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

Jon Rahm may have more trouble getting out of his pool than advancing through the bracket; if he can get there.

He’s with 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play champion, No. 22 seed Billy Horschel, as the second man in the bracket.

Not to mention No. 39 Keith Mitchell, who’s been in contention in several events to begin 2023.

Add in No. 49 Rickie Fowler, who’s also been trending up, and Rahm has his work cut out for him.

The last time we saw Rahm, he had to withdraw from the Players Championship with a stomach bug.

Assuming that’s cleared up, I expect the Spaniard to pick up where he left off. Rahm’s thrice a winner on the PGA Tour in 2023. He got it done at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express, and the Genesis Invitational.

The former Arizona State Sun Devil also has top-10s at the Farmers Insurance Open and WM Phoenix Open.

Rahm has advanced to bracket play in three out of five appearances. He went all the way to the finals in 2017, the quarterfinals in 2021, and the round of 16 last year.

It took Brooks Koepka 19 holes to outlast Rahm in bracket play in 2022. Rahm went 2-1-0 to win his pool, beating Sebastian Munoz and Cameron Young and falling to Patrick Reed.

As a European, match play is more ubiquitous to Rahm.

"“…it’s a tournament I always look forward to,” Rahm was transcribed by ASAP Sports in 2022. “It’s a nice break in the thick of the season. When things are starting to get a little bit more intense, to have an event in which it’s match play, it’s fun, it’s a lot more exciting, at least for me.”"