Former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth has committed to this year’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, the tournament announced Wednesday. Spieth, who won a national championship in 2012 at Texas, will be heading back to his self-described “favorite city in the world” March 21-25 for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club to play in front of what’s sure to be a pro-Spieth crowd.
“This is a second home to me. My only other place I've actually called home,” said Spieth. “I love coming back to Austin. It's just an incredible city. It's beautiful. It's active. I feel like it encompasses what I love in a city. It's probably my favorite city in the world.”
Spieth joins what is sure to be one of the strongest fields of the year with 2017 FedExCup champion and current FedExCup leader Justin Thomas, defending champion and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and 2015 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play champion Rory McIlroy already committed for the 2018 edition.
I love coming back to Austin. It's just an incredible city. It's beautiful. It's active. I feel like it encompasses what I love in a city. It's probably my favorite city in the world.
Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion and 11-time PGA TOUR winner, has made four career starts in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play but has yet to make the semifinal round on Sunday. His best effort came in his first appearance in 2014, falling in the quarterfinals 4&2 to Ernie Els.
During a decorated two-year career at the University of Texas, Spieth earned first-team All-American honors and was named the 2012 Big 12 Player of the Year. In Texas’ national championship victory over Alabama, Spieth defeated current FedExCup leader Justin Thomas 3&2 in the match play final.
“Obviously I've got a lot of great memories here from going to college here. It's nice to be able to come back and actually work and play in front of pretty much a hometown crowd here,” Spieth said. “And I certainly feel that support out there. So it's a wonderful week.”
Throughout his two years at Texas, Spieth regularly played at Austin Country Club and always looks forward to returning to the Pete Dye design.
“This is a familiar track for me, and it's a familiar place for me just being around -- people asking me where to go to dinner and what to do. That doesn't happen very often,” “Spieth said a year ago. “I feel more comfortable here, and I think it's easier to settle in on the positive side of things, and easier to enjoy when it's not quite going so well. It's advantageous, I guess is what I'm trying to say.”
Spieth, No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is one of three former Longhorns currently qualified if the cutoff were today. Dylan Frittelli (No. 44), and Jhonattan Vegas (No. 50) are currently inside the top 64 and would be qualified if the cutoff were today. Frittelli, who was teammates with Spieth,
The 2018 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the third of four World Golf Championships events during the 2017-18 season, has a limited number of tickets remaining. Tickets can be purchased at DellTechnologiesMatchPlay.com or by calling 844-868-7465. Tickets available include weekly grounds badges that grant access to the Austin Country Club grounds and all public venues, fan activations and bleachers. Additionally, ULTRA Club badges are available. The ULTRA Club, which is located on the 12th fairway, offers an enhanced venue to follow the action, with several televisions located throughout and open seating for guests to sit and mingle in a relaxed sports bar setting.
Those who purchased tickets are reminded that youth 18 and under will be admitted free all week when accompanied by a ticketed adult (one free youth ticket per each adult ticket will be available). This free ticket only applies for grounds tickets and not upgraded hospitality options.
The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is one of the most elite and exciting tournaments on golf’s calendar as one in a series of four World Golf Championships events sanctioned and organized by the operational committee of the International Federation of PGA Tours, which includes the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play field annually consists of the very best players from around the world from all Tours and traditionally features nearly all of the top 64 in the world.
Since its inception, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play has generated more than $17 million for charity with the tournament announcing in early October that the 2017 edition raised over $1.1 million for five Austin-based charities.