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WGC-Match Play: Making the predictions at Austin Country Club

By Mike Randleman

AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 24: Kyle Stanley of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the quarterfinal round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 24, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 24: Kyle Stanley of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the quarterfinal round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 24, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 24: Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa walks from the fifth tee during the fourth round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 24, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 24: Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa walks from the fifth tee during the fourth round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 24, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images) /

The Quarterfinals

  • 1 Dustin Johnson vs. 8 Jon Rahm
    • In this one we’ve got the Spanish Dustin Johnson versus, well, the actual Dustin Johnson. This is a rematch of the 2017 WGC-Match Play finals where DJ led wire to wire to win 1UP and hold off an admirable effort from Rahm. In what would make for a great Ryder Cup singles match, I’ll take the unflappable DJ again in the matchup of the quarterfinals.
  • 2 Justin Rose vs. 7 Francesco Molinari
    • The Ryder Cup vibes continue as these two assured teammates for 2020 lock horns here. These two ball striking extraordinaires make it seem like it could come down to putting: Molinari is 24th on Tour in strokes gained and Rose is 33rd. We’re really splitting hairs here, but give me Molinari to make a putt on the 20th hole to win a dandy.
  • 27 Alex Noren vs. 19 Louis Oosthuizen
    • This matchup ensures someone outside the top 10 advances to the semis. Noren enters the tournament with middling form, so I envision his run to dry out. Meanwhile, Oosthuizen continues to show how he rises up in big events and reminds us he can play like a No. 1 player in the world if he wants to.

    • 4 Rory McIlroy

    vs 12 Jason Day

    This is a battle of who can look best in his smedium Nike polo. It’s also intriguing in that in 2018, Day

    questioned McIlroy’s desire

    as McIlroy was struggling at the time. I think McIlroy’s win at the Players puts that to bed and while he’ll be all class in this one, he’s not one to forget slights like this and will take it out on Day, 2&1.

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