This week’s event features a new date (April 29-May 3), a new title sponsor in Cadillac and a new format, with the winners of 16 round-robin groups advancing to a single-elimination tournament. The action will culminate this weekend on the Golf Channel and NBC with Saturday primetime coverage — following the Kentucky Derby — and the Sunday finale.
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Here are the highlights of this year’s WGC Match Play bracket.
Best early-round group … Group 11. Even though Group 14 has two former champions, Group 11 is still the most-loaded one. Jimmy Walker has already followed up his wildly successful 2014 season with a pair of wins in 2015. He joins 2010 Match Play champion Ian Poulter, 2012 U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson and the drive-bombing Gary Woodland for what is sure to be a great round-robin.
Best potential Round of 16 matchup … Bubba Watson vs. Rickie Fowler. If they take care of business in the first three rounds, two of golf’s most recongizible stars — and closest friends — could square off Saturday morning in what would undoubtedly be a fun match.
Player to watch … Justin Rose. The No. 6 overall seed tied for second at The Masters and won the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic this past weekend. He hasn’t made it to the Round of 16 in this tournament since 2007, but this new format might be a welcome change for a red-hot golfer.
2015 WGC-CADILLAC MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
ROUNDS 1-3
GROUP 1 Round 1 (Wednesday) Rory McIlroy (No. 1 overall seed) vs. Dufner (No. 53) Billy Horschel (No. 18) vs. Brandt Snedeker (No. 35)Round 2 (Thursday) McIlroy vs. Snedeker Horschel vs. DufnerRound 3 (Friday) McIlroy vs. Horschel Snedeker vs. Dufner
GROUP 2 Round 1 (Wednesday) Jordan Spieth (No. 2) vs. Mikko Ilonen (No. 62) Lee Westwood (No. 26) vs. Matt Every (No. 40)Round 2 (Thursday) Spieth vs. Every Westwood vs. IlonenRound 3 (Friday) Spieth vs. Westwood Every vs. Ilonen
GROUP 3 Round 1 (Wednesday) Henrik Stenson (No. 3) vs. John Senden (No. 60) Bill Haas (No. 23) vs. Brendon Todd (No. 42)Round 2 (Thursday) Stenson vs. Todd Haas vs. SendenRound 3 (Friday) Stenson vs. Haas Todd vs. Senden
GROUP 4 Round 1 (Wednesday) Bubba Watson (No. 4) vs. Miguel Angel Jimenez (No. 63) Louis Oosthuizen (No. 29) vs. Keegan Bradley (No. 33)Round 2 (Thursday) Watson vs. Bradley Oosthuizen vs. JimenezRound 3 (Friday) Watson vs. Oosthuizen Bradley vs. Jimenez
GROUP 5 Round 1 (Wednesday) Jim Furyk (No. 5) vs. George Coetzee (59) Martin Kaymer (No. 17) vs. Thongchai Jaidee (No. 44)Round 2 (Thursday) Furyk vs. Jaidee Kaymer vs. CoetzeeRound 3 (Friday) Furyk vs. Kaymer Jaidee vs. Coetzee
GROUP 6 Round 1 (Wednesday) Justin Rose (No. 6) vs. Marc Leishman (No. 56) Ryan Palmer (No. 22) vs. Anirban Lahiri (No. 34)Round 2 (Thursday) Rose vs. Lahiri Palmer vs. LeishmanRound 3 (Friday) Rose vs. Palmer Lahiri vs. Leishman
