Everything you need to know about the 2017 WGC-Match Play pairings

Everything you need to know about the 2017 WGC-Match Play pairings
the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play pairings were announced Monday night, and though the
event lacks the gravitas of the NCAA bracket unveiling, the pairings didn't fall short
in drama. For those that forget, the Match Play revamped
its format in 2015, partially leaving single-elimination in favor of 16 "pods" of four players, with
everyone playing a round robin against the other three competitors. The players come
from four categories divided by rank; the top 16 players are considered the "A" group,
the next 16 classified as "B" and so forth. The players are grouped randomly by a ping-pong
machine. From there, the 16 group victors advance to
a single-elimination bracket, contested over four rounds on Saturday (Sweet 16 and quarterfinals)
and Sunday (semifinals and finals). This year's Match Play returns to Austin Country
Club, where it made its debut appearance in 2016. Jason Day is the reigning champ, soundly
defeating Louis Oosthuizen, 5 and 4, to claim his second career Match Play crown.
Here are the round-robin pairings, as well as our breakdown of each group.
Jordan Spieth, Ryan Moore, Yuta Ikeda and Hideto Tanihara
Spieth is the obvious favorite, not only for his 2017 exploits (he ranks first in strokes
gained/approach and fifth in strokes gained) but for the Austin home-field advantage (he
played the course often in his 18 months on the UT men's golf team). But while Spieth
has played well in three Match Play appearances, don't sleep on Moore, his Ryder Cup teammate.
The 34-year-old made the tournament's quarterfinals last year and clinched the American victory
at Hazeltine with his Sunday singles win over Lee Westwood. And if that didn't solidify
his match-play credentials, there's that 2004 U.S. Amateur and two U.S. PubLinks titles
on his trophy mantel. Ikeda is the X-factor, a terrific ball-striker yet a streaky player.
He finished 2016 with four top-two finishes in his last five events but hasn't made a
cut this season. Hideki Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Ross Fisher,
Jim Furyk Matsuyama's had mixed results at this event.
Conversely, he ranks third in birdies this year and is one of the five best golfers in
the game, so maybe we take his past with a grain of salt. Oosthuizen thrives in this
environment, finishing second to Day in 2016 with consecutive quarterfinals appearances
in 2014 and 2015. He made a nice run at Phoenix in February, and his game has been consistent,
if not spectacular, since. Fisher is experiencing a career revival at 36, making his first appearance
at the event since 2011. He also won the 2009 Volvo World Match Play Championship, circling
him as a formidable opponent. In an unrelated note, these seem like four dudes who would
get along splendidly, so don't envision any Keegan Bradley-Miguel Angel Jimenez fireworks
from this pod. Rory McIlroy, Emiliano Grillo, Gary Woodland,
Soren Kjeldsen Grillo went 68 or lower in three rounds at
the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a positive sign given his putting struggles this season.
Woodland's been hot with four top-10s and two second-place finishes in 2017, and if
that record doesn't frighten his opponents, his runner-up finish at this event in 2015
should. Of course, the guy he lost to happens to be … McIlroy. Along with his 2015 victory,
Rory finished fourth last year and second in 2012. Better yet, his showings in Mexico
and Bay Hill testify the four-time major winner doesn't seem to suffering any lingering effects
of his rib injury. (Programming note: Rory showed up on set with a "You're going to ask
me about Patrick Reed, aren't you?" look on his grill, and damned if Todd Lewis didn't
throw a Reed jab his way. Keep this in mind if McIlroy has the fire of Hephaestus in his
eyes this weekend.) Tyrrell Hatton, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jeunghun
Wang, Charles Howell III As Cabrera Bello proved at Hazeltine, he can
be a beast in this format. He also enters Austin in prime form, with five top-20s in
his last eight outings. Howell is an interesting study, as he's enjoyed a promising start to
the season but has historically withered in this event, with zero quarterfinal appearances
in eight tries. But the name to know is Hatton, one of the three hottest players in the sport.
