My "5 to Watch" at the WGC-Bridgestone

Well, I guess I should pick a "5 to Watch" for a WGC also, don't you think? And since this is the last time this event will be at Firestone, it should be very competitive.



Let's skip all the small talk and get right to my picks.

• Of course, Tiger Woods is going to get a lot of TV time. His record at this course is ridiculous, with 8 wins and 12 Top10s in 15 starts. He's coming off his best playing yet at the Open -- he made some clutch shots on the back nine, which he hadn't been doing earlier in the year -- and he's comfortable here. It's really just a question of whether he's learned enough about how his body reacts down the stretch to get the results he wants.
• Dustin Johnson bounced back from a poor Open with a win in Canada, and I can't help but think he feels he has something to prove. Not that DJ hasn't proven himself at WGC events, having won more of them than anyone but Tiger. Besides that, he's the World #1. Still, I think he'd like to pick up another one and make himself the favorite going into the PGA Championship.
• Francesco Molinari. Need I say more? The Champion Golfer of the Year would love to add a second WGC to his resume -- excuse me, his CV. (Americans use resumes, most of the rest of the world use CVs. In case you didn't know.)
• Rory McIlroy has been absent from my lists for a while, but he's been playing better as of late and -- this is important -- it appears that Firestone will be wet this week. Rory always seems to be at his best on wet courses and, with just a little help from his putter, the conditions could put Rors back in the winner's circle.
• And for my flier... it's hard to call anybody a flier at a WGC, since you generally have to qualify through the world rankings just to play. So I'm going to pick someone I believe has been almost forgotten -- Justin Rose. He's #3 in my Ruthless Golf World Rankings, and you don't get there without a considerable number of wins, yet he's hardly being talked about. He too plays well in wet conditions, and I think he'd like to remind the golf world that he should still be taken seriously. Firestone is a great place to do just that!

And my pick is... hmmm. I'd really like to pick Tiger, but I don't think he's quite ready yet. Instead, I'm going to ignore the power hitters and go with Molinari. A win this week just might make him the favorite in the Player of the Year race, and think that matters to him.

GC goes to live coverage at 1:30pm ET Thursday, which probably means there will be a half-hour PreGame Show at 1pm. The Ricoh all morning and the Bridgestone all evening -- how lucky can we get?

Your Printable Dell Match Play Bracket

Yes, today is just a link to the bracket for this year's WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. (Just look for the words Print Your Bracket in the tabs above the web version.) In case you've forgotten, the event is held in Austin TX and Dustin Johnson is the defending champion.



You can get a summary of all the event details at this PGATOUR.com page. The Tour leaderboard has a list of all the matches and their tee off times (all times there are CST -- Central Standard Time, which is an hour earlier than the normal ET times -- Eastern Standard Time, on the East Coast of the US).

You can even find all the individual matches for the first three days listed at the event's Wikipedia page, if you so desire.

GC's broadcasts begin at 2pm ET on Wednesday. Get your brackets NOW!

Yes, It's WGC Time Again

And why should you care? Because it's probably the last time in 2017 we'll see so many big names all together.



The WGC-HSBC Champions -- or as I tend to call it, the WGC-China -- is both the final WGC of 2017 and the first WGC of the 2017-2018 PGA Tour wraparound season. Hideki Matsuyama, the first-ever WGC champ from Asia, also happens to be the defending champion at this event, and he and Dustin Johnson -- who currently hold all four WGC titles between them -- will try to add another WGC to their respective totals. Even Phil Mickelson is going to play.

The Sheshan International West Course -- 7,266 yards, par 72 -- isn't all that long by Tour standards but has a lot of elevation changes and plenty of distracting scenery to make it a challenge. We usually get to see plenty of impressive scrambling, which could mean plenty of Phil highlights.

Of course, the drawback to all of this -- at least in the US -- is the time difference. GC's coverage starts with the Pre Game at 9:30pm ET tonight, followed by live coverage at 10pm ET. But GC lists coverage until 7am ET Thursday morning, which is HUGE if it's all live. (The rebroadcast runs from 9:30am-2:30pm ET Thursday.)

So while we've still got some meaningful golf to play this season -- the ET's Race to Dubai, as well as the Australian majors -- this is the last hurrah for big PGA Tour golf events this year. It could be a pretty good finale!

