We are back with another week of golf, only this time things will look a little different. 64 of the top 69 players in the world will be competing at Austin Country Club. The format is a little tricky, so if you are unfamiliar with how this tournament works, I will break it down for you. The field is split into 16 groups of four, with each foursome competing head-to-head against one another from Wednesday to Friday. A player receives a point if they win their 18-hole matchup for the day, and the point leader of each group after three rounds will advance to the weekend. From there, the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals will all take place Saturday and Sunday, so the winner and runner-up of the Match Play will have played seven rounds of golf in five days by the end of it. Now that the format has been explained, let’s break down the contenders this week.
Jordan Spieth (+3300)
This Spieth pick is not so much about form as it is about circumstance. Other than a stellar second place finish at Pebble Beach, Spieth’s 2022 has left some to be desired. But, how can you ignore the University of Texas alum who grew up nearby in a match play format, nonetheless. We all know what Jordan Spieth is capable of in these types of tournaments.
The road to get to Saturday is not too difficult as his group consists of Adam Scott, Justin Rose, and Keegan Bradley. His +3300 price indicates he is multiple tiers below the top golfers in the world, but Spieth is more than capable of getting hot and winning this tournament.
Billy Horschel (+3500)
This is the easiest pick of the week and is my favorite one on the board. Horschel has been playing great golf of late, with two top 10s and no finish outside of the top 40 in 2022. Priced outside of the top 10 in odds, Horschel has great value considering he has been better this year than many of the top players in the world. Not to mention, Horschel is the defending champion of this tournament. With a group of Thomas Pieters, Tom Hoge, and Min Woo Lee, I would be surprised if the former Florida Gator does not at least make the round of 16. Give me a great golfer in great form with a great history at this course and in this format.
The Longshot: Cameron Young (+9000)
I am not going to pretend that this pick is going to be easy. In a group with world number one Jon Rahm, there is a very real chance that Young’s tournament ends early. However, in his last three tournaments, the Spaniard has failed to crack the top 10 in each one, which by Rahm’s standards means he is not in his best form. Young is a player that I wrote about a couple of months ago as someone primed to break out in 2022. In his last four appearances, Young has finished in the top 20 four times highlighted by a second-place finish at The Genesis Invitational. At such long odds, he is worth a shot at Austin Country Club.
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