FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, March 25th, 2017

NBC SPORTS GROUP NOTABLE QUOTES – WGC-DELL TECHNOLOGIES MATCH PLAY (ROUND OF 16)

NBC Sports Group Notable Quotes
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Saturday, March 25, 2017 (Round of 16)
Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas

**Coverage of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play continues at 2 p.m. ET on NBC with the Quarterfinal matches**

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Round of 16 Results
(1) Dustin Johnson def. (44) Zach Johnson 5&4
(8) Alex Noren def. (20) Brooks Koepka 3&1
(54) Hideto Tanihara def. (12) Paul Casey 2&1
(47) Ross Fisher def. (13) Bubba Watson 4&3
(62) Soren Kjeldsen def. (48) William McGirt 5&4
(21) Jon Rahm (61) def. Charles Howell III 6&4
(42) Bill Haas def. (46) Kevin Na 1up
(14) Phil Mickelson def. (28) Marc Leishman 4&3

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Quarterfinal Matches:
(1) Dustin Johnson vs. (8) Alex Noren
(47) Ross Fisher vs. (54) Hideto Tanihara
(21) Jon Rahm vs. (62) Soren Kjeldsen
(14) Phil Mickelson vs. (42) Bill Haas

On players advancing to the Quarterfinals
Nick Faldo – “You normally get one guy who’s the demoralizer or a dominator. But we’ve got [Jon] Rahm and Dustin [Johnson] and Phil [Mickelson] and [Soren] Kjeldsen.”

Jon Rahm speaking with NBC Sports’ Steve Sands following his 6&4 win over Howell
Jon Rahm – “Those putts I made on the front nine saved me a lot, and the par putt on 8… It just gave me a lot of confidence and I hit good tee shots and I had perfect numbers into the pin[s]. I was really comfortable on the golf course after hole #6.”

Phil Mickelson speaking with Sands following his 4&3 win over Leishman
Phil Mickelson – “There’s going to be a key match that’s going to go down to the last few holes, and I’m not as comfortable on those holes as I’d like to be. But I love the fact that I’m able to be rested and ready to play because I think it’s helping me get off to a good start.”

Soren Kjeldsen speaking with Sands following his 5&4 win over McGirt
Soren Kjeldsen – “Playing with these great players, you know some of the guys can hit shots that I can’t hit. So therefore I have to do my own thing and I have to do it well.”

Bill Haas speaking with Sands following his 1up win over Na
Bill Haas – “I think I made five birdies, no bogeys, so overall in a stroke play event that would be very good. But Phil is winning by a lot of big margins so I’m assuming he’s making a lot of birdies out there. I certainly can’t be scrambling around if I want to beat him. Looking forward to it. He’s a guy I look up to, so just to be playing him will be a lot of fun.”

Ross Fisher speaking with Sands following his 4&3 win over Watson
Ross Fisher – “I knew it was going to be tough. Bubba’s a great champion, major winner, class act. We just had a lot of fun out there. He just threw some blows at me and fortunately around 12, 13, 14, they were pivotal holes there… And obviously to finish that way with a holed bunker shot is truly fantastic.”

On Fisher
Faldo – “He’s streaky but he’s been playing well for over a month now. He’s a danger man.”

Dustin Johnson speaking with Sands following his 5&4 win over Z. Johnson
Dustin Johnson – “I’m playing pretty solid golf, just not making any mistakes. I hit one bad shot on 11, but Zach didn’t hit a good one either… Other than that I played really well. Made a lot of birdies, hit a lot of fairways, lot of good shots into the green… I feel like I’m rolling the putter pretty well, so if I get it on the green, I feel like I can make them.”

Alex Noren speaking with Sands following his 3&1 win over Koepka
Alex Noren – “[Dustin] will probably hit it longer than I do. But this course, it has a lot to do with the wedges, the putting, the chipping. We’ll see. He’s a great player and obviously world No. 1. I’m looking forward to [having] a match against him. No expectations, and let’s see what I can do.”

On Noren
Gary Koch – “This guy has led the field in strokes gained putting this week. Unusual style, but it works.”
Faldo – “He hasn’t been hot this year, but maybe this is the start of it.”

-NBC Sports Group-