Rahm, García and Ancer win again; Johnson ties as Niemann

Austin (Texas, USA), March 25 (EFE) .- The Spanish Jon Rahm and Sergio García along with the Mexican Abraham Ancer were again among the players who for the second consecutive day achieved the triumph in the Dell Technologies tournament Match Play, of the PGA Tour, within the group mode, in which the pairings were full of emotions and surprises.
If the first round of the tournament that began yesterday, Wednesday, left 16 games, of the 32 that reached the distance, this Thursday, only 10 did, which showed less equality.
One of the matches that reached the distance was the one that Rahm starred against the Irishman Shane Lowry, with whom he maintained a great fight and equality that was only decided on the 18th hole later, which the Spanish golfer won with a birdie.
Earlier, Lowry had gotten into the game after scoring two consecutive birdies on holes 16 and 17 after trailing 2-5 until the 12th hole.
Rahm, who was won in the first round by Colombian Sebastián Muñoz, is now 2-0 so far this tournament, and has secured his place in the knockout competition at the weekend.
García also had a winning day and also did not need to reach the distance because he beat Englishman Tyrrell Hatton with 4-1 (3 up) at the completion of the 16th hole so he did not need to play the last two of the round.
Like Rahm, Garcia, who showed great consistency in his shots, is now 2-0 in the tournament after defeating veteran Lee Westwood in the first round, who recovered in the second round to get the victory against French Antoine Rozner 6-2 (4 up), without having to play the last three holes.
Rozner, the 28-year-old Parisian, in the first round had been the executioner of the American Bryson DeChambeau, but against Ancer he could never with the best inspiration in the putts of the Mexican golfer.
Ancer, followed in the footsteps of Rahm and Garcia remained inspired and the winner after beating American Kevin Streelman 4-2 (2 up), which allowed him to secure the victory on the 17th hole when both golfers made par.
The Mexican golfer in the first round beat Austrian Bernd Wiesberger 6-3 (3 up) until the 15th hole.
His compatriot Carlos Ortiz, who in the first round had beaten Japanese Hideki Matsuyana 6-2 (4 up) until 15, this Thursday he could not with American Patrick Cantlay, who won 2-1 (1 up) after completing all the way.
While the world number one, the American Justin Johnson, who in the first round had won the 5-3 victory (2 up) against his compatriot Adam Long, in the second he could not with the Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, with whom he finished tied (5-5) after coming from behind 2-4 at the end of the eleventh hole.
Johnson, the world number one, made two consecutive birdies on holes 16 and 17 that allowed him to avoid defeat.
Another golfer who completed the day with a draw was the young Chilean Joaquín Niemann, who repeated the result he already had in the first.
Niemann, who until the 17th hole was ahead with 7-6 on the scoreboard, against Bubba Watson, in the 18th, the American golfer made a birdie and forced the tie (7-7).
Muñoz, as happened in the duel against Rahm, this Thursday, against the American Ryan Palmer remained in the game until the 15th hole (5-5), but the local golfer birdied the next two to decide the victory 7- 5 (2 above) without having to play the last hole.
Tomorrow, Friday, the group stage of all against all concludes that will define the golfers who advance to the eliminatory stage of the weekend, in which Rahm, García and Ancer have already secured their passes.
While outstanding players such as the American Justin Thomas, world number two, who reaped his second consecutive defeat, this time against his compatriot Kevin Kisner, who defends the title of tournament champion, who distributes 10, have already been eliminated. 5 million dollars (8.9 million euros) in prizes, and is played at the Austin Country Club.

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