Mar 27, 2019

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play match previews Day 2

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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play match previews Day 2
Round 1 highlights at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
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      Round 1 highlights at WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play


      AUSTIN, Texas – If the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play had a Moving Day, Thursday would be it. Here’s a look at some of the notable Day 2 matches at Austin Country Club, plus our expert picks for each one.

      NOTABLE MATCHES

      Phil Mickelson (20) vs. Jim Furyk (52) – The oldest two guys in the field (48 years old each) will go head-to-head, with Furyk fresh off a come-from-behind win over two-time champion Jason Day while Mickelson in a can’t-lose scenario after his loss to Henrik Stenson. With 39 matches apiece in their career at the event, Mickelson now boasts a 24-15-0 record, with Furyk now 20-18-1.

      Dustin Johnson (1) vs. Branden Grace (40) – The top-seeded Johnson cruised to a 4 and 3 win over Chez Reavie on Wednesday, but he will have his work cut out for him against the South African. Grace took care of International Presidents teammate Hideki Matsuyama 4 and 3. Grace and Johnson met in the 2017 Presidents Cup singles where they halved. “It’s going to be a tough match .... It's going to be good,” Grace said. “If I keep doing the same things that I've done today, ball-striking was a big key … I'll head to the putting green. I missed one or two little short ones. So if I can get that under control, I'll be there.”

      Rory McIlroy (4) vs. Justin Harding (47) – THE PLAYERS champion made short work of 64th seed Luke List 5 and 4 on Wednesday, but now must face in-form South African Harding. Harding prevailed 1-up over former U.S. Amateur champion Matthew Fitzpatrick. The 33-year-old recently won the Qatar Masters and was runner-up at the Kenya Open in back-to-back European Tour starts. “I'm going to have to improve a little bit to take him on,” Harding said. “Rory's been playing great over the last couple of weeks. It will be a nice opportunity for me to see how it's done inside the ropes, and maybe learn a little bit as well, and give the boy a little bit of a challenge.”

      CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE

      Here are the Thursday matches featuring two players who lost on Friday. It is impossible to advance out of the group stage with two losses. That meansboth players will be desperate.

      Louis Oosthuizen (19) vs. Byeong Hun An (49)

      Cameron Smith (25) vs. Abraham Ancer (58)

      Webb Simpson (21) vs. Satoshi Kodaira (63)

      Matthew Fitzpatrick (32) vs. Luke List (64)

      Rafa Cabrera Bello (29) vs. Lee Westwood (62)

      Patrick Reed (16) vs. Shane Lowry (46)

      Hideki Matsuyama (24) vs. Chez Reavie (55)

      CAN TIGER ROAR?

      Tiger Woods (13) vs. Brandt Snedeker (44) – In his first start at the Dell Technologies Match Play in six years, Woods survived a scrappy round to beat PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Aaron Wise. Now he meets Snedeker for the first time in the format. Read more on Woods’ win here.

      BIG GUNS IN TROUBLE

      Justin Thomas (5) vs. Matt Wallace (33) – Perhaps the biggest shock on Day 1 was former FedExCup champion Thomas falling to 50th seed Lucas Bjerregaard. It puts Thomas under the gun to find form against Wallace, who took down Keegan Bradley. Thomas had just one birdie on Wednesday in a 3 and 2 loss. Of the 64 players to advance out of the group stage since its introduction in 2015 only eight did so with a day one loss.

      Jason Day (12) vs. Henrik Stenson (37) – The two-time champion Day plays another former champion in Stenson. But the Australian comes off a loss and must rebound or perish. He ended his loss to Jim Furyk by heading for treatment on his troublesome back.

      ALL-ENGLISH AFFAIR

      Justin Rose (2) vs. Eddie Pepperell (34) – Outside of the numerous all-American match-ups over the first three days this is the only other countrymen vs. countrymen affair. Pepperell is coming off a loss to Gary Woodland, making his position precarious, while Rose beat Emiliano Grillo on Wednesday. Rose can potentially afford a loss, but he’s not resting on laurels. “It's a format that maybe takes a day or two to get into the groove of it,” the FedExCup champion said. “There's many permutations, I guess. I can't remember them all. But just win, win, win is what you need to do.”

      MASTER VS. APPRENTICE?

      Ian Poulter (30) vs. Keith Mitchell (56) – In an ironic twist, Mitchell sought out Poulter for Match Play advice earlier in the week prior to them being paired together. Read more about it here.

      Expert Picks for every match

      PGATOUR.COM staff writers Ben Everill and Mike McAllister are on site in Austin and will predict the winner of every match each day. Here are their Day 2 picks (matches listed in order of playing schedule):

      MATCHEverill's pickMcAllister's pick
      33. Casey vs. HowellCaseyCasey
      34. Smith vs. AncerSmithAncer
      35. Molinari vs. OlesenMolinariMolinari
      36. Simpson vs. KodairaSimpsonSimpson
      37. Watson vs. HorschelWatsonHorschel
      38. Spieth vs. NaNaSpieth
      39. Rose vs. PepperellPepperellRose
      40. Woodland vs. GrilloWoodlandWoodland
      41. Day vs. StensonDayStenson
      42. Mickelson vs. FurykMickelsonFuryk
      43. Thomas vs. WallaceThomasThomas
      44. Bradley vs. BjerregaardBjerregaardBradley
      45. Woods vs. SnedekerWoodsWoods
      46. Cantlay vs. WiseCantlayCantlay
      47. McIlroy vs. HardingMcIlroyMcIlroy
      48. Fitzpatrick vs. ListFitzpatrickFitzpatrick
      49. Schauffele vs. HattonHattonSchauffele
      50. Cabrera Bello vs. WestwoodCabrera BelloCabrera Bello
      51. Rahm vs. HolmesRahmRahm
      52. Kuchar vs. KimKucharKuchar
      53. Reed vs. LowryLowryLowry
      54. Garcia vs. PutnamGarciaGarcia
      55. Johnson vs. GraceGraceJohnson
      56. Matsuyama vs. ReavieReavieMatsuyama
      57. Fleetwood vs. StanleyFleetwoodFleetwood
      58. Oosthuizen vs. AnOosthuizenOosthuizen
      59. DeChambeau vs. AphibarnratDeChambeauDeChambeau
      60. Leishman vs. KnoxLeishmanLeishman
      61. Finau vs. KisnerFinauKisner
      62. Poulter vs. MitchellPoulterPoulter
      63. Koepka vs. LiLiKoepka
      64. Noren vs. LewisLewisLewis
      Day 1 results18-11-316-13-3

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