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PGA Tour

WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play: Who’s gonna make it into the round of 16?

WGC Match Play: The possible round of 16 participants (photo: Getty).
WGC Match Play: The possible round of 16 participants (photo: Getty).

After day 2 of the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, quite a few golfers still have the chance to reach the round of 16. But it will be tough for some players. Stars like Bryson DeChambeau or Patrick Cantlay, however, have already been eliminated after the second day of the tournament. We give an overview of which golfers still have a chance of advancing.

WGC – Dell Match Play: Clear conditions in several groups

Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson, for example, have a good starting position. The two leaders in their respective groups only need a draw in the third match to advance. For sure, a win would also be enough to qualify. The same applies to the following players: Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka, Tyrrell Hatton, Billy Horschel, Lucas Herbert, Kevin Kisner, Matt Fitzpatrick and Seamus Power.

In other groups, too, some golfers already have a leg up in the round of 16 and have their advancement in their own hands. However, a draw in the third match will not be enough for them. These players will only advance to the knockout stage with a win: Richard Bland, Adam Scott and Abraham Ancer.

Tricky scenarios in groups 2, 10 and 14

While in some groups of the WGC Match Play a favorite already stands out, in other groups the outcome is still very open. A good example of this is Group 2: Collin Morikawa and Sergio Garcia have the best starting position with 1.5 points, but Jason Kokrak can still advance with currently one point. Fourth-placed Robert MacIntyre has already been eliminated.

If both Morikawa and Garcia, who are not playing each other, win, it would come to a playoff between the two. The same would happen in the event of a tie. If both lose their third match, Morikawa’s opponent Kokrak will be happy. Because in that case he would book his ticket for the round of 16. A playoff between Kokrak and Garcia is also still possible if Garcia only manages a draw and Kokrak wins against Morikawa. There are numerous scenarios possible, so it will remain exciting until the end of the group stage. That is precisely what the match-play format at the World Golf Championship is all about.

A similarly tricky situation arises in Group 14. Joaquin Niemann, Kevin Na and Maverick McNealy still have a chance of advancing.

The situation in Group 10 is completely different: Paul Casey has withdrawn due to back problems and Louis Oosthuizen has no chance of advancing. So only two players are still fighting for a place in the knockout stage. Corey Conners and Alex Noren will play a direct match to determine the group winner. If the match ends in a draw, there will be a playoff between, who would have thought it, Conners and Noren.

19 players already eliminated

After the second day at the Austin Country Club, it is definitely clear that 19 players no longer have a chance to advance. Among them are prominent names like Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Ian Poulter. The following golfers are also eliminated after round two: Patrick Reed, Sebastian Munoz, Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Tringale, Keith Mitchell, Marc Leishman, Tony Finau, Matthew Wolff, Louis Oosthuizen, Paul Casey, Keegan Bradley, Tom Hoge, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Russell Henley, Brian Harman and Erik van Rooyen.

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PGA Tour

Bryson DeChambeau: “Won’t be able to go fully at it until Augusta.”

Bryson DeChambeau looking forward to his comeback at the WGC Dell Matchplay. (Credits: Getty)

Although Bryson DeChambeau is playing a tournament on the PGA Tour for the first time since his injury this week, he is still far from his ideal form.

Long hitter and crowd pleaser Bryson DeChambeau returns to the PGA Tour after his lengthy injury. The start at the WGC Matchplay in Texas is his first tournament since withdrawing from the Saudi International in February due to hand an hip issues. For a long time it was considered uncertain what the injury was and, above all, how serious it was. He gave a clear denial to the Golf Channel to the speculations that the injuries were caused by too hard training. And yet, especially for the aspiring superstar it was a difficult situation, because his golf game lives from a power for which a healthy body is indispensable. BDC knows that, too, and that’s why he says he won’t take any big risks until the US Masters in April, so that he can return to his full potential at the tournament in Augusta.

WGC Matchplay: The tee times for the group stage


Bryson DeChambeau: “Learned a lot about my body over time”.


For a good two months now, the long-hitter has been plagued by hand and hip pain. Voices were quickly raised to attribute his injury problems to the intensive training that BDC has been doing for years. DeChambeau commented on the issue to Golf Channel this week before the WGC Matchplay:


“People say it’s because of the speed training and all the strength training and certainly some of those things have contributed to it. I’ve been working very hard and maybe overdoing it here and there,” he explained to Golf Channel. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve learned so much about my body over the years, how to deal with certain things and also how important rest is.”

