Picks for the 2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

The bracket for the 2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play has been released. The 64 qualifiers have been clustered in 16 groups, setting the stage for the group play to begin on Wednesday.

To sign up for the Bracket Challenge or get caught up on the exact format, head to pgatour.com. When you’re ready to fill the slots and start betting on the festivities, check out my WGC Match Play picks.

DJ is the obvious pick, but know that he’s 1-5 in his last six matches at Austin Country Club. I say Johnson handles his business against Adam Long but gets upended by Robert MacIntyre the following day

This brings smiles to Kevin Na’s face as he’ll be the one who conquers his group, just as he did at the 2019 WGC Match Play.

Perhaps the group of death, it’s going to take some stellar golf from Wednesday to Friday to emerge out of group 2. Kevin Kisner is the defending champ; Matt Kuchar won the Match Play in 2013 and finished runner-up to Kisner here in 2019.

JT is coming off a lights-out performance at THE PLAYERS, where he gained a whopping 11.19 strokes on the field from tee-to-green over the weekend (the most since PGA Tour started tracking SG data in 2004).

Naturally, I’ll ride with Louis. 11th or better in two of his last three starts, and he’s putting better than anyone in this foursome (3rd in SG: Putting in 2020-21).

Ryan Palmer can get hot and make as many birdies as anyone in this field. Shane Lowry has a fantastic short game; Sebastian Munoz has been vastly underrated since he stepped foot on the tour.

In the end, though, I can’t bring myself to tab one of these guys to stare Jon Rahm down in a mano-a-mano format. “Rahmbo” should be hungry after winning just one match at Austin Country Club since losing to DJ in the finals in ’17.

Collin and Max have won this season; Billy has been knocking at the door. Nevertheless, give me J.T. Poston to shock a lot of people and advance.

Why am I pegging Poston as one of my WGC Dell Technologies Match Play sleeper picks?

I like the momentum gained from his T22 at TPC Sawgrass, and he’s hands-down the most efficient putter in group 4.

The intimidation factor will be real. Bryson’s ability to overpower Austin Country and put his opponents into uncomfortable and “forced” situations will be on full display this week.

Fleetwood’s still searching for his game (1 top-10 in 8 PGA Tour starts this season), while Si Woo Kim got pummeled (0-3) during his last appearance at the Match Play.

Antoine Rozner is probably ecstatic just to be included, so perhaps watch out for him as one of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play sleepers.

Jason Day joins Tiger Woods as the only player to win the WGC Match Play multiple times (2014, 2016). However, Day’s got his work cut out for him if he plans on making it a hat trick.

Xander Schauffele is a sincere world-beater, and Andy Sullivan is as dangerous as any of the “D players” in this field. With that being said, there are zero holes in Scottie Scheffler’s game, and he’s continued to shine when the lights are bright. Look for the former Longhorn to make the fans in Austin proud.  

Bubba’s got zero top-20s since October and struggles on the greens. Those looking to fade Reed in group 7 side with Niemann or Bezuidenhout.

I like Joaquin. “Joaco” clocks in 7th in birdie average, 7th in SG: Tee-to-Green, and 22nd in putting average.

Niemann’s aggressive mentality gives him a bump in this format, and rest assured that he won’t back down from a battle with Captain America.

Matt Wallace gets a taste of what the European room is like during the Ryder Cup. He is joined by Sergio and a couple of other Englishmen in what lines up to three days with lots of back-and-forth banter. Garcia lives nearby and has advanced through group play in each of the last two WGC Match Plays – he gets my vote here.

Remember, Lee finally cooled down at PGA National and will be teeing it up for the fifth straight week.

Webb Simpson is technically the “A” player in this group, but the top golf betting sites have a different opinion. While Webby is lurking at +3300 to be the last man standing on Sunday, Casey is penciled in at +2500. For what it’s worth, Gooch (+15000) and Hughes (+20000) are among the longest odds in the field.

This is a tough one. I’ve made a habit out of touting Hideki Matsuyama over the past few years and genuinely thinking that both Ortiz and Harman are legit WGC Match Play sleepers. Ortiz is playing the best golf of his career, and Harman is s feisty competitor that won’t go away.

But when push comes to shove, I’m going to eat the chalk here and ride with Cantlay. His calm demeanor and lack of mistakes will inevitably wear out his opposition.

Rory’s inconsistencies on the green get covered up in 72-hole events because of how proficient his ball-striking is. The problem one shaky putting round in Austin could be enough to send you home packing.

Cameron Smith took down Justin Thomas in Sunday Singles at the 2019 Presidents Cup and gained confidence ever since. I expect Smith to stick another feather in his cap by advancing to the round of 16.

Good luck getting out of group 12.

Dylan Frittelli played golf at the University of Texas at Austin, and Will Zalatoris resides in Dallas. Both bring the hometown flair and are playing good golf. Tony Finau is starving to get the monkey off his back and is the most accomplished player here.

That’s all fine and dandy, but don’t sleep on Jason Kokrak.

Kokrak is a big hitter, he’s rock-solid from short range, and boy is his game trending—top-10s in each of his last three starts upon arrival.

I liked Kevin Streelman as a dark horse pick going into the event. Unfortunately, adjusting my WGC Dell Technologies Match Play predictions once the bracket was unveiled was always going to be part of the process.

I could see Streelman giving Hovland a tough time on Wednesday, but I don’t see either man getting in the way of Abraham Ancer moving on. Ancer hits lots of fairways and greens and doesn’t make many mistakes with his putter.

A couple of Georgia Bulldogs are pitted against one another on Wednesday. The winner of that match will be in a prime position to move on; just don’t tell that to Daniel Berger.

Berger won at Pebble Beach and just finished 9th at THE PLAYERS despite losing stroked to the field on the greens. The key is defeating Erik van Rooyen in the opener because I like his chances versus English or Todd.

Which Matthew Wolff is going to show up? The one with blistered hands who’s hitting his driver 45 yards offline, or the one who gets in a groove and is nearly impossible to beat? If it’s the latter, group 15 might just be the toughest group of them all.

Corey Conners is among the best ball-strikers on tour, and you won’t find many with a better short game than Matt Fitzpatrick. Mach play is the perfect format for Spieth to continue garnering momentum.

I’ll roll the dice here and assume that Wolff is healed and ready to get back on track. Should the 21-year-old find a way to escape this group, the floodgates could burst wide open.

Pinpointing the bracket busters is never easy. Among the bottom seeds who have the necessary tools to make a dent in group play, how about Russell Henley? Coming off a T3 at The Honda Classic, Henley is an elite ball-striker (5th in SG: Approach) who’s known to be one of the streakiest putters on tour.

Case in point – Russell’s currently 11th on tour in average distance of putts made per round (83’1”).

Buckle up for a whole bunch of drama and lots of high-level golf. I like a couple of names among those not plastered into the limelight, like Scottie Scheffler and Louis Oosthuizen. And don’t look now, but a fast start on Wednesday could set the wheels in motion for Matthew Wolff to dominate.

“Wolffie’s” +10000 price tag at MyBookie should absolutely be considered if you’re looking for WGC Match Play sleeper picks.

If you want to play things a bit safe, how about predicting Bryson DeChambeau vs. Jon Rahm in the final match on Sunday afternoon?

Seeking redemption after losing to DJ in the Finals in 2017, I say “Rahmbo” gets over the hump this time around.