WGC Match Play Championship

The WGC Match Play Championship was a professional golf tournament played on the PGA Tour from the late 1990s into the early 2020s. It was the only match-play tournament on the PGA Tour during those years. This tournament was part of the World Golf Championships (WGC) series of limited-field events, and went by many different names over its lifespan. Those included:

• 1999-2000: WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
• 2001-2014: WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship
• 2015: WGC-Cadillac Match Play
• 2016: WGC-Dell Match Play
• 2017-2023: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

The WGC Match Play Championship originally used a 36-hole championship, but switched to all-18-hole matches from 2011. It was also counted as an official tournament on the European Tour and co-sanctioned by most of the tours that were members of the International Golf Federation.

Winners of the WGC Match Play Championship

1999 — Jeff Maggert def. Andrew Magee, 1-up (38 holes)
2000 — Darren Clarke def. Tiger Woods, 4 and 3
2001 — Steve Stricker def. Pierre Fulke, 2 and 1
2002 — Kevin Sutherland def. Scott McCarron, 1-up
2003 — Tiger Woods def. David Toms, 2 and 1
2004 — Tiger Woods def. Davis Love III, 3 and 2
2005 — David Toms def. Chris DiMarco, 6 and 5
2006 — Geoff Ogilvy def. Davis Love III, 3 and 2
2007 — Henrik Stenson def. Geoff Ogilvy, 2 and 1
2008 — Tiger Woods def. Stewart Cink, 8 and 7
2009 — Geoff Ogilvy def. Paul Casey, 4 and 3
2010 — Ian Poulter def. Paul Casey, 4 and 2
2011 — Luke Donald def. Martin Kaymer, 3 and 2
2012 — Hunter Mahan def. Rory McIlroy, 2 and 1
2013 — Matt Kuchar def. Hunter Mahan, 2 and 1
2014 — Jason Day def. Victor Dubuisson, 1-up (23 holes)
2015 — Rory McIlroy def. Gary Woodland, 4 and 2
2016 — Jason Day def. Louis Oosthuizen, 5 and 4
2017 — Dustin Johnson def. Jon Rahm, 1-up
2018 — Bubba Watson def. Kevin Kisner, 7 and 6
2019 — Kevin Kisner def. Matt Kuchar, 3 and 2
2020 — Not played
2021 — Billy Horschel def. Scottie Scheffler, 2 and 1
2022 — Scottie Scheffler def. Kevin Kisner, 4 and 3
2023 — Sam Burns def. Cameron Young, 6 and 5

Tiger Woods won this tournament more than anyone else, three times (part of his record 18 overall wins in WGC tournaments). Woods was the only golfer to successfully defend his title in this event, which he did in 2004 after winning in 2003. He also had the largest margin-of-victory in the championship match, 8 and 7 over Stewart Cink in 2008. (Woods' win that year was in a 36-hole match; after the tournament switched to 18-hole finals, Bubba Watson scored a 7-and-6 win over Kevin Kisner in 2018.)

Geoff Ogilvy and Jason Day were the only other golfers to post multiple victories, two each. Woods and Ogilvy each also reached the championship match one other time.

Woods also holds the tournament's overall biggest winning margin in any round of match play. In the first round in 2006, Woods beat Stephen Ames by a 9-and-8 score in an 18-hole match.

Golf courses: The WGC Match Play Championship had multiple host sites over its history, all but one of them in the United States. It was played at these locations:

• 1999-2000: La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California
• 2001: Metropolitan Golf Club in Victoria, Australia
• 2002-2006: La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California
• 2007-2010: The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Tucson, Arizona
• 2011-2014: The Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona
• 2015: TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California
• 2016-2023: Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas

This tournament should not be confused with the World Match Play Championship played in Europe from the 1960s into the 2000s, nor the older News of the World Match Play in Britain.

Sources:
EuropeanTour.com. 2019 Season, Schedule, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, History, https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/wgc-dell-technologies-match-play-2019/history.
PGATour.com. Tournaments, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/2023/world-golf-championships-dell-technologies-match-play/R2023470/leaderboard.