2023 WGC-Dell Match Play: Top 10 Power Rankings at Austin CC

Can you believe Patrick Cantlay’s never made it to the bracket rounds at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play?

I didn’t think it was the case until I brushed up on research for this week.

He’s been close, finishing second in his group each of the last four times at Austin Country Club.

I like No. 4 seed Cantlay to finally get over the hump in 2023. He gets a pretty good draw to help his chances of doing so.

No. 25 seed Brian Harman has made the bracket stage twice in three tries, so that may be the toughest test. However, Harman has missed the cut in four of his last six starts and has finished outside the top 30 in his last seven.

No. 35 KH Lee is a tournament newcomer and hasn’t finished in the top 10 of a full-field event all season.

No. 55 Nick Taylor was impressive in taking solo second at the WM Phoenix Open and was in the top 10 last week at the Valspar Championship, so he may be Cantlay’s biggest threat.

Cantlay owns three top-fives in seven starts this season on the PGA Tour and also took T-19th his last time out at the Players Championship.

That form will get him to the round of 16 where I see his run coming to an end.

In what appears as a pretty even matchup between two likely American Ryder Cup members this fall, I see No. 13 Sam Burns edging Cantlay in a close one.

Cantlay will be the highest-seeded loser in the round of 16.