Fans of match play should savor this week’s event because it’s the last time it will be on the schedule. The 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play will not return in 2024, making this the final edition of the event as we know it.
It’s once again being played at Austin Country Club, with the field of 64 players hitting the course on Wednesday for the start of group play. Below, we look at the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions.
Austin Country Club is the perfect course for a match play event, featuring very different 9-hole stretches on the front and back. It’s a par 71 and only plays 7,108 yards, so it’s not a long course by any means. That brings the shorter hitters into contention, especially with the elevation changes around the course.
Scottie Scheffler, fresh off his win at The Players Championship, will try to defend his title at the WGC Match Play. He’ll face some of the biggest names in golf, including Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Tony Finau. Nine of the top 11 players in the world will be in the field this week, excluding Cam Smith and Justin Thomas.
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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play– Expert picks
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 7:01 p.m. ET.
Jordan Spieth (+2000)
Spieth let a potential win slip away on Sunday at Innisbrook, hitting his tee shot on the 16th hole into the water and finishing 2 shots back of the winner, Taylor Moore. He was a wizard around the greens, getting up-and-down from everywhere to save par and make birdie. Scrambling is critical in match play and it bodes well for him heading to Austin in his home state of Texas.
Tyrell Hatton (+2000)
Hatton has the flare for match play, even if his temper does sometimes get the better of him. He’s a player who can catch fire and rattle off birdie after birdie, but he can also make some costly mistakes by being overly aggressive. That’s a perfect recipe for match play. It’s no surprise he’s made the Round of 16 here 3 times in his 5 trips.
Sungjae Im (+4000)
In his last start, Im shot 64 on Saturday at The Players, but he faded down the stretch and finished tied for 6th after a final-round 72. He already has 7 top-25s in 12 starts this season and though he didn’t make it out of group play in his 2 starts in this event, his game is in great form and his birdie average (16th on tour) make him a good pick in match play.
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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play picks – Contenders
Tommy Fleetwood (+4000)
Fleetwood made a critical error on Sunday at the Valspar Championship when he bogeyed the 14th hole, one of the easiest on the course. He finished 2 shots back of Moore, but he’s been striking the ball extremely well. His putting has just been failing him. He’s made it to the quarterfinals twice in this event and he could go on a deep run this year, too.
Tom Kim (+4000)
Kim has never played this event before but as we saw in the Presidents Cup in the fall, he’s a fiery player in match play, bringing a lot of energy to the course. Though he went 2-3 in his Presidents Cup debut, he faced some tough matchups against the Americans. He’s definitely a player to watch this week with no real weaknesses in his game.
Adam Scott (+8000)
After skipping this even 4 years in a row, Scott returned in 2022 and made it to the Round of 16. He hasn’t had the best stretch yet this season but perhaps a match-play event can get him back on track.
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play picks – Long shots
Kevin Kisner (+10000)
In the 6 years that the WGC Match Play has been played at Austin Country Club, Kisner has made it to the finals 3 times and won it once. A player’s track record doesn’t get much better than that, which is why he’s worth a wager – even at +10000. Don’t be scared off by his 4 missed cuts in the last 5 events. This is a different type of tournament that greatly favors his game.
Matt Kuchar (+9000)
Kuchar didn’t play this event last year, but he’s made the Round of 16 in 4 of his 5 starts at Austin CC, including a runner-up finish in 2019 and a loss in the semifinals in 2021. He came in 8th at Riviera last month and has missed 2 cuts since then, but as with Kisner, Kuchar is worth betting because of his tournament history.
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Golfweek:
- Four years after suffering a collapsed lung, Taylor Moore wins first PGA Tour title at the Valspar Championship
- Tommy Fleetwood becomes PGA Tour’s second $15-million winless man
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