My "5 to Watch" at the WGC-Bridgestone

The second of this week's "5 to Watch" posts concerns the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club in Akron OH. (That's Nicklaus territory!)



The defending champion is Dustin Johnson, but DJ may have his hands full this year. There are a number of players who are on the verge of getting their games back in shape... and a few who are already on top of their games.

I struggle to pick only five players this week. I find myself leaving red-hot Jon Rahm off my list (you know he's up for this WGC, after getting "DJ'ed" in Mexico), and Rickie Fowler (who always seems to play well in this event), and Brooks Koepka's looking pretty good as well. But I can only pick five...

• Of course Dustin Johnson makes the list! He finally appears to be shaking off the effects of that fall just before the Masters. And it's not just that he's the defending champion -- we tend to forget that he's won three of the last four WGCs. (You may recall that the WGC-China went to Hideki Matsuyama.) He really just needs a few putts to fall.
• This one may surprise you, but Kevin Chappell should be high on more lists. He finished T3 here last year, and has only gotten better since. With his first win coming earlier this year, his confidence must be sky-high at this point, despite a few missed cuts.
• Likewise, Matt Kuchar was T3 at Firestone last year. Do I really need to remind you why he should be on your short list?
• While his chances are probably being overhyped this week, you have to think Jordan Spieth could get it done. It really is just a question of how much that Open win drained from him. Is he on adrenaline or fumes this week? We'll have to see.
• And my flier is... Adam Scott. Yeah, I'm calling the man who's fifth on the Firestone earnings list a flier. But something's been missing from his game this season. I have no guarantee that he'll find it this week, but a comfortable track like this might be a good place for everything to fall into place.

My pick is (drum roll, please)... Kuchar. I know he wants to win this one, but I think he's mentally preparing for the PGA next week. Firestone may be the perfect place to get his mind focused for it, and that could result in a WGC win.

GC's coverage starts Thursday at 1:30pm ET, but don't forget about the news conferences today at 2pm ET today.

They All Went Bye-Bye

Alas, even the mighty Phil Mickelson fell. He made it deeper than he has in over a decade but, in the end, even he couldn't make the Final Four at the WGC-Dell Match Play. None of my picks made it to the Sunday matches, so I no longer have a dog in the fight.

However, we are left with a fascinating foursome to contend for the Walter Hagen Cup today.



In one corner we have a semifinal battle between Bill Haas and Jon Rahm. Haas wasn't firing on all eight cylinders when the week started, but he's found his groove now. And Rahm hasn't been out of his groove all week, not even for a moment.

In the other corner we have Dustin Johnson and Hideto Tanihara. Johnson wasn't even tied for a hole this week until well into the fifth match Saturday afternoon... and even then, he didn't fall behind. And Tanihara -- well, he's not so much an underdog as just an unknown quantity. Dustin remarked that he didn't even know who he was, but Hideto's play this week has clearly announced his identity to everyone.

And you didn't need to understand Japanese to hear him, loud and clear!

On paper, you have to expect that Johnson will face Rahm for the Cup. And if that happens, I honestly don't know who will win. Dustin has been on a roll for weeks now, but Jon has been just as solid, despite not posting a large number of wins. If I had to give one an edge, I'd give it to Rahm simply because his putting seems slightly more consistent than Dustin's.

But don't quote me on that. This is match play, after all.

And if we write off the other two players, we do so at our own risk. Haas has proven in the past to have more mettle than his easygoing manner might indicate. And Tanihara has 14 wins on the Japan Golf Tour, 3 of them coming just last year. He's not going anywhere.

This could be one of the best Match Plays we've seen in many years. I'm really looking forward to it today!

Even if all my picks went bye-bye too early.

The Vagaries of Match Play

As we enter the Sweet 16 at the Dell Match Play, I admit that I'm a bit shocked.

Shocked that I still have two active picks, that is, and that they won their groups 3-0-0.



I'm not terribly surprised that Phil Mickelson made it through; he's been playing well all year. Likewise, Paul Casey has been playing well for a year or more, though I was less sure he'd get past Schwartzel unscathed. And Patrick Reed's elimination was no shock either; he clearly hasn't recovered from the emotional month after the Ryder Cup when he said he was just worn out. (That's why he was my flier. I though match play might revitalize him. I was wrong.)

