WGC Dell Technologies Match Play: Tournament preview and picks

Jon Rahm +1400

Rahm made comments prior to the last World Golf Championship event at the WGC-Workday describing how he was still getting used to the new equipment he took on at the start of 2021, specifically focusing on the adjustments surrounding the control aspect of the changes.

The Spaniard illustrated that he may be finally getting comfortable with all the fore-mentioned changes in his last start when he finished inside of the top ten at THE PLAYERS.  Jon is fourth in the field in strokes gained tee-to-green over the last month and he has a solid Match Play record and a pretty favorable draw this week.

The World’s third-ranked player would not see a match-up with another top ten ranked player until a potential match with Xander Schauffele in the Quarter-Final.  I’ll side with Rahm to go one better this week than his runner-up finish in 2017.

Jason Day +5000

The Australian is a former winner of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play and he comes into this week having struck the ball terrifically of late. Day gained nearly ten strokes with his Irons in his last start at THE PLAYERS, ironically he was let down by his putter, something that has been holding him back in recent starts.

Jason rates out fifth in the field over his past 24 rounds on Pete Dye courses and he holds a very good Match Play record of 24-14. Day is in a competitive group alongside Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, and Andy Sullivan, but with Xander struggling in his last start and Scheffler making his debut at this event I like Jason’s chances of getting out of group six and making a run this week.

I’ll finish with both Abraham Ancer +5500 and Si Woo Kim +9000 both of whom are excellent on Pete Dye courses. Ancer struck the ball superbly at TPC Sawgrass and it was only his putter that let him down on his way to a 22nd place finish. Abraham has limited Match Play experience though he did win two of his three matches at Austin Country Club in 2019, and would have benefited from his match with Tiger at the Presidents Cup later that year.

Si Woo like Ancer had a nice showing in his last start posting a top ten finish at THE PLAYERS. The Korean also won the American Express earlier this year on another Pete Dye course and he has done well at Harbour Town as well. Kim does not have the best of Match Play records, though he was a member of that Presidents Cup team in 2019 with Ancer, he will need to upset Bryson DeChambeau to get out of the group but after a nice showing in his last start and an excellent Pete Dye track record, he has a good chance.

WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Card

Jon Rahm +1400

Jason Day +5000

Abraham Ancer +5500

Si Woo Kim +9000 (with the Each Way)