnold Palmer in the record book with the highest closing round by a Masters champion. Only four players broke par in the final round. For Woods, it was his second straight year finishing as the runner-up at Augusta National in his bid for a fifth green jacket. Among those who had a chance were Brandt Snedeker, who briefly tied for the lead with an eagle on No. 2, and Steve Flesch, whose hopes ended with a tee shot into Rae’s Creek at No. 12.

5 years ago (2013)

Adam Scott won the 2013 Masters in a playoff over Angel Cabrera, and Australia had a Masters champion after more than a half-century of trying. Scott thought he had it won with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, only for Cabrera to stuff his shot into 3 feet for birdie as Scott was signing his card. They both made par on the first extra hole, and Scott ended it with a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 10 on the second playoff hole. Greg Norman, who knew nothing but hard luck at Augusta National, was watching from Florida and said when it was over, “I’m over the moon.” It was a wild week for Tiger Woods, who was on the verge of taking the lead on Friday when his wedge into the 15th hole hit the pin and went back into the water. Woods took his penalty drop in the wrong place, which was pointed out by a rules expert watching on TV. The rules committee at the Masters failed to act on the information, and when it was clear a penalty was involved, the committee gave Woods a two-shot penalty and allowed him to stay in the tournament despite having signed for an incorrect score. Woods finished four shots behind.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – Although he would have liked a different finish on Sunday at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, Corey Conners has many reasons to smile.

The 26-year-old Listowel, Ont., native began the day two strokes off the pace in second, but struggled in the finale with a 4-over 76, soured by a double-bogey on par-4 18th. This marks the second consecutive tournament where Conners’ showed his ability to rise to the top of leaderboards,  final-round struggles aside. He’ll leave Punta Cana with a T13 finish—his best on the PGA TOUR in his rookie campaign. It also marks the second consecutive top 20 finish for the Team Canada program graduate.

Conners was chasing champion Brice Garnett, who put the medal down in the finale to finish four strokes ahead of runner-up, completing the wire-to-wire victory for his first PGA Tour title.

Canada’s @coreyconners finishes T13 at the @CoralesChamp to collect his best finish on the #PGATOUR and second consecutive top 20 ????

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Mar 25, 2018 at 2:47pm PDT

Two strokes ahead after three late wind-blown bogeys Saturday, Garnett closed with a 2-under 70 in windy and rainy conditions for a four-stroke victory over Keith Mitchell.

“I slept good, actually,” Garnett said. “Surprisingly, I did. I woke up a little bit early, a little bit restless, but I was just excited for the day. We talked last night that obstacles were opportunities, so it’s fun.”

The 34-year-old Garnett, a two-time winner last year on the Web.com Tour, finished at 18-under 270. He opened with a 63 and added rounds of 69 and 70.

“I had a buddy text me this morning and said, ‘You’re the only guy in the field who’s won twice in the last year, so go get another one.’ Drew on a lot of those experiences. … It’s crazy. It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of determination and a lot of support along the way.”

Mitchell followed a third-round 75 with a 67.

“When you get close to the lead on the PGA Tour, it’s an experience, it’s tough,” Mitchell said. “I’m not beating myself up for it, but I felt like today kind of showed me that I can do it.”

Garnett birdied the par-3 11th, parred the next seven and closed with a bogey.

“I just wanted to make nine pars on the back,” Garnett said. “I got off to a great start.”

He birdied Nos. 2-4, bogeyed Nos. 5-6 and birdied No. 7 on the front nine.

Kelly Kraft was third at 13 under after a 67.

“I thought this place was supposed to be paradise,” Kraft said. “It was not today. It was tough out there for sure. The wind was brutal and it rained like pretty much every hole except for my first few.”

Denny McCarthy (70) was 12 under. Harris English (70) and K.J. Choi (66) topped the group at 11 under.

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo dropped out Friday, finishing last in the 132-man field in his PGA Tour debut. He shot 77-82 playing as an amateur on a sponsor exemption.

AUSTIN, Texas – Bubba Watson was in high spirits for someone with such low expectations at the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Walking to the sixth tee, already 2 up in his semifinal match against Justin Thomas, he smiled and said, “Just remember, I was beating No. 1 at some point.” Thomas only had to win that match to reach No. 1 in the world, and Watson figured that’s what would happen.

–It was about the only thing he got wrong Sunday.

Watson denied Thomas with a brand of golf that was close to flawless, and then he made the final look as though he were on vacation all along. Watson won his second World GolfChampionship with the biggest blowout since the title match switched to 18 holes in 2011, a 7-and-6 victory over Kevin Kisner.

He sure didn’t expect to play only 28 holes in two matches on the final day at Austin Country Club, lead after every one of them, and pose with the trophy.