So now this week, his return to Tour action. At the WGC Matchplay in Texas, fans can look forward to exciting golf in match play format and Bryson DeChambeau in particular has chosen a very special playing partner on his return, Englishman Richard Bland.

WGC Matchplay: the groupings for the first few days


Augusta in view: Bryson DeChambeau’s comeback plan


Even though the WGC Matchplay is a popular and exciting tournament on the schedule this week, many pros are already looking to the future, as the highlight of the year, the US Masters 2022, is less than two weeks away. What Wimbledon is for tennis players, Augusta is for every golf fanatic.

Bryson DeChambeau also wants to attack the green jacket this year. Back in 2020, he said that the 72 par course at Augusta felt more like a 68 par course for him to play, raising expectations sky high. Now, two years later, BDC enters the crucial weeks leading up to the Masters without much competitive experience and still has a long way to go if he wants to be successful at Augusta.

But to that end, the 28-year-old American has set himself a comeback schedule, starting with next week’s WGC Matchplay and Valero Texas Open. Still, he is realistic about his chances of stepping up a gear in the last tournament before the first major of the year. He explained, “Will I be all in? No. Not even close. I probably won’t be able to really get going until Augusta.”

Accordingly, it will be interesting to see how DeChambeau presents himself on the course over the next two weeks. On the one hand, he has to get back to his best game as quickly as possible, on the other hand, he must not take any unnecessary risks in order not to provoke another injury. BDC has to find the right balance for himself.

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PGA Tour

Masters 2022: Phil Mickelson absent for the first time since 1994

Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)
Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters Tournament 2022 (foto: Getty)

Phil Mickelson will not participate in the Masters Tournament in 2022. The official list of registered professionals was updated on the Masters site on Monday after the Valspar Championship and Mickelson is no longer listed as an active player at the tournament, according to the list. Instead, the 51-year-old is now listed among the former winners of the Masters who will not compete in the 2022 edition.

No Masters participation due to sabbatical

Mickelson is therefore still committed to taking a longer break from the golfing circus. After the upheavals on the PGA Tour, the American reacted by saying that he had a lot to think about and needed some time away from active golf. In February, the 2021 PGA champion faced fierce headwind, both from the Tour and from the ranks of the players. Mickelson had made several memorable statements in an interview about the PGA Tour, its rights for players and about his push of the new Saudi League. As a result, the pressure on him became so great that he decided for himself to retire for a while. In a statement issued in late February, he wrote, “I know I have not been on my best behavior and desperately need time off to prioritize those I love most.”

When will Mickelson tee it up again?

As a result, he missed several important tournaments. Just recently, he did not play in the Players Championship, which is the biggest tournament on the PGA Tour. There will be no sign of Mickelson at any of the other tournaments in March either. Now he has cancelled the Masters. For him, it is the first Masters since his debut in 1994 that he will miss. When and how Mickelson plans a comeback to the tour is not yet known, so we have to be patient until Mickelson speaks out again.

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PGA Tour

How does the World Golf Championship – Dell Technologies Match Play work?

The World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play format explained (foto Getty)
The World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play format explained (foto Getty)

The World Golf Championship – Dell Technologies Match Play pits the world’s best golfers against each other this week in Austin, Texas on the Austin Country Club course. This tournament is played in a match play format and not, as is so often the case, in counting play. We explain the special play mode this week and what the group and knockout stages are all about.

The match play format

Counting match play is probably the best known format in golf. The player’s strokes are added up over the various rounds and the player with the fewest strokes wins the tournament. In the match play format, on the other hand, there is a direct duel with the opponent and it is not about strokes, but about courses won. Two players compete against each other and play an 18-hole round. Each individual hole is scored separately: The player who needs fewer strokes for a hole wins it. The player who has won more holes after 18 holes wins the duel. If both players need the same number of strokes on a hole, it is “split” and ends in a draw. It therefore takes at least 9.5 holes won to win a match.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: The Mode

The field of participants will be divided into 16 groups for the tournament. The 64 qualifiers will be placed in a seeded list according to their ranking in the March 21 world rankings. The field is strong, with 64 of the world’s 69 best players set to compete. Accordingly, Jon Rahm is seeded number 1. Based on the order of the seedings, four pools with 16 players each will be divided. The players from pool A (number 1-16) form the group heads of the respective groups. They have been drawn one player from each of the other pools B,C and D, so that 16 groups of four will start the tournament with one player from each pool. The group winners will advance to the knockout stage, where the winner will be determined from the round of 16 on Saturday to the final on Sunday.

