WGC – Match Play: 2022 PGA Tour Betting Odds
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are favoured on the golf odds.
Some players love match-play competitions – most Europeans seem to, why they often win the Ryder Cup – while some don’t care for it. In theory, the Top 64 players in the world rankings would be in the field this week at Austin Country Club (par 71 at 7,110 yards), but there are always a few who decide to skip for whatever reason.
Aussie Cameron Smith, who won the Players Championship two weeks ago, is not playing. Too bad as he has been spectacular this year, also winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in January. Smith’s best finish in three previous trips to the WGC-Match Play was a quarterfinal appearance in 2018. Other players deciding not to play: Rory McIlroy (won in 2015), Phil Mickelson and Hideki Matsuyama.
The field of 64 is divided into four groups and players are assigned a seed number for the competition determined by their position in the world rankings. Players are then placed into four pools: A (ranked 1-16), B (17-32), C (33-48) and D (49-64). The top 16 in the rankings each are assigned to one pool, and then the other three spots in each are by draw from B, C and D. There are three round-robin matches in each group and the winner advances – there certainly will be sudden-death playoffs on Friday.
One point is earned for a win and matches can be halved (half-point each) in the round-robin play but not after. The Round of 16 and quarterfinals are on Saturday and then the semifinals and final (and third-place match) on Sunday.
The top overall seed (via world ranking) has won this tournament five times and three were by Tiger Woods. The last No. 1 seed to win it all was Dustin Johnson, who defeated another No. 1 (Rahm) in 2017. The worst seed to win was No. 62 Kevin Sutherland in 2002. The rankings of the last three winners have been 32-48-35.
An American has won four straight times (was canceled in 2020) and the defending champion is Billy Horschel, who was seeded 32nd. He beat Scottie Scheffler 2-and-1 in the final despite Horschel having just one birdie in his round. Scheffler also had just the one and that was conceded. Horschel, who had to win a playoff in pool play, had never previously advanced to the Round of 16 in this event.
WGC-Match Play Golf Odds
World No. 1 Jon Rahm and No. 7 Justin Thomas are each +1200 this week – it’s possible Rahm could lose that ranking. Rahm didn’t play last week in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area and was T55 last time out at the Players Championship. His best result here was losing the 2017 final 1 up to Dustin Johnson (+2000).
Thomas did play over the weekend and missed out on a playoff by one shot with Sam Burns and Davis Riley at the Valspar Championship. Thomas’ best result in this event is fourth. Burns is +3500 to win a second straight week on the PGA Tour as he debuts here.
Collin Morikawa and Victor Hovland are each +1400 with 2021 runner-up Scottie Scheffler at +1800. Morikawa didn’t make it out of pool play last year in his debut. Neither did Hovland. Billy Horschel is +3500 to repeat after edging Scheffler last year.
Not many Canadian players reach the Top 64 in the world and only Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes played last year. Conners lost all three round-robin matches and didn’t advance. Hughes advance did but lost in the Round of 16 to note match-play stalwart Sergio Garcia. Conners is +5500 this week and Hughes +12500.
WGC-Match Play Golf Predictions
The winner is Sergio Garcia at +5000 – he’s considered one of the best match play players alive and essentially always at least gets through pool play. He lost in the quarters last year.