“There’s stories all different directions that didn’t go the way I saw it,” he said. “It worked out in my favour. I’m glad I didn’t see it.”

Watson wasn’t as sharp in the final as he was in his 3-and-2 victory over Thomas, and didn’t have to be. If not for missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole of the championship match, Watson would have won the first seven holes.

After capturing his 11th career victory, @BubbaWatson discusses his huge @DellMatchPlay win. https://t.co/9Ai6rST987

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 25, 2018

Kisner contributed to that. After escaping in 19 holes against Alex Noren in the semifinals, in which Noren had putts of 10 feet and 7 feet on the last two holes to win, Kisner didn’t put up much of a fight. He made four straight bogeys, and only twice was putting for birdie through 10 holes.

“I don’t know what was going on. It was just pitiful,” Kisner said. “I’ve just got to forget this 12 holes and get back to working on the things that got me here.”

Watson never expected to be here, mainly because this fickle format is not his favourite. He reached the semifinals his first year in 2011 – losing to Martin Kaymer, the PGA champion, for Kaymer to go to No. 1 in the world – and only made it to the weekend once after that.

So he booked a family vacation for Sunday, and then had to change his plans, which was a good problem to have.

Watson won $1.7 million for his 11th career victory on the PGA Tour.

The tougher match was against Thomas, the PGA champion who was poised to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world.

Watson went out to a 3-up lead on the front nine, and when Thomas closed to 1 down at the turn with his first birdie putt, Watson won two of the next three holes to regain control. Thomas didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 16th, and by then it was too late. Watson made his birdie from 3 feet for the win.

Thomas said he was too consumed with what was at stake in the semifinals – the No. 1 ranking.

“I haven’t had such a hard time not thinking about something so much. And that really sucked,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be perfectly honest. And I think you’re constantly getting questions about it with the media. But I need to be mentally stronger than that, and understand that it’s just a match.”

Noren beat Thomas in the consolation match, 5 and 3.

One year after Watson disappeared from among the elite in golf, he has won twice in his last four starts. He was No. 117 in the world when he arrived at Riviera, where he won for the third time in his career. With his 11th victory on the PGA Tour, he now is back up to No. 21.

And the two-time Masters champion added his name to the growing list of contenders at Augusta National.

“I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully I can get this focus and my putter rolling like it is,” Watson said.

Watson played 109 holes over seven matches, going to the 18th hole just once when he halved his match with Julian Suri on Friday.

Through it all, he said he wasn’t committed to only four or five shots. He was hitting high draws, low cuts, all the shots he created as a kid in the Florida Panhandle when he was just a boy with a club and a wild imagination.

He wouldn’t have imagined such an easy time against Kisner in the all-Georgia Bulldogs final that ended with the fabled “dog license” score in match play. A dog license in Britain used to cost seven shillings, six pence (referred to as 7 and 6).

Watson holed a 10-foot birdie on the opening hole, and then Kisner took care of the rest with four straight bogeys. Watson missed his short birdie putt to win the sixth hole, but not to worry. Kisner’s next shot bounced off a spectator’s head and next to a fence, and he had to chip off loose soil across the green for another bogey.

This can happen in match play, and Kisner saw it Saturday in his 8-and-6 victory over Ian Poulter.

Watson, finally, was on the winning end of it.

“It’s crazy to think about it,” Watson said. “I’ve got two World Golf Championships, and two majors. It’s unbelievable to think about that, giving my mom a hug. Six years old, having one golf club for a year, no lessons. I can sit here and make up stories all day, but it’s absolutely remarkable that I’m able to life a trophy like this.”

AUSTIN, Texas – Justin Thomas was on antibiotics when he arrived in Texas and mustered enough strength for a short practice round that left him wondering how long he would last in the Dell Technologies Match Play, if at all.

“I had a pretty serious conversation with my dad on Monday if I was going to play,” Thomas said. “There were probably 15 or so people that watched me play nine holes. You find those 15 people and see if they thought I was ready to play in a golf tournament. Some of the shots I hit were pretty funny.”

His health improved. So has his golf.

And now Thomas is one match away from reaching No. 1 in the world and having a shot at his first World Golf Championships title.

Thomas made quick work of Si Woo Kim to win on the 13th hole Saturday morning, and then he pulled away from Kyle Stanley in the afternoon by winning three straight holes to start the back nine that carried him to a 2-and-1 victory.

Now he has a clear path – and a familiar one for Bubba Watson – to replace Dustin Johnson at No. 1 in the world.

Johnson didn’t win a match this week and will not get any world ranking points. That means Thomas only has to beat Watson in the semifinals Sunday morning to become the seventh American to top the world ranking.

