Fansided

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play groups and predictions

By David Salituro

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 17: Tiger Woods of the United States hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 17, 2019 on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 17: Tiger Woods of the United States hits a tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 17, 2019 on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MARCH 17: Jason Day of Australia hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 17, 2019 on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – MARCH 17: Jason Day of Australia hits a tee shot on the seventh hole during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 17, 2019 on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Group 9: Xander Schauffele, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tyrrell Hatton and Lee Westwood

Xander Schauffele jumped out to an early lead in the FedEx Cup standings this year with wins in two of his first five starts. Since then, however, Schauffele only has one top-10 and is coming off a missed cut at the Players Championship. If he can recapture the form he had earlier in the year, he’s the clear favorite in this group. Schauffele’s game is solid in almost every area. He’s fourth on tour in total strokes gained this year, 13th in tee-to-green and 21st in putting.

Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello went 2-0-1 in his only Ryder Cup appearance in 2016, the same year he finished third at this event. Since then, however, he’s failed to get out of the group stage. Tyrrell Hatton has the talent to compete with Schauffele, but his temper often gets in his own way. Lee Westwood is the veteran of this group, as the 45-year-old is making his 18th career appearance in this event.

Group 10: Paul Casey, Cameron Smith, Charles Howell III and Abraham Ancer

Coming off a win Sunday at the Valspar Championship, Paul Casey returns to the Match Play event where he’s had so much success in the past. Casey lost in the finals two years in a row in 2009 and 2010 and has won his group in two of the last four years. Charles Howell III, however, has been one of the steadiest players on tour this year and also has recent success in this format. Howell, who won for the first time in 11 years last November, advanced past the group stage each of the past two years. The 39-year-old is eighth on tour this season in total strokes gained, 17th in putting and second in greens in regulation. He’ll make it three straight trips to the final stage this year.

Cameron Smith had a stellar match play record as an amateur in Australia and made the quarterfinals in his debut last year. Abraham Ancer, meanwhile, is making his first appearance in this event.

Group 11: Tommy Fleetwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Kyle Stanley and Byeong Hun An

This group should be decided by one match, Tommy Fleetwood vs. Louis Oosthuizen. Fleetwood was 4-1 in the Ryder Cup last September and made the quarterfinals in this event in 2015. That’s his only time advancing past the group stage, however. Oosthuizen, meanwhile, has won his group three times and was runner-up in 2016.

The edge in this match goes to Fleetwood based on recent form. The Englishman has finished third and fifth in his last two PGA Tour starts. Oosthuizen was runner-up last week at the Valspar Championship, but he only has one other top-25 finish in five previous starts this year. Fleetwood has been solid all year, ranking fourth on tour in strokes gained: off-the-tee, and fifth in tee-to-green and total strokes. He joins “Moliwood” teammate Francesco Molinari in the next round.

Don’t expect much from the other two members of this group. Kyle Stanley has missed the cut in six of his last seven events, while Byeong Hun An only has one top-10 finish this season.

Group 12: Jason Day, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk

The proverbial “Group of Death” contains four major champions each with the chance to win this group. The advantage, however, goes to Jason Day. Day has won this event twice, in 2014 and 2016, the first year it was held in Austin. He experienced health issues that forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he came back with a top-10 finish at the Players Championship two weeks ago. Before the injury, he had top-five finishes in his previous two starts. The Aussie ranks inside the top-10 on the PGA Tour this year in total strokes gained, off-the-tee and putting.

Phil Mickelson, making his 15th appearance in this event, has never made it past the quarterfinals. He also hasn’t been in the best form recently, with missed cuts in his last two starts. Henrik Stenson, winner here in 2007, is playing for the first time since 2015 and hasn’t been past the round of 32 since 2008. Jim Furyk has been enjoying a career renaissance lately at age 48, including a runner-up finish at the Players. His best result is a semifinal appearance in 2015.

Home/PGA Tour