The stars of golf put traditional strokeplay behind them this week for the latest World Golf Championship event, the WGC Dell Match Play. This tournament has been altered a bit in the last few years and has another tweak to the format and a new course playing host.
The format was altered a couple of years ago from the exciting straight knockout event it used to be to install a group stage in the first round. This ensured more of the top stars added the event to their calendar knowing they will be playing at least three rounds of golf as opposed to the chance they might only play one.
In previous years matches have gone beyond 18 holes if they have been all square but for the first time this year there will be halved matches in the group stage. That should be a positive move as it will mean more players are alive going into the final round of group games.
After brief sojourns in San Francisco this tournament has moved to Texas for a while with the Austin Country Club staging the tournament. The course is a par 71 which measures 7,073 yards so it isn’t long which should keep all of the 64 man field in play unlike previous courses which have been used that have played into the hands of the bombers.
We don’t know a lot about this course but the first thing we notice from the fly overs and overviews around is that it doesn’t look particularly tight which is perfect for match play. A creek runs through a number of holes and the greens are protected by plenty of danger so all the signs are this could be a cracking match play course.
The other thing that is eminently noticeable this week is that the course is very exposed so the wind is going to have a significant impact on the tournament. That is an important thing to remember when going with your selections.
Apart from Henrik Stenson, anyone who is anyone in the game of golf right now will tee it up this week. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, is the 11/1 favourite slightly ahead of Jordan Spieth and the former champion Jason Day who are both 14/1. Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler both check in at 16/1 with Bubba Watson an 18/1 chance.
When we bet in match play we have to appreciate the differences between this and strokeplay. Here it is all about beating your opponents score on each hole not scoring as low as you can. From that point of view the course can sometimes be irrelevant.
This week I’m looking for a player who is hitting iron shots well and who has form with the putter. Putting is a massive thing this week and those who can hole the most putts from the 20 feet region will go close. On this track it goes without saying that we need players competent in the wind.
Whenever this tournament comes around I take a player from each quarter in the hope that we can get a couple through to Sunday where the pay outs occur. The beauty of this tournament is bookmakers pay out on the semi-finalists so we don’t actually have to find the winner to land some decent cash.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day might be the top three seeds in this tournament but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that Adam Scott isn’t the best player in the game right now. He is and he is my main pick this week.
If you look at Scott’s record in this tournament you would notice it is pretty poor but I’ve often had the feeling he’s not cared too much for it when it was a straight knockout and his putter has given him nothing since it has moved to the group format.
His putter is working brilliantly at the minute and nobody is better in the world of golf from tee to green than Scott. Bill Haas, Chris Wood and Thomas Pieters represents a tough group but not one which is impossible to escape from. Assuming he does escape the draw should open up for him and he looks a standout punt to me this week.
Danny Willett was third in this tournament last year and I see no reason why he can’t go well again this week. We saw him a couple of weeks ago contending at Doral on a track which he had no right to so do on given the length required there. Tee to green he was very good that week and we know he is a solid putter too.
Willett is a competitive little so and so who has a nice group with Brooks Koepka, Billy Horschel and Jaco van Zyl. I would expect him to come out of that and with no Jason Day until the quarter final, if the Australian makes it that far, there is plenty of value in the Englishman.
Marc Leishman is a player with an excellent pedigree in this format of the game and I see no reason not to back him either. He has shown already this season how well he is hitting the ball. He showed that at the Nedbank and at Riviera and given how strong he is with an iron in his hand and how good a putter he is he should go very well.
Leishman has always been comfortable in the wind which is very much a positive this week and he hasn’t found a bad group against a hit and miss Garcia, a competent Moore and a woefully out of form Lee Westwood. Leishman has all the hallmarks to go well from that draw at a pretty tasty price.
Finally I’m going to go for a man who impressed last week on his way to a tied sixth finish at Bay Hill and who has recently won a match play event in windy conditions and that is Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise that Aphibarnrat won the Paul Lawrie Match Play because he often flushes his irons and as I’ve repeatedly said he is a very underrated putter. With accuracy off the tee not being too much of a factor this week everything should be lined up for the Thai to have another decent week.
Of the four I’m taking Aphibarnrat has the toughest task in that he could run into Spieth in the quarter final but we would be on him at a crazy price were that to be the last eight match up. At the prices I’m happy to take the Thai again.
Back A.Scott to win WGC Dell Match Play (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 17.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back D.Willett to win WGC Dell Match Play (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 41.00 with Ladbrokes (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
Back M.Leishman to win WGC Dell Match Play (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 61.00 with Stan James (1/4 1-4)
Back K.Aphibarnrat to win WGC Dell Match Play (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with NetBet (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
GL with your selections Kev. I’m liking Danny Wilett, improving all the time. I Noticed Aphibarnrat shot a 63 last Sunday and not a single bogey on his card…..now there’s a collectors item.