WGC-Match Play: Predictions for All 16 Groups
By Sam Belden
Group 12: Paul Casey, Charl Schwartzel, Ben An, Joost Luiten
Sam’s Pick: Casey — Another group with four international players, we’re sure to see some impressive ball striking from this group. With several Ryder and Presidents Cup appearances between them, Casey and Schwartzel appear to be the favorites, but again anything can happen in match play.
As a former U.S. Amateur champion, An is no stranger to the match play format, and while his recent results have been mediocre, he did advance to the knockout stage of last year’s event. Luiten has the weakest chance of escaping on paper, but count the Dutchman out at your own risk — with seven consecutive top 30 finishes, he’s steady.
Ultimately, it’s a tough call between Casey and Schwartzel, but I’ll give the nod to the former. The Englishman has been dynamite against these limited fields, and his path to the next stage is clear.
Beth’s Pick: An — An’s game is still maturing but he’s shown himself to be competitive in team play at the 2016 EurAsia Cup and World Cup. I can’t ignore his T9 finish here last year. I think he’s manage himself quite nicely against the competition in this group, even though Schwartzl and Casey are bringing deeper experience to their matches. An will advance.