The 25-year-old has a whopping eight top-10s in his last 11 starts, with his worst finish
a T-25 in that span. He's making his Match Play debut, but don't be surprised if the
Englishman makes some noise in Austin … and at Augusta National in two weeks. (Also, for
those of a gambling persuasion, Vegas has Hatton at 26-to-1 odds. We mentioned those
eight top-10s, right?) Matt Kuchar, Tommy Fleetwood, Zach Johnson,
Brendan Steele Though this group make lack the pizzazz of
some of the other pods—these four could show up to your neighborhood barbecue and
no one would bat an eye—it might have the best depth. Kuchar and Johnson are veterans
with 19 combined Match Play appearances, Fleetwood is on a roll with six top-12s in his last
eight starts, and Steele is enjoying a breakout campaign (in the top 20 in three strokes gained
categories, eighth in FedEx Cup points). This will be a dog fight.
Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Kevin Na, Chris Wood
To those worried about Thomas' three missed cuts in his last five outings (clears throat):
HE'S ALREADY WON THREE TIMES THIS SEASON. And if you're harping on those tournaments
gone awry, don't forget to mention his T-5 at the WGC-Mexico a few weeks back. Na and
Wood seem like tantalizing sleepers until realizing they've done bupkis in seven combined
Match Play appearances. On the other end of the spectrum, Fitzpatrick will be an fascinating
watch. Some view him as England's next great hope, while others scoff at his lack of distance
and consistency. The distance won't be a factor at Austin, and for those worried about durability,
well, he's only 22. Don't be shocked if he translates a promising display at Bay Hill
into Texas dividends. Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm, Kevin Chappell, Shane
Lowry A nice-sized audience gathered for Monday
night's event in Austin, and it was clear that visions of Rahm, the fledging superstar,
matched against the likes of Spieth, Rory, Jason Day or Dustin Johnson danced in their
heads. When Rahm's name followed Garcia's, the audience's disappointment was palpable.
Which isn't fair; confirmed with a victory in Dubai, Sergio has plenty of gas in his
tank. In that same breath, the group will have its hands full with Rahm, who ranks third
in strokes gained and fifth in scoring average. Chappell is making his tournament debut thanks
to a phenomenal 2016. That said, he's desperately seeking signs of life, finishing inside the
top 40 just once in his last nine starts. Alex Noren, Francesco Molinari, Bernd Wiesberger,
Thongchai Jaidee Noren's considerably cooled off since winning
four times in the second half of 2016 and has been out of sorts on North American soil
(MC at Oakmont, T-49 at Baltusrol, T-55 in Mexico City, T-49 at Bay Hill). Molinari has
only finished better than T-33 once in six Match Play tries, and Wiesberger's track record
is similarly unremarkable. Jaidee, with a sound approach game, could be a tougher out
than his world ranking suggests. Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Kevin Kisner,
Jason Dufner Whatever the over/under is on Reed Ryder Cup
highlights during the round-robin format, take the over. At first glance, this is one
of the tougher pods in round-robin play, and it certainly boasts name recognition. In truth,
however, the bark is worse than the bite. Reed hasn't finished inside the top 25 in
his last five starts, and his iron work is a mess (ranks 187th in strokes gained/approach).
Duf has been consistent this season, yet hasn't challenged in a tournament and sits 76th in
the FedEx Cup. And something is really up with Koepka: In six starts in 2017, he has
four missed cuts, a T-42 in Phoenix and T-48 in Mexico City. The only saving grace is Kisner,
who finished T-2 at Bay Hill, owns four top-12s on the year and ranks seventh in strokes gained.
Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker, Martin Kaymer, Webb Simpson
Here's your Group of Death. All major winners, with three playing in last year's Ryder Cup.
Johnson enters as the World No. 1, and with good reason. He's won his last two events,
finished inside the top six in six of his past seven tournaments and ranks first in
strokes gained. If you're looking for a weakness, he's reached the Match Play quarterfinals
just once in eight attempts. Walker has quietly bounced back from a slow start with three
straight top-25s, while Kaymer has enjoyed a nice run as well (six top-25s in seven starts).