But when the Woodland withdrawal took out Rory McIlroy -- the one pick I thought was ironclad -- before we even reached the third day, I expected EVERYTHING to go wrong. We lost three players to withdrawals, and you just never know how that will affect the field. (BTW, you'll all be glad to know that Jason Day's mom came through surgery just fine and the doctors say they're optimistic about her recovery, according to ESPN.)

While the purpose of the round robin stage was to guarantee the big names didn't leave after only one day of bad luck, it's clear the "pool" concept hasn't made match play less volatile. I would argue that its main benefit is that more players choose to come, simply because it's not a one-day trip. Even if you get bounced by an unexpected withdrawal (or three), at least you didn't spend more time traveling than playing.

Besides, there's plenty to do in Austin TX, even if you do get bounced.

But now the whole landscape of the event has changed. Bubba, Koepka and Noren have found their games while Soren Kjeldsen, Hideto Tanihara and Will McGirt have opened quite a few eyes. Throw in the dominance of Dustin Justin and Jon Rahm, and this Match Play just got very interesting.

I just hope Phil and Paul can hang on and reach the Final Four. It's been a couple of years since I had a pick make the finals. (I think that was Victor Dubuisson, the year Jason Day won his first Match Play.) I'd like to do it again.

My "4 to Watch" at the WGC-Dell Match Play

Yes, you read that correctly. While I would normally pick five players for a WGC, this is a match play event with a bracket. Therefore I'm picking my "Final Four."



If you want to fill out the entire bracket, you can download a PDF of the groupings at this link.

Of course, I rarely bother doing that. My rules this week are very simple:

I pick the one player from each "region" of the bracket who I believe will reach the "Final Four." It's unusual for more than one of my picks to make it that far, so that player will become my choice to win. And should I have the rare privilege of accurately picking more than one of the "Final Four," I'll then choose one of them as my eventual winner.

Got it? Then let's move on.

Since the brackets are no longer labeled -- remember when you had a Hagen bracket, or a Snead bracket? -- I'll simply refer to the brackets according to the highest-ranked player in each one. That means we have a Dustin Johnson bracket, a Rory McIlroy bracket, a Jason Day bracket, and a Hideki Matsuyama bracket.

• In the Johnson bracket, I'm choosing Patrick Reed to get through. While this is a fairly tough bracket with several Ryder Cuppers, how can I not pick Captain America to get the job done?
• In the McIlroy bracket, it's a no-brainer. Although Garcia and Rahm should be the most interesting round-robin match-up in this bracket, my money's on Rory McIlroy. He has the best record in this event of anybody teeing up. We'll also get a rematch of last year during the round-robin, as Gary Woodland is in the same group as Rory, but I expect Rory to win his group easily.
• In the Day bracket, I'm taking Phil Mickelson. Phil's go-for-it style will either end his hopes in the round-robin stage or propel him deep into the competition. Given how he's been playing, I'm guessing he'll go far this year.
• And in the Matsuyama group, I'm taking a flier. Although Louis Oosthuizen is in the group and I feel that he should be the favorite to emerge, I'm taking Paul Casey. The last time I took Casey, he was beaten by sickness during the Saturday matches. I think he could capture lightning in a bottle this week.

Remember, GC broadcasts the round-robin matches starting Wednesday at 2pm ET.

Blasts from the Past

Thursday gave us a resurrection of sorts as two players on two opposite sides of the world managed to find their games again.



Down in Mexico, Lee Westwood posted 8 birdies and 4 bogeys as he joined the lead group. It's been a while since Lee played this well in a WGC, but he noted that the course was playing a bit more like a European Tour event and he's been focusing on the ET for a couple of years now, trying to get his game back in shape.

Looks like it's working to me. I'll be interested to see how he does today, now that he has some expectations.

And over in Singapore, Michelle Wie had the solo lead after the first round at -6. It was Michelle's first lead since her win at the US Women's Open a couple of years back, highlighted by improved putting.

As I'm writing this, Michelle is no longer in the lead -- she's T3 (-8) after 11 holes, having picked up a couple more shots in the second round. But for someone who has struggled with injury and putting woes for a couple of years, this must seem like miraculously good play to her.

In a year where the youngsters are monopolizing the scoreboards, it's kind of neat to see these two players back at the top of their respective leaderboards. Hopefully their good play will continue and they'll find their way back in the winner's circle... maybe even at a major. Their timing is certainly right for it.

