PGA Preview: 2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Picks

Time for filling out your bracket! And we’re not talking about NCAA March Madness. Things are a bit different this week for the WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play event at the Austin Country Club!

There is a limited field with players facing a win to move on format style that stands apart from regular stroke-play events. Similar to basketball games during the NCAA and NIT tournaments. The Dell even includes seeding – also like March Madness!

Still, those familiar names sit atop of the favorites list despite the differences in the type of event. That includes three players knotted together at +1200.

Best Online Sportsbooks for PGA Betting

Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and Dustin Johnson all come in at +1200 before the opening round. The field consists of the top 64 players in the world minus players taking a week off.

In other words, there are not too many sleepers playing! That’s partly due to the limited field and it is also a split weekend. In addition to the WGC event, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship will tee things up this week in The Dominican Republic.

Here are the top-five favorite players to win outright according to Intertops. More information on seeding, brackets, format, and odds below.

Bryson DeChambeau +1200

Justin Thomas +1200

Dustin Johnson +1200

Jon Rahm +1400

Rory McIlroy +1800

2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Preview

Where: Austin, Texas

Course: Austin Country Club

Format: Match Play

Par: 71

Length: 7,140

When: March 24 –28, 2021

Purse: $10.5 Million.

TV Coverage: NBC/Golf

Since this article has been stretched due to list both brackets and odds I’ve decided to scale back the course description to a bare minimum. The Austin Country Club course was designed by Pete Dye and plays along the Colorado River. Water comes into play on a few holes, especially those along the river and lake bank. The layout is very playable for the PGA’s best players. Look for text-book play from most. Some may have trouble with bunkers and a few tight fairways.

2021 Dell Technologies Brackets (Groups)

The WGC Dell Technologies field is broken down into 16 groups of four players pitted in a match play format with the top player of each bracket after three days moving forward. Player groups are shown with individual tournament seeding/ranking. The field is composed of the top-64 players in the world according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

Group 1

Dustin Johnson (1)

Kevin Na (34)

Robert MacIntyre (41)

Adam Long (61)

Group 2

Justin Thomas (2)

Louis Oosthuizen (22)

Kevin Kisner (34)

Matt Kuchar (52)

Group 3

Jon Rahm (3)

Ryan Palmer (24)

Shane Lowry (38)

Sebastian Munoz (56)

Group 4

Collin Morikawa (4)

Billy Horschel (32)

Max Homa (35)

J.T. Poston (63)

Group 5

Bryson DeChambeau (5)

Tommy Fleetwood (21)

Si Woo Kim (45)

Antoine Rozner (58)

Group 6

Xander Schauffele (6)

Scottie Scheffler (30)

Jason Day (44)

Andy Sullivan (57)

Group 7

Patrick Reed (7)

Joaquin Niemann (26)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (33)

Bubba Watson (55)

Group 8

Tyrrell Hatton (8)

Lee Westwood (18)

Sergio Garcia (39)

Matt Wallace (51)

Group 9

Webb Simpson (9)

Paul Casey (17)

Mackenzie Hughes (48)

Talor Gooch (59)

Group 10

Patrick Cantlay (10)

Hideki Matsuyama (23)

Carlos Ortiz (42)

Brian Harman (54)

Group 11

Rory McIlroy (11)

Cameron Smith (25)

Lanto Griffin (46)

Ian Poulter (60)

Group 12

Tony Finau (12)

Jason Kokrak (29)

Will Zalatoris (40)

Dylan Frittelli (64)

Group 13

Viktor Hovland (13)

Abraham Ancer (27)

Bernd Wiesberger (43)

Kevin Streelman (53)

Group 14

Daniel Berger (14)

Harris English (19)

Brendon Todd (47)

Erik van Rooyen (62)

Group 15

Matt Fitzpatrick (15)

Matthew Wolff (20)

Corey Conners (37)

Jordan Spieth (49)

Group 16

Sungjae Im (16)

Victor Perez (31)

Marc Leishman (36)

Russell Henley (50)

Start a Bookie:Best Pay Per Head Services

2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Predictions

Dustin Johnson +1200

Dustin Johnson is the top player in his group and holds the No. 1 seed so he’s considered a probable lock for making it through. That’s if Kevin NA does not become a bracket buster. Johnson’s level of play at the moment is hard to look past as well as his win at this event in 2017 as well as winning the COVID delayed Masters several months ago.

Patrick Reed +2500

I have no idea why Patrick Reed is not listed as a top-five favorite. Reed seems to thrive on match-play events. Yes, there have been some stumbles. But Reed is the top-seeded player in Group 7 which also includes Joaquin Niemann, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Bubba Watson. If he plays the same style of golf that he did when he became known as “Captain America” during the Ryder Cup then he should have no trouble advancing.

Daniel Berger +2800

Daniel Berger’s rib injury suffered at TPC Sawgrass forced a small break but he’s back and healthy. Berger has not been a standout during Match Play events but has been playing strong including Sawgrass where he still managed to card a T9. Harris English (+8000) may be the player in his group that he needs to worry about.

Others I Like: Paul Casey (+2500) has finished this event twice as the runner-up and is coming off some strong play as of late including a win at Dubai. I also like Bryson DeChambeau (+1200) but it would depend on how he manages to back off his powerful drives for a course that demands a bit more finesse off the tee.

2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Odds

Bryson DeChambeau +1200

Justin Thomas +1200

Dustin Johnson +1200

Jon Rahm +1400

Rory McIlroy +1800

Collin Morikawa +2000

Patrick Reed +2500

Xander Schauffele +2500

Jordan Spieth +2500

Paul Casey +2500

Patrick Cantlay +2500

Daniel Berger +2800

Viktor Hovland +2800

Sungjae Im +2800

Tony Finau +2800

Webb Simpson +2800

Tyrrell Hatton +3300

Cameron Smith +3300

Matthew Fitzpatrick +3300

Sergio Garcia +4000

Hideki Matsuyama +4000

Louis Oosthuizen +4000

Will Zalatoris +4000

Jason Day +4000

Tommy Fleetwood +4000

Scottie Scheffler +5000

Joaquin Niemann +5000

Abraham Ancer +5000

Corey Conners +5000

Lee Westwood +5000

Jason Kokrak +5000

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000

Kevin Kisner +6000

Russell Henley +6600

Si-Woo Kim +7500

Max Homa +7500

Harris English +8000

Ryan Palmer +8000

Brian Harman +8000

Bubba Watson +8000

Matt Wallace +8000

Billy Horschel +8000

Matthew Wolff +8000

Lanto Griffin +10000

Marc Leishman +10000

Kevin Na +10000

Ian Poulter +10000

Shane Lowry +10000

Carlos Ortiz +10000

Brendon Todd +10000

Victor Perez +10000

Talor Gooch +12500

Matt Kuchar +12500

Antoine Rozner +15000

Kevin Streelman +15000

Erik Van Rooyen +15000

Robert Macintyre +15000

JT Poston +15000

Dylan Frittelli +15000

Sebastian Munoz +15000

Bernd Wiesberger +15000

Andy Sullivan +20000

Mackenzie Hughes +20000

Adam Long +20000