The number one seeds are gone, but several of the game’s best have made it to the third round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
The round of 16 begins with Harris English and Jim Furyk (12:55 pm ET). English is a two-time winner at the beginning of his career, and Furyk is a veteran grinder. Two different generations clash in the opening match.
The match of the day is Sergio Garcia v. Rickie Fowler (1:07 pm ET). Sergio has regained his status as a top player, and Fowler is a super talented 25-year-old looking for his second career victory.
Hunter Mahan v. Graeme McDowell (1:19 pm ET) could be a thriller. Mahan won the WGC-Accenture in 2012, and is 17-5 overall in the tournament. McDowell survived his first two matches, and said that he is surprised to still be around.
Victor Dubuisson v. Bubba Watson (1:31 pm ET) is the intriguing match of the day. Watson is an established player at the top of his game, and Dubuisson has quietly risen to 30th in the World Golf Rankings. Watch out Watson!
Louis Oosthuizen v. Webb Simpson (1:43 pm ET). Oosthuizen may have the best swing in the world, but injuries have led to inconsistent play. Simpson is having an awesome season with a win and three more top-tens.
Jason Day v. George Coetzee (1:55 pm ET). With Rory gone, Day is my favorite to win. However, Coetzee is a 14th seed who has proven he can win tough matches.
Ernie Els v. Jason Dufner (2:07 pm ET). Els joked in the press tent that he and Dufner probably won’t talk much because Duf is a quiet player. Expect a serious game between these two.
Matt Kuchar v. Jordan Spieth (2:19 pm ET) is the second best match to watch. Kuchar is the defending champ, and 17-3 all-time in the WGC-Accenture. Spieth is a 20-year-old phenom who is on the first page of the leaderboard in nearly every tournament.
TV: 2-6 pm ET on the Golf Channel.
Live match play tree.
