Power rankings: WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship
It’s time to showdown. The WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship begins Wednesday with a new format, date and venue.
The 64 players in the field, including almost the entire top 50 in the world, have been divided into 16 groups for round-robin play during the first three days of the event. The winner of each group will then move into a knockout phase, played out in four rounds over Saturday and Sunday.
The winner will play in seven matches, likely needing to win at least six to run the gauntlet.
However, the format makes our traditional method of ranking players irrelevant. We want to identify winners of each group, then see how they show down in the bracket phase of the tournament. So this week, we’ll give you our predicted winners for each group, then leave the rest to you.
Group 1: Rory McIlroy (1), Billy Horschel (18), Brandt Snedeker (35), Jason Dufner (53)
It’s hard to look past Rory McIlroy in this group, particularly with how he thrashed Rickie Fowler at last year’s Ryder Cup. However, McIlroy could stumble as he has a tendency to play incomplete rounds — even if they result in good numbers.
Winner: Rory McIlroy
Group 2: Jordan Spieth (2), Lee Westwood (26), Matt Every (40), Mikko Ilonen (62)
Jordan Spieth gets the nod here, but it’s worth considering that Mikko Ilonen won the European Tour’s pool-based match-play championship last year.
Winner: Jordan Spieth
Group 3: Henrik Stenson (3), Bill Haas (23), Brendon Todd (42), John Senden (60)
Henrik Stenson loves this event and won it back in 2007. However, he’s been in somewhat of a slump in recent years. He’s playing great golf overall, and he’s drawn a group that isn’t very challenging.
Winner: Henrik Stenson
Group 4: Bubba Watson (4), Louis Oosthuizen (29), Keegan Bradley (33), Miguel Angel Jimenez (63)
Common sense would tell you that Bubba Watson should be able to intimidate his opponents, but Oosthuizen and Bradley have significant length. Oosthuizen has found his game again, and the South African’s complete game is better than the other players in this group.
Winner: Louis Oosthuizen
Group 5: Jim Furyk (5), Martin Kaymer (17), Thongchai Jaidee (44), George Coetzee (59)
This seems like the group for Jim Furyk to pick off fairly easily. He won at Harbour Town to end a four-plus-year skid without a victory. Kaymer has struggled this year, while Jaidee and Coetzee are relatively hangers-on.
Winner: Jim Furyk
Group 6: Justin Rose (6), Ryan Palmer (22), Anirban Lahiri (34), Marc Leishman (56)
Justin Rose was T-2 at the Masters and won the Zurich Classic, so he is in top form. Ryan Palmer might make an interesting foil.
Winner: Justin Rose
Group 7: Jason Day (7), Zach Johnson (24), Branden Grace (38), Charley Hoffman (49)
Jason Day should win this group. He’s defending champion, albeit on a different track. He’s in the middle of one of those runs about a handful of guys have enjoyed in the event.
Winner: Jason Day
Group 8: Dustin Johnson (8), Victor Dubuisson (21), Charl Schwartzel (37), Matt Jones (58)
Johnson is playing the best golf of his career, so he should be the class of the group. However, he has a penchant for getting beat early in the old format. Dubuisson took Jason Day 23 holes before finishing second last year, and his aggressive style works in match play.
Winner: Dustin Johnson
Group 9: Adam Scott (9), Chris Kirk (25), Paul Casey (36), Francesco Molinari (64)
If you’re looking for a sneaky pick, look no further than Paul Casey. He is an annoying match. He has reached the finals twice. No one else in the group is playing all that well.
Winner: Paul Casey
Group 10: Sergio Garcia (10), Jamie Donaldson (30), Bernd Wiesberger (39), Tommy Fleetwood (54)
Donaldson’s length should make him a tough match, but Garcia is the ultimate match player in this group. He understands the psychology of the format. But if Garcia’s putter gets clunky, then watch out.
Winner: Sergio Garcia
Group 11: Jimmy Walker (11), Ian Poulter (27), Webb Simpson (46), Gary Woodland (50)
Were it not for Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter would be a no-brainer here. He won here in 2010, is playing pretty well overall. However, Walker’s a bulldog.
Winner: Ian Poulter
Group 12: J.B. Holmes (12), Brooks Koepka (19), Russell Henley (45), Marc Warren (51)
While Holmes vs. Koepka will be the sexy match of the group, Russell Henley is the best putter. Henley’s long enough that he won’t be worried about either Holmes or Koepka.
Winner: Russell Henley
Group 13: Rickie Fowler (13), Graeme McDowell (32), Shane Lowry (47), Harris English (55)
Group 13 is the most interesting. The talent is all B+ in match play and overall, which should mean a lot of good matches. Fowler knows how to keep it tight in match play, which may save him in pool play. McDowell is a great match play artist. Lowry is playing the best golf of his life. English is solid, but lacks an extra gear.
Winner: Shane Lowry
Group 14: Matt Kuchar (14), Hunter Mahan (31), Stephen Gallacher (41), Ben Martin (61)
This group comes down to Kuchar, who is as steady as they come, and Mahan, who has found he shines in match play and in this tournament. Mahan, who finished T-9 at the Masters, is my pick, but Kuchar could easily win.
Winner: Hunter Mahan
Group 15: Patrick Reed (15), Ryan Moore (28), Danny Willett (48), Andy Sullivan (57)
The legend of Patrick Reed’s match-play prowess is huge. He basically didn’t lose in college match play, and he really knows how to dig into his opponents. However, Ryan Moore is playing well and loves the one-on-one showdown.
Winner: Ryan Moore
Group 16: Hideki Matsuyama (16), Kevin Na (20), Joost Luiten (43), Alexander Levy (52)
Hideki Matsuyama’s consistency, length and overall skill set should make him the easy pick here. However, Kevin Na’s ability to get up-and-down from most anywhere could make him an annoying slow-roller in match play.
Winner: Hideki Matsuyama
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
