The PGA Tour takes a detour this week in more ways than one. The gang travels to Austin, Tex., to compete in the second World Golf Championship of the season, this one being the Dell Technologies Match Play, which returns to the schedule after being canceled due to COVID concerns last year. The field of 64 players is divided into 16 groups of four going against each other over the first three days in a round-robin, match play format starting Wednesday. The winner from each group advances to the elimination stage over the weekend. The event is played at the 7,108-yard, par-71 Austin Country Club. Kevin Kisner won this event last time it was played in 2019 and is a match play stud. He’s further down the opening odds list behind such notables as Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau. Rory McIlroy rounds out the top five favorites. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Odds to Win WGC Dell Technologies Match Play at BookMaker.eu
Dustin Johnson +1106
Jon Rahm +1206
Justin Thomas +1256
Bryson Dechambeau +1256
Rory McIlroy +2019
Jordan Spieth +2019
Paul Casey +2019
Collin Morikawa +2223
Patrick Cantlay +2223
Patrick Reed +2534
Xander Schauffele +2974
Viktor Hovland +3010
Tony Finau +3047
Webb Simpson +3383
Daniel Berger +3516
Tyrrell Hatton +3565
Cameron Smith +3595
Matthew Fitzpatrick +4000
Sungjae Im +4150
Jason Day +4500
Sergio Garcia +4500
Kevin Kisner +5500
Louis Oosthuizen +5851
Tommy Fleetwood +6000
Will Zalatoris +6000
Russell Henley +6000
Hideki Matsuyama +6031
Abraham Ancer +6550
Corey Conners +6628
Joaquin Niemann +6750
Lee Westwood +7000
Scottie Scheffler +7350
Harris English +7955
Brian Harman +8000
Jason Kokrak +8444
Odds Analysis
Rory McIlroy +2019
Escaping group play is just the first step in winning this event and while McIlroy struggled by his standards at THE PLAYERS he’s still one of the best players out there and it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him turn it on this week. He won this event when it was played at Harding Park in 2015 and he grabbed a runner-up finish in Arizona in 2012. He also reached the semifinals when Austin CC hosted the event for the first time in 2016. And we all know how comfortable McIlroy is in the match play format. Not a bad wager backing Rory in this one.
Collin Morikawa +2223
It’s hard to look past Morikawa when it comes to the bigger events on Tour. A major champion and now with a WGC title on his resume after claiming the hardware at the Workday Championship at The Concession, Morikawa joined elite company with both titles before age 25. He’s one of the top iron players on Tour, which will help him on the Austin layout, but he has no match play experience as a pro. Not to worry, though, the format isn’t unique to him after playing several match play rounds during his amateur days.
Kevin Kisner +5500
Why not go further down the odds board and dig up a player who thrives in match play formats. The last winner of this event, Kisner took down Matt Kuchar 3 & 2 at the 2019 edition and was runner-up to Bubba Watson the year before. He’s playing in perhaps the strongest group with Justin Thomas, Louis Oosthuizen and Kuchar, but escaping that sets him up well for another run at a title.
Xander Schauffele +2974
Can the X-man get back in the groove after his uncharacteristic MC at THE PLAYERS? It’s hard to pass over the fact that Schauffele finished among the top 25 in 24 of his previous 27 starts. His proficient ball striking will help him on this layout and he’s looking to overcome some past miseries at this event. He just missed advancing to the round of 16 the previous two playings, which should help motivate one of the most consistent players on Tour.
Tony Finau +3047
From the looks of it Finau has an easy group matchup and should be favored to advance to the round of 16. That’s not always the case, though, and he’ll need to play solid golf to get past Will Zalatoris, Jason Kokrak and Dylan Frittelli. Finau is on a run of good form with top-10s in five of his last eight starts and he was a strong match play performer at the 2019 Presidents Cup so the format won’t scare him.
Course: Austin Country Club – 7,108 yards, Par 71
It’s as if the field will be playing two different courses seeing how the layout is divided. The front nine plays on higher ground with a typical Texas setting, while the back nine “lowlands” runs alongside Lake Austin. Different elements at different parts of the course force players to think about their shots and manage the course. The front nine has issues with crosswinds and the back nine plays into downwind shots. The wind definitely has an effect on how players attack the course. A key word tossed around this layout is “tricky.” We’ve seen big hitters win here in the past, suggesting some players can overpower the track. But given the elements, strategy and the ability to play the wind are equally important.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel, NBC
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