Whoever emerges will be a threat to win the tournament.
Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Lee Westwood, Pat Perez
Got to feel for Day. His title defense begins against last week's API winner, another competitor
that already has a tour victory this season and a player with 10 Ryder Cups under his
belt. Then again, Day has captured this event two of the past three years and finished third
in 2014, so he's likely not too startled. Day's wins and Westwood's experience make
them favorites, but don't count out Leishman. He ranks second on tour in strokes gained/putting
and fourth in scoring average, attributes that correlate to Match Play success.
Danny Willett, Russell Knox, Bill Haas, K.T. Kim
Poor Willett is out of sorts, with just one finish inside the top 50 in his past five
tournaments. Luckily, Match Play has been kind to the reigning Masters champ (finishing
third in 2015) and offers a platform for Willett to right the ship. Haas is too competent not
to have better results at Match Play (0-for-6 in quarterfinal appearances), and though he
hasn't transferred last year's goodwill to 2017, Knox's penchant for red scores (eighth
in birdie average) makes him a menacing adversary in this format. (Plus, Knox is an unreasonably
nice guy. It's always the friendly ones who can drive a stake through your heart.)
Paul Casey, Charl Schwartzel, Byeong-Hun An, Joost Luiten
Casey's back-to-back silver medals in Match Play will grab headlines from this group.
While those displays warrant attention, be wary of the 39-year-old on the dance floor.
He ranks 174th in total putting and 141st in strokes gained/putting. Casey remains excellent
with an iron or wedge in his hand, but the flat stick can be the bane of your existence
in Match Play. An's distance off the tee could present its share of scoring opportunities,
but Schwartzel—who can ride a birdie streak with the best of them—will be the headache
in this pod. Assuming he can avoid errant shots from his playing partners, that is.
Bubba Watson, Thomas Pieters, Scott Piercy, Jhonattan Vegas
One doesn't normally associate Bubba as a Match Play savant, yet his record begs to
differ. The two-time Masters winner could be a tricky out, and frankly, Watson needs
to find something in Austin before traveling to Augusta, flaunting only two top-10s in
the past calendar year. The popular pick will be Pieters, with many remembering his feats
at Hazeltine to justify his cause. He's certainly shown flashes, finishing second at the Genesis
Open and T-5 in Mexico City, but he hasn't found a way to stop the bleeding when things
go bad, with three missed cuts in his last six events. If he wants to do damage this
week, he needs to stabilize his "B" game. Phil Mickelson, J.B. Holmes, Daniel Berger,
Si Woo Kim It's staggering that Mickelson endures as
an "A" player at age 46. Equally stunning: Mickelson's reached the tournament's quarterfinals
only once. For a guy that loves the spotlight this event bestows, one would think he'd have
any entire cabinet of Match Play silverware by now. Berger has been frustratingly streaky
this year, but high marks in putting (17th in strokes gained) and birdie average (11th)
circles him as this group's dark horse. Also, pray for Kim. Cat is one of the shortest hitters
on tour (averaging less than 280 yards off the tee) and has the misfortune of competing
against this trio of rocket launchers. "Drive for show, putt for dough" loses its luster
when you're 40 yards behind Holmes every hole, you know?
Branden Grace, Brandt Snedeker, Will McGirt, Andy Sullivan
There are a handful of guys that, when you watch them on the range, you wonder, "How
the hell don't they win more?" Grace certainly fits that bill. The 28-year-old has been on
a roller coaster in 2017, with a couple nice tournaments mixed in with missed cuts and
a WD. His sabermetrics this year are dreadful, but if he reverts back to 2016's performance,
his approach game will put the heat on his opponents. Speaking of bringing the fire,
Sneds and his short game will make many a rival uneasy. Any weekend prospects, however,
reside in his approach game. The Vandy product is not necessarily long off the tee; if his
irons continue to produce "eh" results, any hopes of mustering a charge will be for naught.

Everything you need to know about the 2017 WGC-Match Play pairings

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