PGA Betting – WCG Accenture Match Play Championship
The PGA TOUR takes a break from its regular format this week to determine the best Match Play golfer in the world. The PGA Studs and the European Tour elite take part as 64 of the world’s best take aim at one of the more prestigious prizes outside of a Major.
Feb 20-26, 2012
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club
Dove Mountain
Marana, Arizona
Total Purse: $8,500,000.00
Winning Share: 1,400,000.00
FedExCup Points: 500
Def Champion: Luke Donald
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club – Dove Mountain plays host to the best in an NCAA style tournament in which a loss means the end of the tournament. Brackets are set with players seeded #-1 to #16 with the top seeds starting the week by playing the lower seeds.
It is a tournament in which one will not only have to consider a golfer’s present form but also their history in this somewhat unusual setup.
Luke Donald is the defending champion for this event but isn’t quite on top of his game right now and Phil Mickelson, one of the hottest players on the planet right now is taking the week off – the field is wide open win what should be a fun weekend of golf!
The Favorites:
Rory McIlroy 11/1
Rory McIlroy is the #1 seed in his bracket and there is little chance he loses his first round match to George Coetzee even though Coetzee has played very well in Europe as of late (a fifth and sixth place finish already). McIlroy was a quarter-finalist last year at this event and he has started off just OK in 2012.
Tiger Woods 11/1
Tiger has won this even three times but has won just one match since winning in this event since winning in 2008. Woods is the #5 seed in the tough Snead bracket but he is difficult to bet against. Motivation, some decent play and the fact that he is no stranger to Match Play could carry Tiger this year.
Luke Donald 16/1
Luke Donald is the top seed in the Bobby Jones bracket and has drawn Ernie Els as his first round opponent – yikes! Repeating here is a tough task especially when not at the top of your game!
Lee Westwood 16/1
Westwood has a tough draw against players that are on top of their games so far in 2012. Westwood has made 11 appearances at the WGC, has a 7-11 record and has never passed the second round. Best to look elsewhere!
The Contenders:
Sergio Garcia 20/1
Garcia had a sizzling final round at the Northern Trust last week and could surprise this week. He has a very tough draw however against a few of his European idols and potentially Keegan Bradley in the second round. Garcia has a 12-10 record in the tournament with his best result coming in 2010 when he finished fourth. Also keep in mind that Garcia does have a ton of experience in Ryder Cup action.
Martin Kaymer 22/1
Kaymer is playing very well at the moment and is the top seed in the Hogan bracket. He was second in this event last year and has a 7-4 record in Match Play in his career. He should easily win his first round match and then the sky is the limit.
Webb Simpson 28/1
Simpson is the #2 seed in the Snead bracket and will be making his first appearance in this event. He has two Top 10’s in three events this year and is one player to keep a serious eye on!
Dustin Johnson 28/1
Johnson has been very erratic this year and is the #3 seed in the Jones bracket. He has yet to get past the first round in his three career appearances at this event so a bet on him is not all that prudent.
Adam Scott 28/1
Scott has had a slow start to 2012 and hasn’t advanced past the second round in his last six appearances. He played well at Riviera last week but he has overnight sensation Robert Rock in the first round. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Charl Schwartzel 33/1
Schwartzel is in a good position here and he has done fairly well in Match Play events. However, he is just 4-3 in three appearances at this event. Schwartzel has a habit of showing up in big events and he could be heard from in as the #3 seed in the Player bracket.
Bubba Watson 33/1
Watson is the #5 seed in the Hogan bracket and has played well in all four events this year. He played well here last year on the way to a fourth place finish. Don’t sleep on Mr. Watson!
The Sleepers:
Keegan Bradley 40/1
Bradley is the #5 seed in the Player bracket and is coming off a very good tournament last week. He is making his first start in the WGC but could be a man to watch based on his play in 2011 and so far in 2012.
Jim Furyk 66/1
Furyk has drawn the #14 seed in the Jones bracket and is the most interesting of the Sleepers on the board. He played well enough last week to open a few eyes and his experience in the President’s Cup and Ryder should give him and enormous advantage in the WGC.
Jonathan Byrd 80/1
Byrd has either been very good or very bad this season but he does get a struggling Matt Kuchar in the first round. After that, anything can happen in perhaps the easiest bracket at the tournament.
Here is Dave B’s Final Four:
- Martin Kaymer from the Hogan Bracket
- Tiger Woods from the Snead Bracket
- Keegan Bradley from the Player Bracket
- Jim Furyk from the Jones Bracket
The Pick:
Martin Kaymer 22/1 who finished second last year at this event and won the WGC’s HSBC Championship in November.
My sleeper is Jim Furyk 66/1 whose experience and decent play of late could be the surprise of the tournament.
Good Luck!
WGC Accenture Match Play Odds
If a player withdraws before the start of the tournament then wagers on that player (s) are refunded. If a player withdraws AFTER the start of the tournament then wagers on that player (s) are losers. Others On Request.
Rory McIlroy 11/1
Tiger Woods 11/1
Luke Donald 16/1
Lee Westwood 18/1
Sergio Garcia 18/1
Martin Kaymer 22/1
Webb Simpson 28/1
Dustin Johnson 28/1
Ian Poulter 30/1
Adam Scott 30/1
Steve Stricker 33/1
Jason Day 33/1
Bill Haas 33/1
Charl Schwartzel 33/1
Nick Watney 33/1
Bubba Watson 33/1
Keegan Bradley 33/1
Matt Kuchar 40/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Aaron Baddeley 50/1
Rickie Fowler 50/1
Graeme McDowell 50/1
Geoff Ogilvy 50/1
Brandt Snedeker 50/1
Kyle Stanley 50/1
Tomas Bjorn 66/1
K.J. Choi 66/1
Ben Crane 66/1
Jim Furyk 66/1
Zach Johnson 66/1
Louis Oosthuizen 66/1
Alvaro Quiros 66/1
Justin Rose 66/1
Bo Van Pelt 66/1
Gary Woodland 66/1
Jonathan Byrd 80/1
Nicolas Colsaerts 80/1
Jason Dufner 80/1
Retief Goosen 80/1
Peter Hanson 80/1
Fredrik Jacobson 80/1
Martin Laird 80/1
Francesco Molinari 80/1
John Senden 80/1
George Coetzee 100/1
Simon Dyson 100/1
Ernie Els 100/1
Anders Hansen 100/1
Robert Karlsson 100/1
Paul Lawrie 100/1
Robert Rock 100/1
David Toms 100/1
Mark Wilson 100/1
Y-E Yang 100/1
Matteo Manassero 100/1
Kevin Na 125/1
Sang-Moon Bae 125/1
Rafael Cabrera -Bello 150/1
Ryo Ishikawa 150/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez 150/1
Kyung-Tae Kim 150/1
Darren Clarke 150/1
Greg Chalmers 150/1
Gonzalo Fernandez 150/1
