Previews

Arizona hosts World Match Play

Author: John Harris
Date: 15/02/2010
Golf betting

In Ryder Cup year the Accenture Match Play Championship certainly has added importance.

Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin will be watching every shot of a week that is always considered a favourite among golf fans from all corners of the globe.

The European and US team captains will be interested to see how some of the players they have earmarked for action at Celtic Manor in October handle the unique pressures of match play golf.

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Today's tour stars simply do not play enough one-on-one golf in the cosseted world of strokeplay competition so events like these are a rare treat.

Twelve months ago, Geoff Ogilvy defeated Paul Casey 4&3 in the final in Arizona to end a week of shocks with a more predictable result.

World number one Tiger Woods lost to Tim Clark in the quarter-finals, fellow sportsbook favourite Phil Mickelson fell in the last 16 to eventual third-place winner Stewart Cink, while the likes of Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Kenny Perry and Padraig Harrington all failed to make it past round one.

Therein lies the beauty of match play golf as, on any given day, any of the 64-strong field can take out the other no matter where they lie in the world rankings.

On day one, the top-ranked player takes on the 64th seed, two plays 63 and so on, so there is every opportunity for major shocks.

In the absence of Woods and Mickelson - who is taking a break to spend time with his family - newly crowned world number two Steve Stricker is the online betting favourite.

He is closely followed by England's Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk of the USA. However, Rory McIlroy is a rising star who clearly relishes the match play format and could be a better bet.

In his first appearance last year, the 20-year-old from Northern Ireland was only beaten by eventually champion Ogilvy and accounted for established names like Clark, Hunter Mahan and Mike Weir on his march to the last eight.

Elsewhere, Europe will send across a healthy group of challengers in the shape of Casey, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Alvaro Quiros, Westwood and last year's fourth-placed finisher Ross Fisher among others.

All have designs on a place in Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team and the money gained from a victory in one of the most lucrative events on the season would virtually guarantee their place in the team for Celtic Manor.

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