World Golf Championships
Accenture Match Play
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Marana, Arizona
Yards: 7,791
Par: 72 (36-36)
Greens: Bentgrass (5,000 square feet on average)
Rough: Bermudagrass at 3”
Stimpmeter: 11’
Bunkers: 89
Water Hazards: one
Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus (2008)
Purse: $8,750,000
Winner’s Share: $1,500,000
FexExCup Points: 550 to the winner
Defending Champion: Hunter Mahan defeated Rory McIlroy (2&1) to win his second WGC event (2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Mark Wilson defeated Lee Westwood (1-up) for third place.
Dates: February 20-24
Notes: The top 64 players according to the OWGR after the conclusion of play at the NTO will be seeded 1-16 in four brackets. Players will play match play and contrary to the television talking heads, no matches will ever be “dormie” because there must be a winner to advance to the second round. If the match is all square after 18 holes, the competitors will play sudden death starting at one tee and moving forward until there is a winner. Gamers, this event starts bright and early on WEDNESDAY morning so make sure to set your line-ups, drafts and weekly games accordingly.
History Lessons
Even though WGC-Accenture Match Play began in 1999, the Ritz-Carlton Course at Dove Mountain has only been the host since 2009 so please remember this when looking at course form.
The winners at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain have been Geoff Ogilvy (2009), Ian Poulter (2010), Luke Donald (2011) and Hunter Mahan (2012).
Only Tiger Woods (2003-2004) has won this event in consecutive years.
Only Woods (2003-04; 2008) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006; 2009) have won this event multiple times.
Of the 14 winners, only six have been major champions (Woods, Ogilvy, Toms, Clarke).
Tiger Woods has the largest victory in this event, famously defeating Stephen Ames “nine and eight”.
Strangely enough, Ben Crane beat Rory McIlroy here in 2011 8 and 7. That will win you a bar bet.
Of the 10 players with the most match wins in history in this event, only Tiger Woods, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald are in this week's field.
The highest seeds to win the whole enchilada are No. 62 Kevin Sutherland (2002), No. 55 Steve Stricker (2001) and Geoff Ogilvy No. 52 (2006).
The best finish by a left-hander in this event was fourth place by Bubba Watson in 2011. Weird.
The defending champion has been eliminated in the first round four times in 14 years as Jeff Maggert (2001), Steve Stricker (2002), Ian Poulter (2011) and Luke Donald (2012). Yikes.
Rank and File
Of the top 64 players in the world, only No. 4 Brandt Snedeker (rib injury), No. 9 Phil Mickelson (vacation) are not in the field this week. They were replaced by Shane Lowry and Fredrik Jacobson. If any player WD’s before their tee time on Wednesday, they will be replaced REGARDLESS of seed by the first alternate.
Of Course
In the high Sonoran desert of Arizona sits the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course at Dove Mountain. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened for play in 2009, the course has nice and wide fairways plus large, undulating Bentgrass greens. There are four par-fives and a drivable par-four as well but don’t let that distort your view that only long hitters do well here. Ask the last three winners (Poulter, Donald and Mahan) where they rank in driving distance!
Match play is quite different from stroke play in many facets. One, you are playing against your opponent AND the course. One bad hole in stroke play can ruin a great round; one bad hole in match play and you can only lose ONE hole. Two, the best player doesn’t always win. You can shoot five under par on your card and LOSE one down. Conversely, you can be even par and playing poorly and still find a win to beat your opponent even though the course has beaten you!
In match play, I’m looking for guys who are GIR specialists or short-game masters. Players can put the pressure on their opponents by hitting green after green or by getting up and down from everywhere, forcing their opponents to hole putts. The closely mown areas around the greens will test the player’s short game with the wedge and the utility club. The wide fairways here are not an advantage to accurate drivers so don’t be dissuaded by those wild off the tee. The greens will be running at 11 on the Stimpmeter so plenty of guys will be aggressive as they try and hole putts. You’ll hear plenty of “pick it up, that’s good” this week as well.
