The opening day of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play tournament sees all 64 players out on the course of the first of their three group matches with everyone having the same aim – win their match and ease the pressure on themselves in the games to come.
We have to wait until Friday for the two highest seeds in each group to go at it. Wednesday’s action sees the highest seed playing the lowest one with the other two players in each group meeting in the other game.
There is much to enjoy on the opening day with a repeat of that epic final round of The Open a few years ago between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson the undoubted highlight. Bubba Watson vs Kevin Na and Ian Poulter against Kevin Kisner are also on the card but in terms of a bet we like four matches.
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Alex Noren vs Haotong Li
Match tees off at 15.37 GMT
The first match which catches my eye from a betting point of view comes early in the day where Alex Noren will look to rediscover his form in a format which suits him nicely as he takes on Haotong Li who is not the best over 18 hole combat.
Noren won his group here last year coming through his three matches in front and seeing off a couple of bombers in the process while Li all three of his games in 2018 and never even saw the penultimate hole on the course which doesn’t bode well for him. It has been a quiet start to 2019 for Noren but despite that I like his game here. Haotong is prone to missing too many putts for my liking so I’ll take him on in this one.
Keegan Bradley vs Matt Wallace
Match tees off at 17.49 GMT
Two men who really need to win their opening match in Group 5 with Justin Thomas to come for them later in the week meet in one of the middle matches on the first day when Keegan Bradley takes on Matt Wallace.
You would think with the quality of ball striking Keegan Bradley has that his record in this tournament would be good but having won his first ever match in it he hasn’t won any of his last nine and he has to be vulnerable against a Matt Wallace who can be a birdie machine when he gets going. Bradley’s big issue is his struggles with the putter and they resurfaced in a big way last week in the Valspar Championship. Wallace should enjoy this track and at 6/4 he’s the bet.
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Tiger Woods vs Aaron Wise
Match tees off at 18.00 GMT
Immediately after the previous bet goes off two Americans take to the court to open up their campaigns when the experienced Tiger Woods takes on the man at the other end of the experience scale in Aaron Wise.
Woods is expected to dominate this match but while he has plenty of match play experience in the professional ranks he doesn’t have it on this course and if he starts leaking it off the tee he’ll soon find the hidden intricacies that makes this place so good. To be fair that is the task at hand for Wise too but he won the Byron Nelson on a track with similar qualities to this one not far from here so he should have good memories of Texas which can inspire him here. Wise was a top notch match play golfer in his college days and is a birdie machine. He’s huge value to upset the big cat.
Matt Kuchar vs JB Holmes
Match tees off at 19.17 GMT
It is the hated vs the hated for my final bet of the opening night of action as the tightwad that is Matt Kuchar takes on the tortoise that comes in the form of JB Holmes. Both men are in a trappy group so losing can’t be an option for either of them here.
I expect Kuchar to win this. Twice he has come out of the group on this course which is something that Holmes has never done and while the Genesis Open winner has the length advantage out of the two, Kuchar is so dialled in with his iron play and his short game that I don’t expect it to count for much. Indeed, it could be to Kuchar’s advantage to stick the pressure on Holmes early and with his match play record, which is vastly superior, I’ll take the Mayakoba and Sony champion here.
Tips
Back A.Noren to beat H.Li for a 4/10 stake at 2.15 with 888sport
Back him here:
WON – Back M.Wallace to beat K.Bradley for a 4/10 stake at 2.50 with Betfair
Back A.Wise to beat T.Woods for a 3/10 stake at 3.50 with Betfair
Back them here:
WON – Back M.Kuchar to beat JB Holmes for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with BetVictor
Back him here:
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