This Week’s PGA Tour Predictions!
64 of the world’s best golfers tee it up in San Francisco this week for the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship – a match play event that holds plenty of intrigue. With such a deep field, handicapping this tournament is definitely a challenge.
TPC Harding Park will play host to the most unique format the Pros will play this year on its 7,127 yard par-71 layout.
2015 PGA WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship
Dates: April 29 – May 3, 2015
Golf Course: TPC Harding Park, San Francisco
Format: Match Play
Purse: $9,250,000 / Winner Share: $1,572,500
Defending Champion: Jason Day
***2015 BONUSES***
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Only three par 5s including the 18th (which may not be played in a number of matches) will be on the slate this week – par 4 scoring average will matter more this week than most others. But perhaps the biggest X-factor to look at this week is recent history in Match-Play format.
With that in mind, here is a breakdown of the players to keep an eye on – I will try to make it two in a row after pegging Justin Rose at 10/1 odds last week.
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2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship Favorites:
Jordan Spieth — 9/1
And why not? Spieth has done everything else this year and he did go 3-1 in his only appearance in this event last year. He has fallen off his crazy pace the last couple of tournament but nothing this kid does would be a surprise.
Rory McIlroy — 9/1
Is in one of his patented down periods right now – he seems to be getting back to form but he isn’t quite there yet. He’s still Rory and deserves a mention here.
Jason Day — 14/1
Defending champion – obviously the Match-Play format suits him very well. He wasn’t great at the Masters but rediscovered his form last week in Louisiana. Day could be peeking at the right time for a repeat.
2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship Contenders:
Patrick Reed — 25/1
Not a fan? Me neither but you can’t doubt this guy’s abilities. He has excelled in this format as a pro and an amateur – his ego and his skills should do well this week. Reed was America’s best player at the Ryder Cup – expect him to contend here this week as well.
Ian Poulter — 33/1
2010 Champ has surprisingly had his issues at this event recently but enters playing some good golf. He always seems to get up for the big events though – his recent Ryder Cup appearances are further proof of that.
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He’s 6th in Par 4 Scoring Average on TOUR – perfect for this track and he has seen this course before. Watch out for Poulter this week – he has something to prove.
Paul Casey — 33/1
Has two runner-up finishes in this event and enters this year playing some of his best golf in years. Confidence and experience in this format will definitely help Casey out this week – his calm demeanor will also be an asset.
2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship Sleepers (50/1or higher):
Brandt Snedeker — 50/1
Has a little bit to prove considering his unimpressive season so far. His record is under .500 in this event but he arrives with a bit of confidence and a hot putter. Snedeker is sneaking under the radar a bit – a good spot for him.
Hunter Mahan — 50/1
Mahan owns a win and a runner-up finish at this event and is coming off a top 10 at the Masters. He is always a threat in Match-Play – this year he enters in good form – worthy of true sleeper status.
2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship Picks:
It is difficult to come up with a winner for this event – always has but one golfer stands out to me. Ian Poulter at 33/1 is the pick. His recent play has been solid and his success in match-play is too hard to overlook. He won the European Tour’s Volvo match-play event, he won this event in 2010 and he has gone 12-4-2 in recent Ryder Cup appearances. Poulter has a tough group but I like his chances to provide a nice payday this week.
The sleeper is Hunter Mahan at 50/1 who has rested since a T9 at the Masters. In the grind of a Match-Play event I like a well rested Mahan to continue his impressive showings in this format.
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