BlogGuide to the first 3 days of the WGC-Cadillac Match play

This week’s field includes:

So we finally have the groupings and pairings of our new format for the Cadillac Match Play Championship.  Over the course of the next three days we will probably see the most intense golf ever seen.  There will be 96 matches as everyone will play three days and with this format their is a possibility of winning your group, even with a loss.  Still everyone is not thinking that way, they all want to be perfect for the three days and for the player that goes 3-0, he will advance to the round of 16.

So here is a close look at each group and we will tell you on what day a player will play another one.  This should be great to watch on TV and give us weeks of action in just a couple of days.

GROUP 1   Rory McIlroy (1), Bill Horschel (19), Brandt Snedeker (36) and Jason Dufner (56)

RD. 1 (WED.)

McIlroy vs. Dufner

Horschel vs. Snedeker

RD. 2 (THUR.)

McIlroy vs. Snedeker

Horschel vs. Dufner

RD. 3 (FRI.)

McIlroy vs. Horschel

Snedeker vs. Dufner

Of course 9 out of ten players will give the edge to Rory, but I look forward to the Thursday match between McIlroy and Snedeker.  I give Snedeker a good shot at winning, frankly many will call it an upset, but Snedeker is a really good player.  Still you look at Brandt’s record in this even it’s not very good.  As for Horschel, he could pull an upset but his game hasn’t been sharp in a while.  As for Dufner, I can see him losing at least two, possibly three matches since his putting has been terrible.

Who should advance:  Rory will do it.

 

GROUP 2  Jordan Spieth (2), Lee Westwood (27), Matt Every (41) and Mikko Ilonen (68)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Spieth vs. Ilonen

Westwood vs. Every

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Spieth vs. Every

Westwood vs. Ilonen

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Spieth vs. Westwood

Every vs. Ilonen

Who should advance:  I don’t see any other winner but Spieth.  His putting will be great and he will outputt his three opponents.  Westwood hasn’t played well this year, while Every hasn’t played well since winning the Arnold Palmer. As for Ilonen, he was a late entry due to Phil Mickelson withdraw and since Mikko was in China and rushed to San Francisco to participate, think that jet-lag will do him in.

 

GROUP 3 Henrik Stenson (3), Bill Haas (24), Brendon Todd (43) and John Senden (65)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Stenson vs. Senden

Haas vs. Todd

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Stenson vs. Todd

Haas vs. Senden

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Stenson vs. Haas

Todd vs. Senden

Who should advance:  See it coming down to Friday’s match of Stenson and Haas.  Both really good players, I can see Haas winning, matter of fact the way Stenson is doing he may fall flat on his face and lose two of the matches.  Look for Haas to continue to play over the weekend.

 

GROUP 4 Bubba Watson (4), Louis Oosthuizen (30), Keegan Bradley (34) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (69)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Watson vs. Jimenez

Oosthuizen vs. Bradley

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Watson vs. Bradley

Oosthuizen vs. Jimenez

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Watson vs. Oosthuizen

Bradley vs. Jimenez

 

Who should advance:  Interesting group because I can’t pick between Watson, Oosthuizen or Bradley.  Now Watson is playing the best but Louis after struggling in his first four years beat three really great players before Jason Day beat him 2 & 1.  Bradley has a terrible record in this event so maybe we go back and will know how well Bubba plays in past match plays.

So I chose Bubba but know he has to play good.  Oh for Jimenez, he isn’t playing great right now so don’t expect him over the weekend.

 

GROUP 5 Jim Furyk (5), Martin Kaymer (17), Thongchai Jaidee (45) and George Coetzee (64)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Furyk vs. Coetzee

Kaymer vs. Jaidee

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Furyk vs. Jaidee

Kaymer vs. Coetzee

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Furyk vs. Kaymer

Jaidee vs. Coetzee

 

Who should advance: I can see Coetzee and Jaidee winning on Wednesday over players that will be favored but just want play well.  So that leaves us with the Friday Jaidee/Coetzee match to determine it and I can see Jaidee going to the weekend.

 

GROUP 6  Justin Rose (6), Ryan Palmer (23) Anirban Lahiri (34) and Marc Leishman (60)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Rose vs. Leishman

Palmer vs. Lahiri

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Rose vs. Lahiri

Palmer vs. Leishman

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Rose vs. Palmer

Lahiri vs. Leishman

 

Who should advance: Rose has a terrible record in this event, still I can’t see any of the three revolting on Justin and beating him.

GROUP 7  Jason Day (7), Zach Johnson (25), Branden Grace (39) and Charley Hoffman (50)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Day vs. Hoffman

Johnson vs. Grace

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Day vs. Grace

Johnson vs. Hoffman

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Day vs. Johnson

Grace vs. Hoffman

Who should advance:  Nine out of ten will call this a Day victory but I think that he will have a probable with Grace and Hoffman.  Again gut feelings, I don’t like Johnson because if you look at his record. He has had a tough time getting past the first and second rounds.  But again maybe Dove Mountain wasn’t up Zach’s game.  Still since we can’t call it have to go with the favorite, Jason Day.

 

GROUP 8 Dustin Johnson (8), Victory Dubuisson (22), Charl Schwartzel (38) and Matt Jones (63).