Very few will argue that this is the most difficult tournament of the season to forecast and project. Match play involves great golf AND great luck throughout the week. Making five straight pars can win you a match or see you get blown out of a match and that’s what makes this event fascinating.
When filling out your bracket, don’t forget that there are upsets every year in this event. All four No. 1 seeds have NEVER played in the semi-finals so think outside the box if you want to compete this week. I’d take a look at guys who make plenty of birdies if you are torn between two players. I would also look at Jeff Sagarin’s ratings if you need to break a tie. Also, I haven’t mentioned anything about the Ryder Cup or President’s Cup singles records because, in my mind, those circumstances don’t translate to an individual event like this. Apples and kumquats that.
So what? So let’s dance! Good luck!
World Golf Championships
Accenture Match Play
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain
Marana, Arizona
Yards: 7,791
Par: 72 (36-36)
Greens: Bentgrass (5,000 square feet on average)
Rough: Bermudagrass at 3”
Stimpmeter: 11’
Bunkers: 89
Water Hazards: one
Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus (2008)
Purse: $8,750,000
Winner’s Share: $1,500,000
FexExCup Points: 550 to the winner
Defending Champion: Hunter Mahan defeated Rory McIlroy (2&1) to win his second WGC event (2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Mark Wilson defeated Lee Westwood (1-up) for third place.
Dates: February 20-24
Notes: The top 64 players according to the OWGR after the conclusion of play at the NTO will be seeded 1-16 in four brackets. Players will play match play and contrary to the television talking heads, no matches will ever be “dormie” because there must be a winner to advance to the second round. If the match is all square after 18 holes, the competitors will play sudden death starting at one tee and moving forward until there is a winner. Gamers, this event starts bright and early on WEDNESDAY morning so make sure to set your line-ups, drafts and weekly games accordingly.
History Lessons
Even though WGC-Accenture Match Play began in 1999, the Ritz-Carlton Course at Dove Mountain has only been the host since 2009 so please remember this when looking at course form.
The winners at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain have been Geoff Ogilvy (2009), Ian Poulter (2010), Luke Donald (2011) and Hunter Mahan (2012).
Only Tiger Woods (2003-2004) has won this event in consecutive years.
Only Woods (2003-04; 2008) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006; 2009) have won this event multiple times.
Of the 14 winners, only six have been major champions (Woods, Ogilvy, Toms, Clarke).
Tiger Woods has the largest victory in this event, famously defeating Stephen Ames “nine and eight”.
Strangely enough, Ben Crane beat Rory McIlroy here in 2011 8 and 7. That will win you a bar bet.
Of the 10 players with the most match wins in history in this event, only Tiger Woods, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald are in this week's field.
The highest seeds to win the whole enchilada are No. 62 Kevin Sutherland (2002), No. 55 Steve Stricker (2001) and Geoff Ogilvy No. 52 (2006).
The best finish by a left-hander in this event was fourth place by Bubba Watson in 2011. Weird.
The defending champion has been eliminated in the first round four times in 14 years as Jeff Maggert (2001), Steve Stricker (2002), Ian Poulter (2011) and Luke Donald (2012). Yikes.
Rank and File
Of the top 64 players in the world, only No. 4 Brandt Snedeker (rib injury), No. 9 Phil Mickelson (vacation) are not in the field this week. They were replaced by Shane Lowry and Fredrik Jacobson. If any player WD’s before their tee time on Wednesday, they will be replaced REGARDLESS of seed by the first alternate.
Of Course
In the high Sonoran desert of Arizona sits the Ritz-Carlton Golf Course at Dove Mountain. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened for play in 2009, the course has nice and wide fairways plus large, undulating Bentgrass greens. There are four par-fives and a drivable par-four as well but don’t let that distort your view that only long hitters do well here. Ask the last three winners (Poulter, Donald and Mahan) where they rank in driving distance!
