WGC-Dell Match Play: Tips for Your Brackets for the Top-5 Groups

Group 9: Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Daniel Berger

Past meets future in this group. Mickelson hasn’t played the WGC-Match Play in five years and has never advanced further than the quarterfinals, but he still commands respect every time he tees it up. A Ryder Cup veteran for Team USA, his career record isn’t anything to write home about, but when you combine his experience with his strong current form, it’s easy to see why he’s such a threat this week.

Reed, meanwhile, has garnered a reputation as one of America’s top match players at the tender age of 25. His notorious “top five” brag and his shushing of the European fans at the 2014 Ryder Cup might make him a polarizing figure, but that’s exactly the kind of firepower that’s so suitable for the format. He tied for 17th at last year’s WGC-Match Play, so even given Mickelson’s strong form, Reed’s the frontrunner to advance out of this group.

We can’t forget about Fitzpatrick, another player who looks like he’ll be around for years to come. The winner of the 2013 U.S. Amateur, Fitzpatrick is currently inside the Ryder Cup bubble for Team Europe and has proven that he can run with the big dogs at 21 years of age. To this point, he’s found most of his professional success on the other side of the pond, but this week could serve as a kind of coming out party.

Finally, we have Berger, last year’s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He doesn’t have quite the same star quality as the other three, but he could surprise us. This is a strong group top to bottom.

Next: Group 10