“I don’t care when it happens,” Thomas said about going to No. 1. “I just hope it happens, and it happens for a while.”

It’s only fitting Watson stands in his way.

Miss anything from @DellMatchPlay?

Day 4 highlights right here ? pic.twitter.com/h1MuDvYFZX

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 25, 2018

Watson outlasted Brian Harman in a battle of Georgia southpaws and then won five of six holes to start the back nine to beat Kiradech Aphibarnrat, 5 and 3. That put him in the semifinals for the first time since his Match Play debut in 2011 when it was in Arizona.

That was the year the reigning PGA champion – Martin Kaymer – only had to beat Watson to reach No. 1 in the world. Kaymer won with an 8-foot par on the 18th hole.

“I guess I’m good at that,” Watson said. “If you want No. 1, just beat me, and you’ll be No. 1.”

Alex Noren extended his run at Austin Country Club by winning for the ninth time in his last 10 matches. His only loss was to Johnson a year ago in the quarterfinals, and he needed only 31 holes to beat Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith of Australia.

Noren and Thomas are the only semifinalists who have not lost a match this week.

Kevin Kisner reached the semifinals with a big putt and a big blowout. He made a birdie on the 18th hole to beat Matt Kuchar, and then matched the shortest match of the week with an 8-and-6 victory over Ian Poulter, who was disappointed for more than just losing.

“Probably didn’t see that one coming,” Kisner said. “I thought it was going to be a difficult match. Obviously, Ian’s match-play record speaks for itself. I got off to a good start making a few birdies. He made a few mistakes, and I was able to capitalize on those. And things just snowballed from there.”

Poulter was told after he beat Louis Oosthuizen in the morning that reaching the quarterfinals was enough for him to be in the top 50 at the end of the week, which would get him into the Masters. Moments later, he received a text that he needed to win his match against Kisner.

“I gave him no fight at all. It was rubbish,” said Poulter, who didn’t make a birdie.

The misinformation wasn’t to blame, though it clearly added to an all-around bad day at the office.

“Next time I won’t listen to other people. I’ll do my bit and focus better,” Poulter said. “I mean, I can’t put that down as an excuse. It would be an excuse if I said it. So it’s disappointing to be given the wrong information, but that wasn’t part of this afternoon.”

Kisner faces Noren, whom he knows from their college days – Kisner at Georgia, Noren at Oklahoma State.

Thomas (No. 2) and Noren (No. 13) are the only top seeds from the 16 groups who advanced to the semifinals. Noren has had a pair of close calls this year, losing in a playoff at Torrey Pines and finishing one shot out of a playoff that Thomas won at the Honda Classic.

Thomas knows what he’s up against. Watson, who won last month at Riviera, is looking very much like the two-time Masters champion again.

Watson has played the 18th hole just one time this week, a halve with Julian Suri that allowed him to avoid a playoff to advance. Reaching the semifinals was bittersweet in one respect – he was to leave the country Sunday morning for a family vacation.

That will have to wait.

Kiradech bogeyed the 10th and 11th to fall behind, and Watson birdied the next two holes to go 4 up, win the match and delay his vacation.

Why even book a flight on Sunday knowing he could reach the semifinals? Apparently, the flights were cheaper.

“I’ve never made it to Sunday at this golf course, so why not?” Watson said. “t’s a good problem to have, when you have to cancel stuff for an extra day. It’s well worth it to play on Sunday.”

So it will be a semifinal match between two players who at one time thought they wouldn’t be in Austin this long.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – It didn’t take long for Canadian Corey Conners to show that his breakout performance at the Valspar Championship was no fluke.

The Listowel, Ont., native will tee it up in Sunday’s final group for the second time in as many events. Conners’ five-birdie effort tied the low-round of the day, leaving the Team Canada National Squad graduate two back of the lead.

Conners’ round was punctuated by a chip-in birdie on the par-3 9th, to an elevated green well above the 26-year-old’s line of sight.

.@coreconn’s short game is ????

He’s in solo 2nd heading into the final round of the @CoralesChamp ?? pic.twitter.com/V6Wk19no0o

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 24, 2018

In his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, Conners has made 10 cuts in 11 events, with a T16 at the Valspar Championship two weeks ago being his best finish. Conners held the first-, second- and third-round leads at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort after coming into that week as third alternate.

“Really happy with the round,” Conners said. “I got off to a nice start, made a bunch of birdies on the front nine and kind of held it together on the back nine. It was playing really difficult. The wind was really blowing out there, made things challenging.”

He’ll tee off at 11:25 a.m. ET alongside leader Brice Garnett, a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour. The pair will be joined by Tyler McCumber, a Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada alumnus, who holds third place at 12 under par.

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