Match play is quite different from stroke play in many facets. One, you are playing against your opponent AND the course. One bad hole in stroke play can ruin a great round; one bad hole in match play and you can only lose ONE hole. Two, the best player doesn’t always win. You can shoot five under par on your card and LOSE one down. Conversely, you can be even par and playing poorly and still find a win to beat your opponent even though the course has beaten you!
In match play, I’m looking for guys who are GIR specialists or short-game masters. Players can put the pressure on their opponents by hitting green after green or by getting up and down from everywhere, forcing their opponents to hole putts. The closely mown areas around the greens will test the player’s short game with the wedge and the utility club. The wide fairways here are not an advantage to accurate drivers so don’t be dissuaded by those wild off the tee. The greens will be running at 11 on the Stimpmeter so plenty of guys will be aggressive as they try and hole putts. You’ll hear plenty of “pick it up, that’s good” this week as well.
Very few will argue that this is the most difficult tournament of the season to forecast and project. Match play involves great golf AND great luck throughout the week. Making five straight pars can win you a match or see you get blown out of a match and that’s what makes this event fascinating.
When filling out your bracket, don’t forget that there are upsets every year in this event. All four No. 1 seeds have NEVER played in the semi-finals so think outside the box if you want to compete this week. I’d take a look at guys who make plenty of birdies if you are torn between two players. I would also look at Jeff Sagarin’s ratings if you need to break a tie. Also, I haven’t mentioned anything about the Ryder Cup or President’s Cup singles records because, in my mind, those circumstances don’t translate to an individual event like this. Apples and kumquats that.
So what? So let’s dance! Good luck!
Bobby Jones Bracket
Chalk Says: Rory McIlroy enters the event as the world’s No.1-ranked player and I would guess most people would have him winning this tournament after finishing runner-up in 2012 to Hunter Mahan. Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel and Dustin Johnson fill out the top four seeds.
Glass Says: I’m going with the hottest hand in this bracket, Charl Schwartzel. The top seed in this event never wins unless his last name is Woods so I’m going with a mild upset in this bracket. Dustin Johnson has lost three of his last four opening round matches and Graeme McDowell has been lightly raced in 2013 so be careful. Watch for Padraig Harrington to knock out McIlroy to face Schwartzel in the bracket final.
Ben Hogan Bracket
Chalk Says: Louis Oosthuizen pipped Justin Rose for the final No. 1 seed after the rankings came out last night. Rose moves to the No. 2 seed here and draws grizzled veteran K.J. Choi in the first round. Yikes. Sergio Garcia is the No. 3 seed and also will have his hands full with Thongchai Jaidee to open. If Keegan Bradley knocks off Marcus Fraser, he’ll have to get through Ernie Els or Fredrik Jacobson in round two.
Glass Says: An absolute train wreck waiting to happen in this bracket as there are plenty of guys who will cause problems. Robert Garrigus loves the desert and I’m going with him to come out of the top portion. Matt Kuchar loves some match play in Marana and has been this close to putting it all together. He’ll have to beat Garcia and Haas to get to Garrigus. He will and he’ll beat Garrigus to win the bracket.
Gary Player Bracket
Chalk Says: Two Words: Tiger Woods. Peter Hanson or Webb Simpson aren’t on the form currently to knock of the three-time winner in this event. Lee Westwood is brewing nicely and should be a factor this week as his game is bubbling. Jason Dufner and 2012 champion Hunter Mahan will give it a go in the bottom half of this bracket.
Glass Says: Two Words: Tiger Woods. He backed up his DQ in the desert with a convincing win at Torrey Pines and there isn’t one player in his half of the bracket who is absolutely hot right now. It’s actually the opposite. In the bottom half, look for the battle of the ball-strikers to meet with Westwood knocking off Mahan for the opportunity to take on Woods, and lose, the Player bracket final.