And fortunately, both events are being broadcast so we can see their reemergence right before our eyes.

My "5 to Watch" at the WGC-Mexico

After President Trump made news for his comments about Mexican immigrants, Mexico made some news of its own. Now Mexico will get a chance to shine!



The course is the Club de Golf Chapultepec, a 7,330-yard par-71 layout. It was built in 1928 in an affluent neighborhood halfway between Mexico City and the suburb of Naucalpan, and I guess you could say it's the crown jewel of Mexican golf. It definitely sounds like it will be a good test for the players, especially since they'll have to adjust every shot for altitude. Mexico City is 7,349 feet above sea level, so they'll have to contend with both carry distance adjustments and the challenge of having less oxygen to breathe!

The defending champion is Adam Scott, although the drastic change of venue may mean he gets no advantage from that.

Picking my "5 to Watch" this week is a challenge, since I expect fitness to be a greater factor than skill this week, due to the extreme altitude. For that reason, I haven't included Rory McIlroy in this list, as I don't know how his recent rib injury may affect his endurance.

• I think Dustin Johnson is the logical favorite at this point. I'm tempted to say that's because he's already 6'4" tall and used to altitude. However, given his play over the last year or so, DJ almost has to be a favorite every week until he proves otherwise.
• Jordan Spieth is also playing well this year and should probably be a favorite. At this altitude, no one will struggle with distance off the tee, so accuracy and the simple ability to breathe will be more important.
• Henrik Stenson returns to our side of the globe this week, and he has Top10s in his last six worldwide starts. His ever-dependable 3-wood could be a backbreaker for the rest of the field.
• Hideki Matsuyama has enough wins in the last few months to make him an automatic pick here, especially since he won the last WGC.
• And my flier pick? This is Jon Rahm's rookie season and he has played well this year on courses he hasn't played before. Wouldn't THIS be a great place to show off that skill?

Everything is so different this week that I think we're going to see a surprise winner. So I'm going with Jon Rahm, who may feel right at home in these cultural surroundings. Combine that with a new course, and I think Rahm has an outstanding chance this week to pick up a big win.

My "5 to Watch" at the WGC-HSBC

Okay, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth aren't in the field list for the WGC-HSBC Champions. But just about all the other big names are -- including Andrew "Beef" Johnston. As long as they have the Beef, who else do they really need?



The WGC-HSBC Champions returns to Sheshan International in Shanghai, China this week, and it's a track known for giving up low scores. The last three winners -- DJ, Bubba and Russell Knox -- have all been very accurate players (Knox isn't a long hitter) so we could very well see a large number of low scores this week. This post on PGATOUR.com contains several charts showing which players have been the most "comfortable" at this event, which may help you fantasy golf fans out there.

In the meantime, here are my "5 to Watch":

• My first three choices are no-brainers, really. Dustin Johnson's play this season definitely gives him an inside track on this course. Do I really need to explain why?
• Likewise, this is a place where Bubba Watson seems to play well even when his game has been off a bit.
• And defending champs have tended to play well this year, although only one of them has actually repeated (Justin Thomas last week). So Russell Knox has to make my list as well.
• Now it gets a bit tricky for me, simply because so many players are hitting fairways and greens so far this year. Paul Casey is way overdue for a win so I'm going with him. He's been so consistent over the last year or so that I think this course may be just what he needs.
• And for my flier... I'm taking Kevin Na. Kevin's another player who's been right on the cusp of victory so often over the last year or so that I believe he might break through this week.

I realize that I've left off a number of obvious picks, like Rory McIlroy. I would also really like to take Hideki Matsuyama again, after that second last week, or Patrick Reed. But I only have five picks available, and there are way too many players in form to pick them all.

And obviously -- just in case the photo wasn't enough of a clue -- I'm picking DJ to win this week. I see a very real possibility that this comes down to a battle between the Player of the Year and the FedExCup winner (despite my not picking Rory). But I'll put my money on the POY.

Especially since he's won here before.

The WGC website says that live coverage begins on GC at 11pm ET tonight, but I suspect GC will come on a bit earlier with a pre-game show. It'll be good to see the big guns back in action again.

And yes, I guess Beef counts as a big gun now. Golf is an unpredictable game...