WGC-Dell Tech. Match Play Look Ahead
Brackets Keep On Coming
As if there wasn’t enough brackets to keep up with, now we’ve got a golf one! The 2018 World Golf Championships Dell Technologies match play is here and the field is an impressive one. With the likes of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, last weeks winner at Bay Hill Rory, and many others this ought to be one of the best tournaments yet. Now because this is a match play tournament with 64 players, The Dell Technologies match can go on longer than four days.
I love the idea of the this style of play because you can get away with mistakes from time to time. However; this style of play tends to get players out of their natural style. Which is good because it tests them. Also, because it’s March and who doesn’t love another bracket in March? One thing the tour is doing to change it up a little bit is they’re putting players into groups. Before they would just release a 64 player bracket and say “Have at it.” With the groups, anything can happen and if you lose, it’s not the end of the world.
The Sweet 16
16 groups in all and here are my group winners picks.
1 – Dustin Johnson
2 – Justin Thomas
3 – Jon Rahm
4 – Jordan Spieth
5 – Hideki Matsuyama
6 – Rory McIllroy
7 – Xander Schauffele
8 – Jason Day (Barely)
9 – Ian Poulter
10 – Paul Casey
11 – Bubba Watson
12 – Tyrell Hatton
13 – Tony Finau
14 – Phil Mickelson
15 – Pat Perez
16 – Matt Kuchar
The Elite 8
Out of the 16 golfers that’ll be left in my mind, I’d say at least 12 could legitimately win this. Schauffele, Hatton, Finau, and Perez would really have to play lights out, perfect golf to make a run to win. Rory won last week and struggled in his first match so I don’t think he’ll go back to back. I’m pretty sure that Jason Day needs the stars and moon to align to win his group and once he gets to the 16 I think he’ll have a quick exit. With that, my elite 8 would be Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIllroy, Paul Casey, and Ian Poulter. All of those players are ranked top 10 in the world.
The Final 4 and Champion
(Photo credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA Today)
This is where things get tricky. So many good golfers and so hard to choose the final four. However; I’m thinking it’ll be DJ, Jordan, Justin, and Rory. Even though I said Rory struggled and won last week, I think this is as far as he gets. I think that winning last week took a bit out of him and I just can’t see him moving on. So for me, the 2018 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Champion is Dustin Johnson. He won it last year and I think that he’s really going to have a stand out year this year. He has the power, and the finesse, to win this back to back years.
I can’t say it enough how much I love this style of play. In the old format if you lost your first match, you were done. If that were the case, then DJ would be done. Now that there is group play and second chances, the possibilities are endless. Also, funny how Tiger isn’t in the field this week. I got some backlash for saying he isn’t back last week. (Yes I know he’s coming back from injury) I’m just trying to stir the pot a little bit.
–Brian Berard (@RockyBerard)