GROUP 7 Round 1 (Wednesday) Jason Day (No. 7) vs. Charley Hoffman (No. 49) Zach Johnson (No. 24) vs. Branden Grace (No. 38)Round 2 (Thursday) Day vs. Grace Johnson vs. HoffmanRound 3 (Friday) Day vs. Johnson Grace vs. Hoffman
GROUP 8 Round 1 (Wednesday) Dustin Johnson (No. 8) vs. Matt Jones (No. 58) Victor Dubuisson (No. 28) vs. Charl Schwartzel (No. 37)Round 2 (Thursday) Johnson vs. Schwartzel Dubuisson vs. JonesRound 3 (Friday) Johnson vs. Dubuisson Schwartzel vs. Jones
GROUP 9 Round 1 (Wednesday) Adam Scott (No. 9) vs. Francesco Molinari (No. 64) Chris Kirk (No. 25) vs. Paul Casey (No. 36)Round 2 (Thursday) Scott vs. Casey Kirk vs. MolinariRound 3 (Friday) Scott vs. Kirk Casey vs. Molinari
GROUP 10Round 1 (Wednesday) Sergio Garcia (No. 10) vs. Tommy Fleetwood (No. 54) Jamie Donaldson (No. 30) vs. Bernd Wiesberger (No. 39)Round 2 (Thursday) Garcia vs. Wiesberger Donaldson vs. FleetwoodRound 3 (Friday) Garcia vs. Donaldson Wiesberger vs. Fleetwood
GROUP 11 Round 1 (Wednesday) Jimmy Walker (No. 11) vs. Gary Woodland (No. 50) Ian Poulter (No. 27) vs. Webb Simpson (No. 46)Round 2 (Thursday) Walker vs. Simpson Poulter vs. WoodlandRound 3 (Friday) Walker vs. Poulter Simpson vs. Woodland
GROUP 12 Round 1 (Wednesday) J.B. Holmes (No. 12) vs. Marc Warren (No. 51) Brooks Koepka (No. 19) vs. Russell Henley (No. 45)Round 2 (Thursday) Holmes vs. Henley Koepka vs. WarrenRound 3 (Friday) Holmes vs. Koepka Henley vs. Warren
GROUP 13 Round 1 (Wednesday) Rickie Fowler (No. 13) vs. Harris English (No. 55) Graeme McDowell (No. 32) vs. Shane Lowry (No. 47)Round 2 (Thursday) Fowler vs. Lowry McDowell vs. EnglishRound 3 (Friday) Fowler vs. McDowell Lowry vs. English
GROUP 14 Round 1 (Wednesday) Matt Kuchar (No. 14) vs. Ben Martin (No. 61) Hunter Mahan (No. 31) vs. Stephen Gallacher (No. 41)Round 2 (Thursday) Kuchar vs. Gallacher Mahan vs. MartinRound 3 (Friday) Kuchar vs. Mahan Gallacher vs. Martin
GROUP 15 Round 1 (Wednesday) Patrick Reed (No. 15) vs. Andy Sullivan (No. 57) Ryan Moore (No. 28) vs. Danny Willett (No. 48)Round 2 (Thursday) Reed vs. Willett Moore vs. SullivanRound 3 (Friday) Reed vs. Moore Willett vs. Sullivan
GROUP 16Round 1 (Wednesday) Hideki Matsuyama (No. 16) vs. Alexander Levy (No. 52) Kevin Na (No. 20) vs. Joost Luiten (No. 43)Round 2 (Thursday) Matsuyama vs. Luiten Na vs. LevyRound 3 (Friday) Matsuyama vs. Na Luiten vs. Levy
ROUND OF 16 (Saturday morning)
Winner of Group 1 vs. Winner of Group 16 Winner of Group 8 vs. Winner of Group 9 Winner of Group 5 vs. Winner of Group 12 Winner of Group 4 vs. Winner of Group 13 Winner of Group 6 vs. Winner of Group 11 Winner of Group 3 vs. Winner of Group 14 Winner of Group 7 vs. Winner of Group 10 Winner of Group 2 vs. Winner of Group 15
QUARTERFINALS (Saturday evening)
Winner of 1-16 vs. Winner of 8-9 Winner of 5-12 vs. Winner of 4-13 Winner of 6-11 vs. Winner of 3-14 Winner of 7-10 vs. Winner of 2-15
