New halved matches expand intrigue at WGC-Dell Match Play
For 2015, the WGC-Dell Match Play changed the one-and-done format of the 64-player event with the hope of, frankly, creating less fluky outcomes. Too many top-name players were losing in the first two rounds, and, unlike in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the madness wasn’t endearing. It was frustrating for players and fans alike to see a weekend draw forged by the vagaries of match play.
Replacing that format was a round-robin, pool-play format with 16 groups of four players. The winners from each group then would enter the bracket-style portion of the event until a winner was crowned.
The problem with last year’s edition was that the pool-play matches couldn’t end in a tie. There had to be a winner. And, in so doing, the need for a finish created more losers, sooner. A number of Friday matches in last year’s event were completely meaningless.
Kudos to the PGA Tour, then, for fixing that for 2016. All pool-play matches can end in a tie, awarding a half-point to each player, as opposed to the full point for a win (or none for a loss).
On Thursday, six of 32 matches were halved, saving players from tiring themselves out more than their pool-based peers and keeping more players in the hunt for the group win.
Russell Knox was one of those 12 players to end their day in a tie. After wrapping up an intense 18-hole match with David Lingmerth at the windy, demanding Austin Country Club, Knox was perfectly happy to stop there.
“I like it this way,” said Knox. “It’s always nice to play to a winner as well, but I don’t really feel like playing more golf right now.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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