Sixty-four of the top 69 players from the Official World Golf Ranking (as of March 13, 2017) have committed to the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, which will take place March 22-26 at Austin Country Club in Austin, Texas.
The tournament will feature the game’s biggest stars from around the globe in a rare match-play format.
The top four in the OWGR lead the way, including four-time World Golf Championships winner and No. 1-ranked Dustin Johnson, defending champion Australian Jason Day, 2015 Dell Technologies Match Play winner Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who has already won twice on the PGA TOUR this season.
The field includes players representing 20 different countries from across the globe. The field includes nine players who have won World Golf Championships events (Johnson, Day, McIlroy, Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Martin Kaymer).
Players who qualified that did not commit include Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Adam Hadwin.
At-a-Glance
Event: Dell Technologies Match Play
Dates: March 22-26, 2017
Where: Austin Country Club – Austin, TX
Distance: 6,848 yards | Par 72
Architect: Pete Dye (1984)
Defending Champ: Jason Day
Trophy: The Walter Hagen Cup
Purse: $9,750,000
Winning Share: $1,755,000
FedEx Cup Points: 550
Format
The 64-player Dell Technologies Match Play will utilize Group Play Matches with the field divided into 16 four-player groups. The 18-hole matches will be played to either a conclusion, or a halve, with matches not extending beyond 18 holes until Friday.
Points are awarded to players based on results of each match as follows: Winner 1 point, Loser 0 point, Halved each player ½ point. The player in each group with the highest point total at the end of group play advances to the 16-player, single-elimination matches.
In the event three or more players in a group are equal with the highest point totals, a stroke play hole-by-hole playoff on holes 1 through 18 in sequence will determine the player that advances to the 16-player, single-elimination matches. If only two players in the group are tied, match play will be the format.
- Wednesday, Round 1 – Player A vs Player D, Player B vs Player C – 32 matches (64 players)
- Thursday, Round 2 – Player A vs Player C, Player B vs Player D – 32 matches (64 players)
- Friday, Round 3 – Player A vs Player B, Player C vs Player D – 32 matches (64 players)
(See Round 1 Matchups)
After group-play, the 16 golfers who advanced will be reseeded according to their rank. The highest ranked player will be reseeded as No 1; the second highest ranked player will be reseeded as No 2, and so on – from No 1 through No 16.
- Saturday Morning, Sweet 16 – Player No 1 vs Player No 16, Player No 2 vs Player No 15, and so on… – Eight matches (16 players) – winners advance to round 5/quarter-final matches. Matches all square after 18 holes in round 4 extended on holes 10 through 18 and repeated if necessary.
- Saturday Afternoon, Quarter-Finals – Player No 1 vs Player No 8, Player No 2 vs Player No 7, and so on… – Four quarter-final matches (eight players) – winners advance to round 6/semi-final matches. Matches all square after 18 holes in round 5 are extended on holes 12 through 18 and repeated if necessary.
- Sunday Morning, Semi-Finals – Player No 1 vs Player No 4, Player No 2 vs Player No 3 – Two semi-final matches (four players) – winners advance to the Championship Match, losers advance to the Consolation Match. Matches all square after 18 holes in round 6 are extended on holes 12 through 18 and repeated if necessary.
- Sunday Afternoon, Finals – Consolation Match (two players) and Championship Match (two players). Matches all square after 18 holes in rounds 7 are extended on holes 12 through 18 and repeated if necessary.
TV Listings
The Dell Technologies Match Play will be broadcast in 227 countries and territories, to approximately 1 billion homes, and in 30 different languages.
(All Times ET)
Wednesday: 2:00 – 8:00 PM – Golf Channel
Thursday: 2:00 – 8:00 PM – Golf Channel
Friday: 2:00 – 8:00 PM – Golf Channel
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Golf Channel | 2:00 – 6:00 PM – NBC
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Golf Channel | 3:00 – 7:00 PM – NBC
Full Field
Updated rankings, as of 3/20/2017
[table id=210 /]
Credit/Sources: PGA Tour Media, Getty Images
