WGC-Dell Match Play: Last 16 Bracket Breakdown and Picks
Max Homa (5) vs Mackenzie Hughes (50) – 8:35 am EST
Max Homa won group five with a 3-0-0 record; albeit in part because of Hideki Matsuyama’s unfortunate withdrawal on Friday. His match with the 2020 Masters winner would have been fascinating, even with Homa holding the advantage coming into the day.
Max advances to the last 16 of the WGC-Dell Match Play for the first time in his career after beating Justin Suh (3&2) and Kevin Kisner (3&2) on Wednesday and Thursday. A win against Canadian, Mackenzie Hughes, in the last 16 would set up a match with either Sam Burns or Patrick Cantlay in the Quarterfinals.
Hughes rallied to take the group 12 crown on Thursday and Friday after suffering an opening-day defeat to top-seeded Jordan Spieth (4&3) on Wednesday. Mackenzie took down Shane Lowry by the same margin on Thursday before defeating Taylor Montgomery twice on Friday, once in a sudden-death playoff, to advance.
All of the golf over the past three days catches up with Mackenzie Hughes and it’s Homa with his day of rest on Friday who advances in the end.
Winner: Max Homa
Patrick Cantlay (4) vs Sam Burns (13) – 8:46 am EST
For the first time at Austin Country Club, Patrick Cantlay is moving on to the last 16 where he will meet Sam Burns.
Cantlay was given a pretty favorable group draw this time around with Brian Harman (25) the second highest-seeded player in group four. K.H. Lee (35) and Nick Taylor (55) completed the group. Patrick made pretty quick work of both of them winning by 1UP and 4&2 margins respectively before holding off Harman (2&1) to win the group.
Burns also progressed from his group with a 3-0-0 record after wins over Adam Hadwin (3&2), Adam Scott (1UP), and Seamus Power (2UP), saw him through to the last 16.
This should be a competitive and entertaining match between Cantlay and Burns with the winner moving on to play Max Homa or Mackenzie Hughes in the Quarterfinals. Cantlay’s experience carries him through to the last 8 in one of the best of the early matches on Saturday.
Winner: Patrick Cantlay
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