RD. 1 (WED.)

Johnson vs. Jones

Dubuisson vs. Schwartzel

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Johnson vs. Schwartzel

Dubuisson vs. Jones

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Johnson vs. Dubuisson

Schwartzel vs. Jones

Who Should advance:  I don’t see Dubuisson doing what he did last year.  On paper this is a Dustin Johnson win but look at his dismal record in this event, I see that poor streak continuing.  So that leaves Charl Schwartzel, since it’s not going to be Matt Jones.  But look at Schwartzel’s record it’s not very good.  So that brings us back to Dustin who should win it.

 

Group 9 Adam Scott (9), Chris Kirk (26), Paul Casey (37) and Francisco Molinari (70)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Scott vs. Molinari

Kirk vs. Casey

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Scott vs. Casey

Kirk vs. Molinari

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Scott vs. Kirk

Casey vs. Molinari

Who Should advance: One thing I don’t like is Molinari, who has been injuried.  He is a last minute replacement and frankly is here for the good payday for getting eliminated early.  As for Kirk, don’t give him much of a chance so that leaves Adam Scott and Paul Casey.  They play on Thursday and that will be a great match, I see Casey coming through and playing the weekend.

 

GROUP 10 Sergio Garcia (10), Jamie Donaldson (31), Bernd Wiesberger (40) and Tommy Fleetwood (57)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Garcia vs. Fleetwood

Donaldson vs. Wiesberger

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Garcia vs. Wiesberger

Donaldson vs. Fleetwood

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Garcia vs. Donaldson

Wiesberger vs. Fleetwood

Who Should advance: This is an all-European grouping and I see only one winner and that is Sergio.

 

GROUP 11 Jimmy Walker (11), Ian Poulter (28), Webb Simpson (47) and Gary Woodland (52)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Walker vs. Woodland

Poulter vs. Simpson

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Walker vs. Simpson

Poulter vs. Woodland

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Walker vs. Poulter

Simpson vs. Woodland

Who Should advance:  This is a really good grouping with pairings that are perfect, leaving us with a Walker/Poulter pairing on Friday.  The winner comes out of that match, I see Poulter advancing.

 

GROUP 12 J.B. Holmes (12), Brooks Koepka (20), Russell Henley (46) and Marc Warren (53)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Holmes vs. Warren

Koepka vs. Henley

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Holmes vs. Henley

Koepka vs. Warren

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Holmes vs. Koepka

Henley vs. Warren

Who Should advance:  Holmes has the power, but is weak on the greens.  Now this are easy greens to putt on so maybe he has a chance.  Don’t know if Koepka is any better, but I see this being decided on Thursday with the Homes/Henley match-up. Russell has this streaking putter and if he gets it hot could run the table this week and go to the weekend.  See Henley advancing.

 

GROUP 13 Rickie Fowler (13), Graeme McDowell (33), Shane Lowry (48) and Harris English (58)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Fowler vs. English

McDowell vs. Lowry

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Fowler vs. Lowry

McDowell vs. English

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Fowler vs. McDowell

Lowry vs. English

 

Who Should advance: On paper many will think it’s going to be Fowler, but I see Friday’s match between Rickie and Graeme McDowell as the deciding point, look for McDowell to be on top.

 

GROUP 14 Matt Kuchar (14), Hunter Mahan (32), Stephen Gallacher (42) and Ben Martin (67)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Kuchar vs. Martin

Mahan vs. Gallacher

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Kuchar vs. Gallacher

Mahan vs. Martin

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Kuchar vs. Mahan

Gallacher vs. Martin

Who Should advance:  Again goes down to the Friday match-up of Kuchar/Mahan and I see Mahan advancing.

 

GROUP 15 Patrick Reed (15), Ryan Moore (29), Danny Willett (49) and Andy Sullivan (61)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Reed vs. Sullivan

Moore vs. Willett

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Reed vs. Willett

Moore vs. Sullivan

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Reed vs. Moore

Willett vs. Sullivan

Who Should advance: On paper everyone will be looking for the Reed/Moore match-up, but I think that Willett has the game and patience to win.

 

GROUP 16 Hideki Matsuyama (16), Kevin Na (21), Joost Luiten (44) and Alexander Levy (54)

RD. 1 (WED.)

Matsuyama vs. Levy

Na vs. Luiten

RD. 2 (THUR.)

Matsuyama vs. Luiten

Na vs. Levy

RD. 3 (FRI.)

Matsuyama vs. Na

Luiten vs. Levy

Who Should advance:  I see the Friday match between Matsuyama and Na has the deciding factor.  Like Na over Matsuyama.

 

 

**NOTE**

Please remember this event starts on Wednesday and is a five day event.

We will do write-ups on Friday night and Saturday night on who should win.

One thing to look for is our new GOLFstats IQ.  For those that play in fantasy golf it’s a perfect way to help you pick those players in Draft Kings and Victiv games.  You can customize the list of those in the tournaments, to look back a couple or many years of tournament stats and you can go back a couple or ten weeks prior to the tournament.  On top of that, all the stats are fully sortable to help you pick your six players, we even give you their value for the week to help you chose.

That’s GOLFstats IQ, give it a try and tell us what you think of it

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