The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship gets underway on Wednesday, and the elite of men’s golf will be in action at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Arizona.
Amongst the field this year is the defending champion and world’s number one golfer Luke Donald, current US Open champion Rory McIlroy and 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort is made up of three nine-hole courses – Saguaro, Tortolita and Wild Burro -the latter favoured by course designer Jack Nicklaus but unfortunately deemed too fan-unfriendly to be associated with the WGC Accenture Match Play, therefore both nines from the Saguaro and Tortolita are combined to establish a 7,849 yard 72 championship venue that provides a spectacular layout for the game’s top 64 players.
It’s a classic risk-reward course, consisting of large, undulating greens, generous, wide fairways and deep pot-style bunkers. The tees, fairways and rough are Bermuda and the greens consist of Bentgrass. Each of the par 5’s is reachable in two, but any wayward shots will result in a penalty. Whilst course form is a bonus, experience of match-play golf is essential. As the old saying goes “Stroke Play measures the ability of a golfer. Match Play measures the heart of a competitor”.
Long, straight-hitter and an excellent putter, especially on undulating greens. Nick Watney (40/1
Boylesports) beat Anthony Kim and Lee Westwood in the opening rounds last year only to lose out to Ryan Moore on extra holes. The key to winning at match-play is hitting lots of greens and Watney does that best.
Paul Lawrie will be no pushover in round 1 but Englishman Justin Rose’s greens-in-regulation statistics are highly impressive and this event is tailor-made for his golf game. Rose (80/1) is a multiple winner on the PGA Tour and that experience combined with his phenomenal putting record will see him to the latter stages.
A win and two top 20 finishes on the PGA Tour already this season yet Mark Wilson is priced up at 125/1? Wilson’s game is built around strategy and hitting greens. Let’s also add that he’s a fantastic putter and beat Dustin Johnson when he made his debut in this event last year.
And finally Graeme McDowell (50/1) has a score to settle in his opening round when he faces Y.E. Yang, after the Korean knocked him out in the third round last year. One of the biggest attributes of McDowell’s golf game is his ability to withstand pressure, which is essential in match-play golf. He’s plenty long enough off the tee, he hits almost every green and he’s a tremendous clutch putter.
