So far, this PGA season has brought about some surprises: no lead is safe, Lefty still has it, Tiger faltered in the final round at Pebble…and so on.
Two players that were eligible as being ranked among the OWGR’s top 64 will not be participating: Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey. Mickleson will be heading on vacation with the family. Casey is still nursing a dislocated shoulder.
Same will most likely be said of the Accenture Match Play Championship. If you have followed the match play in the past, you are completely aware that seeding means nothing. On any day, a #16 will beat a #1. A #15 could beat a #2 by a 6-and-5 margin. That’s the long way of saying the match play is even more unpredictable than March Madness.
So, in looking at the bracket, I have a couple of matches I think you should watch, plus a little analysis of each bracket.
Bobby Jones Bracket
Top 4 seeds:
#1 Luke Donald, #2 Adam Scott, #3 Dustin Johnson, #4 K.J. Choi
Three major winners are housed in the Jones: #16 Ernie Els (v. #1 Luke Donald), #12 Retief Goosen (v. #5 Brandt Snedeker), and #14 Jim Furyk (v. #3 Dustin Johnson). Seems weird that all three have a double-digit seed and all have a tough road to haul in order to get to the second round.
First round matches to watch:
#6 Thomas Bjorn v. #11 Francesco Molinari
This has all the makings of the most entertaining match from this bracket. Bjorn has made the cut in all his 2012 European Tour outings. He’s also coming off a year where he posted three wins including back-to-back victories at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and the Omega European Masters.
Molinari has not tasted the same success as Bjorn, but has survived the cut in the three tournaments in which he has entered. Both are vying for a bid to be a part of the Ryder Cup and can use all the points possible.
Johnson v. Furyk
This goes without saying. I believe it’s time we take the “up and coming” label off Johnson. Two top fives in his last two events (T5 at AT&T at Pebble and T4 at Northern Trust) show Johnson is coming into the match play in good form.
Furyk has only played the last two tourneys with decent results: T40 at Pebble and T11 at Riviera. Maybe this will be where he finds his stride.
Ben Hogan Bracket
Top 4 seeds:
#1 Martin Kaymer, #2 Steve Stricker, #3 Graeme McDowell, #4 Matt Kuchar
The Bracket of Americans as the United States has 10 players in the Hogan bracket. Thing is, five will lose in the first round as all 10 will be pitted against a fellow countryman. One American will reach the round of 16…guaranteed. That one will come from the foursome of Matt Kuchar, Jonathan Byrd, Bubba Watson and Ben Crane.
First round matches to watch:
#5 Watson v. #12 Crane
I don’t think I need to expound on this except to say this…The Golf Boys.
#3 McDowell v. #14 Y.E. Yang
One of only two first round matchups where we have two former major winners. McDowell finished third at Abu Dhabi and has yet to hit the American soil in 2012. Yang made his first cut of 2012 at the Northern Trust and finished T34. Neither is coming in on a big roll. but GMac has to be favored here.
Gary Player Bracket
Top 4 seeds:
#1 Rory McIlroy, #2 Jason Day, #3 Charl Scwartzel, #4 Sergio Garcia
The only bracket where an American is not among the top for seeds. The highest is #5 in Keegan Bradley. More on that in a bit.
This could be the most loaded bracket with the likes of Bradley, Ian Poulter (#6), Simon Dyson (#7) and Kyung-tae Kim (#8) rounding out the top eight seeds. Sure to be some excellent play among this bracket.
First round matches to watch:
#4 Garcia v. #13 Miguel Angel Jimenez
How can you not want to watch this match between the two Spaniards? Only thing that might be missing is Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal.
#5 Bradley v. #12 Geoff Ogilvy
The other matchup of previous major champs. Ogilvy has struggled a bit as of late while Bradley is coming off the T2 at the Northern Trust. If it comes down to a clutch putt, I got Keegan just like he showed yesterday…even though he did lose in the playoff…on a putt.
Sam Snead Bracket
Top 4 seeds:
#1 Lee Westwood, #2 Webb Simpson, #3 Bill Haas, #4 Nick Watney
The bracket with the most Americans in the top 4 seeds producing three. This bracket is also the home of Tiger Woods. That will provide for compelling action for the onset.
First round matches to watch:
#8 Robert Karlsson v. #9 Fredrik Jacobson
There are three Swedes in the field…and two meet in each other in the first round. Needless to say, bragging rights will be on the line here.
#5 Woods v. #12 Gonzalo Fdez-Castano
The Spaniard is no slouch and Tiger should be wary. This match may come down to who finds the fairway more as neither are impressive in driving accuracy. Well, Woods has corrected that a bit here in 2012 as he ranks 4th on the PGA TOUR with a 72.73%. Fdez-Castano is only at 58.44% on the European Tour. Both are almost at 73% in GIR, and that tells me Fdez-Castano will battle Woods.