10 things I like and don’t like: WGC-Dell Match Play edition

And leading up to the Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed match, the two exchanged words that added some spice to the match.

I don’t like: The term upset

It’s an annual tradition; golf is sent into a frenzy when a top seed at the Dell Match Play loses to a bottom seed. This year, it happened with both Dustin Johnson losing to Bernd Wiesberger and Rory McIlroy losing to Peter Uihlein. I know the format lends itself to comparison with the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, but these “upsets” are not anything like 16-seed UMBC beating 1-seed Virginia. Bernd Wiesberger has ranked as high as 23 in the world and Peter Uihlein was the top-ranked amateur in the world before turning pro. These “upsets” are more like a 10 seed taking out a 7 seed.

I like: The recovery shot

Match play allows for aggressive play because no matter what score a player makes, they only lose one hole. It brings the recovery shot to the forefront. Without fear of a big number that can ruin a round, players are allowed to attempt heroic shots. It leads to shots like this:

Isn't this the most J.T. thing ever. pic.twitter.com/yQSeG8Mr3W

— Skratch (@Skratch) March 21, 2018

Thomas went on to save par and halve the hole.

I don’t like: The format, scheduling and little things with this event

I have already written about why and how I would change the format of this event. Beyond the format, there are a number of other issues that hinder one of the rare alternative formats on the PGA Tour schedule.

The playoffs

On Thursday, Paul Casey beat Kyle Stanley 4 & 2 in an 18-hole match. On Friday, Casey lost to Matt Fitzpatrick, bringing his pool play record to 2-1, and Stanley beat Russell Henley to get to 2-1 on the week. A logical thought was that Paul Casey would move on because he beat Kyle Stanley when the two faced off.

Well that’s not the case! Casey and Stanley went to a sudden death playoff to see who would advance to the round of 16. Stanley won on the 2nd hole to advance. Yup, that’s right, the PGA Tour has decided that a singular hole is more significant than an 18 hole match. Talk about contrived…

Scheduling

Falling two weeks before the season’s first major, the Match Play is the most grueling event on the PGA Tour schedule. The four players who make it to Sunday’s action play 126 holes of competitive golf in five days. If they played last week’s Arnold Palmer and planned to play this week’s Houston Open, I would hardly consider it an ideal run-up to the year’s first major.

The format and grass types are also deterrents, and we see some of the game’s biggest names skip the event (Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose). These players chose to play at the Golf Club of Houston because of its grass types and the 72-hole stroke play format they will see again at Augusta National.

The top 50 deadline

The WGC-Match Play is also the final week for players to play their way into the top 50 of the world rankings and earn an invitation to the Masters. This adds some drama as players try to play their way into the top 50 by winning matches, but players also earn “free points” for just showing up. These free points make it more difficult for players to play their way into the top 50. Case in point is what happened to Ian Poulter.

The third place match

I know why it exists (TV), but c’mon. After playing 54 holes in roughly 28 hours, I imagine playing another 18 was exactly what Justin Thomas and Alex Noren wanted to do.

I like: Pete Dye’s strategy

Austin C.C. was built at the same time Pete Dye was working on TPC Sawgrass, and you can see a great deal of similarities between the two. The topography couldn’t be more different, but the strategy is on point. Like TPC Sawgrass, Pete Dye uses the angles of greens and hazards to challenge the world’s best players. On most holes, taking on the risk yields the very best angle, and every yard off that ideal line gets a less ideal angle to approach the green.

Pete Dye pulled golf architecture out of the dark ages by reintroducing strategy. It's on full display at Austin CC, play aggressively and get rewarded. Here's the 14th and 15th. Each has a tucked pin today that rewards those who take on the hazards (line A) pic.twitter.com/RIsnqYJhh8

— the fried egg (@the_fried_egg) March 22, 2018

Brian Silva mentioned this on a podcast and how he had a career-altering moment after seeing an aerial image of the Pete Dye-designed PGA West.

Pete Dye can catch flack for some of his golf courses and the penal nature of them, but he is the most influential golf course architect since 1930. He’s responsible for pulling GCA out of the Dark Ages and was also a mentor to today’s great architects, such as Bill Coore, Tom Doak, Jim Urbina, Rod Whitman and many more.

I Like: Justin Thomas’s ascension

Justin Thomas fell one match short of his bid to become the number one player in the world, but regardless of rank, he is the most complete player in golf. His progression and year-to-year improvement have been incredible. Let’s take a look at his stats over his career.

2014-2015