Sam Snead Bracket
Chalk Says: In my opinion, the toughest bracket of the bunch as the No. 14 seed, David Toms, is ranked No. 71 in the Sagarin Golf Week rankings. Luke Donald’s game sets up perfectly for match play as his short game and putting will drive his opponents crazy. World pros Adam Scott, Ian Poluter and a well-rested Steve Stricker make this group wide open.
Glass Says: Beware of the upsets as Scott and Poulter have struggled recently in this event to get things going. Scott hasn’t won more than two matches in EIGHT consecutive Match-Play appearances. Poulter has been knocked out in the first round in his last two tries after winning the title in 2010. Poulter has had six weeks off heading to Arizona as well. Luke Donald will come out of the top half and have to be sharp to knock off young up-and-comer Thorbjorn Olesen to make the final four.
Final Eight: Charl Schwartzel d. Padraig Harrington; Matt Kuchar d. Robert Garrigus; Tiger Woods d. Lee Westwood; Luke Donald d. Thorbjorn Olesen.
Final Four: Charl Schwartzel d. Matt Kuchar; Tiger Woods d. Luke Donald
Championship Match: Tiger Woods d. Charl Schwartzel
Rookie of the Week Last Week
Sony: Russell Henley WIN
Humana: David Lingmerth P2
Farmers: Brad Fritsch T9
WMPO: James Hahn T16
AT&T: James Hahn T3
NTO: Luke Guthrie T21
One-and-Done
SEASON TOTAL: $1,630,800
HTOC: Steve Stricker (2nd; $665,000)
Sony: Charles Howell III (T3; $324,800)
Humana: Tim Clark (MC)
Farmers: Rickie Fowler (T6; $204,350)
WMPO: Jason Dufner (MC)
AT&T Pebble: Hunter Mahan (T16; 94,250)
Northern Trust: Bill Haas (T3; 343,200)
WGC-Match Play: Charl Schwartzel
GolfChannel.com Fantasy Challenge
WGC-Accenture Match Play
Mike Glasscott
Winners:
Jones Bracket: Charl Schwartzel
Hogan Bracket: Matt Kuchar
Player Bracket: Tiger Woods
Snead Bracket: Luke Donald
Championship: Tiger Woods d. Charl Schwartzel
Rank: 8203
Earnings: $4,065,134
Ryan O’Sullivan
Winners:
Jones Bracket: Charl Schwartzel
Hogan Bracket: Matt Kuchar
Player Bracket: Lee Westwood
Snead Bracket: Ian Poulter
Championship: Matt Kuchar d. Lee Westwood
Rank: 19,852
Earnings: $2,816,273
Ned Brown
Winners:
Jones Bracket: Charl Schwartzel
Hogan Bracket: Justin Rose
Player Bracket: Tiger Woods
Snead Bracket: Ian Poulter
Championship: Charl Schwartzel d. Ian Poulter
Rank: 1660
Earnings: $5,370,265
Rob Bolton
Winners:
Jones Bracket: Jason Day
Hogan Bracket: Ernie Els
Player Bracket: Tiger Woods
Snead Bracket: Luke Donald
Championship: Luke Donald d. Jason Day
Rank: 20,721
Earnings: $2,725,600
Ned said, “…
Ned Brown is a long-time contributor for Rotoworld Golf. He’s had documented success in Yahoo!’s game for years. Even if you’re confident in your selections for that game, give his insight a read. Ned also provides us with his GolfChannel.com Fantasy Challenge selections as well!
The Yahoo! game is off this week but Ned’s picks will return next week at The Honda Classic. Here are his splits:
"Pure Spin"
Northern Trust: 178 points
Season: 1,214 points
Overall Rank: 388
Coming TUESDAY
And the analysis doesn't end here. Rotoworld's Rob Bolton and I will be co-hosting a one-hour live chat TUESDAY at NOON ET. PLEASE NOTE THE DAY CHANGE for THIS WEEK ONLY! We will be breaking down the field at the WGC-Accenture Match Play and answering your questions. Simply return to the golf home page to join in on the chatter.