This is a quick week, so let's get started! The field of 64 players is set and about to descend upon Austin Country Club for the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship. A brief break from the weekly 72-hole grind, this annual individual match play tournament always entertains. I will be in Austin covering the WGC Match Play for all of you. Stay tuned on social media for all of the live betting updates. Also pay attention to that weekly countdown timer, the matches start on WEDNESDAY!
Once again we have a designated event with $20 million dollars in the purse and a check for $3.6 million to the winner. This Pete Dye masterpiece would be tough to play everyday as a member, but this week it certainly adds to the drama.
We expect the weather in Austin to be about as predictable as the matches. Temperatures will be warm rising into the 80's each day and Wednesday through Friday the breeze will be blowing the strongest. Wednesday through Friday rain is predicted with Friday having the best chance for showers. We may see .25-.40" of rain over the three days. Austin has received less than an inch of rain in the last month and with this hilly terrain, I expect the course to play firm and fast.
I mentioned the Group Stage, as there is a unique format this week. Many changes have been made over the years, but since 2015 we have followed this plan.
That's 126 holes in 5 days. It's match play so it could be less or it could be more. In any event, Austin Country Club is pretty hilly and one of the tougher walks on tour. The elevation changes really play a significant role in shaping many of the risk reward decision moments on the course. Since the Match Play moved to Austin in 2016, our winners have represented a couple of common themes.
An average of 4.8 top seeds have survived to advance out of the Group Stage. Keep that in mind as you build your bracket. More than ten of those group winners will not be the lowest ranked player. We'll get into what it takes to be successful this week in the outrights section. For now it's important to realize this week is a wild card. My approach will be conservative prior to Wednesday and then target specific H2H's each day just as we did at the Presidents' Cup.
We had a 57% success rate that week in Charlotte and I expect us to do as well if not better with this field. Austin Country Club is a tough test. The greens average about 5,500 square feet and eight of the last ten holes have penalty areas. Approach accuracy, around the green play, and putting will differentiate these guys. Twenty-six of the Top 30 in the world are competing and 54 of the Top 64. The highest ranked player in the field is Cam Davis (79) and his World Ranking points are less than ten behind world #1 Scottie Scheffler. It's a tight bunch!
If you think March Madness is crazy, wait until this week unfolds...
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Match Play on TV:
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ABC... always be closing
Just as we witnessed this weekend, winning is hard. Closing out a 72-hole tournament might be one of the most difficult tasks in all of professional sports. I have heard so many mention Schenk's bad break, but as a PGA Professional I can assure you of this. If you hit it in the woods; you are going to find trees. Congratulations to Taylor Moore and his backers, what a wonderful week for him and his support team.
We won't see any Taylor Moores this week in Austin. One the smallest and most elite fields in golf is about to determine who is the best closer in golf. Winning a tournament is tough, but to win the Match Play you must close out seven matches against the best in the world. The knack of being a closer comes from a couple of specific traits. We see it in Ryder Cups and we'll also see it this week.
March madness continues in Austin. Be prepared for upsets and the chalk. It takes a thoughtful approach on weeks like this. Let's be grateful our methodology doesn't only rely on numbers...
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After two more weeks off, the LPGA is going to really start their 2023 campaign. The LPGA Drive On Championship will be played in Gold Canyon, Arizona at the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Home to the LPGA Safeway Invitational from 2004 to 2008 this venue has hosted some incredible championships.
The LPGA's best will be competing on the Prospector Course. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, these 18 holes are covered in bunkers, surrounded by desert, and designed with undulating greens. Jack has a habit of adding sand and sectioning his green complexes. The list of past Safeway winners is a who's who of women's professional golf. In the five years the ladies played the Prospector, there were only three different winners.
All three are in the Hall of Fame. When we get to the outright predictions, their influence will be felt on our card. Before we go there, let's take a closer look at the course and the conditions these players will face in Arizona.
Even though we are in the Arizona desert, the weather looks a little cool for late March. Temperatures are predicted to peak in the mid-60's. They may get a little rain early in the week and overall March has been pretty dry accumulating just 1.5" of precipitation. Wind looks mild for the four days ranging from eight to 12 or 13 miles per hour. Essentially we have great scoring conditions for the event. The full field of 142 players is ready (Top 65 and ties make the cut). They should be considering the staggered start to this season. Thankfully with the return to the United States, we now have a consistent weekly schedule for the remainder of 2023.
Those Hall of Fame Safeway winners averaged 17 under par in route to victory. Superstition Mountain is a world class facility. A few of the LPGA's finest even practice there. Jennifer Kupcho, Carlota Ciganda, and Mina Harigae are all professional members of the facility. I'm sure their familiarity with the course will provide even the slightest edge.
Don't get too spooked because Superstition Mountain's golf sits at 1,900+ feet above sea level. That will definitely make a difference when it comes to how far the ball will carry. I cannot wait to truly get this season started for the ladies. Remember, the last time they played we won! Jin Young Ko (+2000) closed the deal in Singapore. Will this week have a similar champion? Will another future Hall of Famer take the title? All those questions and more are answered in the outright section.
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Drive-on on TV:
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Don't be superstitious
Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa and Julie Inkster are three of the most well-rounded players ever to compete on the LPGA. To define what makes them great winners would take a Wikipedia sized explanation. The fact they all won on the Prospector course is very interesting. Together they defined their three eras in golf. They did it with a common skill set one woman will need to possess this week in order to follow in their footsteps.
Leona Maguire won last year's tournament with excellent putting and incredible accuracy closing with a final round 67. Her game matched last year's venue perfectly. With a new venue, I'm not sure she's an excellent match anymore. I believe our winner will either be a young superstar or a player well on her way to joining Annika, Julie, and Lorena in the HOF. With this list, I know we can win back to back LPGA events!
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Let's win again before we head into the year's first REALLY designated event...
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The Solheim Cup comes back home! Attention shoppers The United States team got off to a very fast start in the 19th Solheim Cup match and never looked back. Europe came into the match having won three in a row, but from the beginning you could see the American side was on a mission. An impressive team victory all but one player earned a point for the home team and five players captured three points or more. By Friday's start, the Americans were heavily favored. We've seen this storyline...
...and we're back! After 35 straight weeks of PGA TOUR golf, they took a week off. As we all collectively caught our breath, the TOUR reloaded for an eight week fall run. The FedEx Cup Fall starts this week at the Procore Championship in Napa, California. This is the old Fortinet/Safeway event. The Silverado Resort is still the host and 144 players will be playing for more than making the cut and a $6 million dollar purse. The top 50 in FedEx Cup points from January through August are...
Cheers Viktor Hovland, 2023 FedEx Cup Champion Superbowl week ATLANTA, GA Lydia Ko’s victory at the AIG Women’s Open marks our third straight year of double-digit wins. Adam Scott came close to our eleventh outright, but alas his putter decided against it. It was tough to leave Castle Pines, but Atlanta awaits and $100 million is on the table. Back to the heat and humidity, at least we have a new golf course to break down. The Tour Championship takes place at historic East Lake Golf Club....