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2022 WGC-Dell Match Play: Top 10 power rankings at Austin CC

By Mike Randleman

Mar 27, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; The pin on on the fifth green during first round of the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament at Austin Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Spillman-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; The pin on on the fifth green during first round of the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament at Austin Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Spillman-USA TODAY Sports /
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WGC-Dell Match Play, Austin Country Club, PGA, 2022 Dell Technologies Match Play
Mar 6, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Talor Gooch hits his tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Talor Gooch is another one of my gut picks this week. I like the draw he got for group play, for starters.

The top seed, No. 9 Bryson DeChambeau, is making his first start since withdrawing with a wrist injury in Saudi Arabia in early February. He’s had a couple false starts trying to return to action, so we’ll see if he follows through. It’s possible DeChambeau is just here to collect the guaranteed money and/or not at full enough health to contend at an event that is one of the most grueling for players who advance deep.

I think Gooch can handle DeChambeau, as well as No. 47 Lee Westwood and No. 54 Richard Bland.

The 30-year-old Gooch is young enough to be the son of Westwood (48) or Bland (49). Westie hasn’t posted a top-10 since the 2021 Players Championship. Bland was a playoff loss to Viktor Hovland away from winning on the DP World Tour earlier in 2022 against a talented field at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic.

Bland is playing the best golf of his life at a peculiar time. I see him finishing second in the group and giving Gooch a good test.

Gooch went 0-2-1 in his WGC-Dell Match Play debut last year. It’s tough to not only learn a new course, but to acclimate to a new format as a pro.

Those reps will carry him as the former Oklahoma State Cowboy has since won on the PGA Tour (2021 RSM Classic) and recently took T-7th at an elevated status event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

I foresee Gooch meeting one of his good buddies and partner for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans next month, Max Homa, in the round of 16.

This will surely be a fun one to keep an eye on if it comes to fruition. Homa’s highs on the PGA Tour have been higher than Gooch’s, but Gooch has been as consistent, if not more, over the past couple of years.

Gooch is top-20 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach and around the green.

He won’t squander too many shots out there. The run will come to an end, though, when he draws world No. 1 Jon Rahm in the quarterfinals.

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