The tournament schedule

Due to the format with many matches, the World Golf Championship-Dell Match Play starts already on Wednesday. On the first three days, players in all groups will play one 18-hole round against each other, so that three duels will be played in each group. The winner of a round gets one point, if a pairing ends in a draw, both players get half a point. Whoever can collect the most points will move on to the knockout stage. If several players are tied for the lead in a group on Friday, a playoff scenario will be played from hole to hole after the group phase until one player prevails.

The knockout duels will then be played over the weekend until a winner is determined. If the two opponents are tied after 18 holes in a match in the round of 16, on Saturday morning, the playoff will continue. The winners will then determine the semi-finalists in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon, if necessary in a decider mode.

On the final day, the semifinals will be held in the morning, and the winners of the semifinals will decide the World Golf Champions-Dell Technologies Match Plays title among themselves in the afternoon. The losers of the semifinals will only have to play for third place.

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PGA Tour

Bryson DeChambeau’s long-awaited return to the PGA Tour

Things seem to be looking up again for Bryson DeChambeau. (Photo: Getty)
Things seem to be looking up again for Bryson DeChambeau. (Photo: Getty)

The “Mad Scientist” returns! Bryson DeChambeau has been struggling with his physical condition in recent weeks. Especially his wrist gave him problems, so that he missed several tournaments of the PGA Tour season 2021/22. The 28-year-old is expected to return to tournament action next week.

Tough weeks lie behind the long hitter

Bryson DeChambeau last played at the Saudi International in January 2022, where he withdrew after the first round due to worsening wrist and hip problems. That the long hitter, who was still in the top 10 of the world rankings in January, was not alright, was already apparent a week earlier at the Farmers Insurance Open. DeChambeau failed to make the cut.

Several weeks passed as fans waited for DeChambeau to make a comeback. Hopes grew as the Arnold Palmer Invitational approached, where DeChambeau would have played for the title defense, and as the Players Championship, the “fifth” major, took place. But DeChambeau canceled his participation in these two tournaments as well. He was not yet at 100 percent and did not want to risk anything, he revealed in a video on his Twitter channel.

Now DeChambeau will compete again on the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour now revealed that Bryson DeChambeau has committed to the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play from March 23-27. The Match Play event could help him return to tournament action thanks to the special format of the game. In addition, the tournament will take place not far from his home in Dallas. In view of the Masters taking place at the beginning of April, DeChambeau will be able to benefit from a little match practice.

Bryson DeChambaeu will compete against a first-class field this weekend, with players vying for $12 million in prize money. Surprisingly, Cameron Smith, who wants to enjoy family time after his Players Championship victory, Rory McIlroy, who is taking a two-week break, and Hideki Matsuyama, who has been struggling with back problems since the Players Championship, are among the players who will not be taking part.

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Panorama Top Tours

Super Golf League: Greg Norman reveals the plan

CEO Greg Norman has released specific plans for the new Super Golf League, including a new name and logo. (Photos: Getty/LIV)
CEO Greg Norman has released specific plans for the new Super Golf League, including a new name and logo. (Photos: Getty/LIV)

The new series of LIV Golf Investments with CEO Greg Norman has long been considered a controversial counter-project to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. And although big-name players have repeatedly spoken out against the new tour series, organizers released very specific plans for the new Super Golf League for the first time on Wednesday (March 16, 2022).

However, the new series turns out not to bear the name Super Golf League or Saudi Golf League, but, leaning on the investor, the LIV Golf Invitational Series will start in June this year, Golf.com reports the latest developments around the debatable tour.

Greg Norman: “I want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun”

In an official statement, Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf Investments, commented on the new developments. “I want golf to grow, players to have additional opportunities, and fans to have more fun”, Norman said. “My mission is to help the game reach its full potential and we know the role of golf as an entertainment product is critical to overall participation in the sport.”

To achieve this goal, organizers also set an initial schedule. The series, which will feature a total of eight events, will include four locations in the U.S., as well as individual events in the United Kingdom, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Nevertheless, a venue for the final championship has not yet been announced. Also, the first tournament will be held June 9 at Centurion Golf Club in London, England. Finally, the announcement did not mention TV partners or players participating so far.

Here is the full schedule for 2022:

June 9-11: Centurion Golf Club, London, England.
July 1-3: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Portland, Ore.
July 29-31: Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, Bedminster, N.J.
Sept. 2-4: The International, Boston, Mass.
Sept. 16-18: Rich Harvest Farms, Chicago, Ill.
Oct. 7 to 9: Stonehill Golf Club, Bangkok.
October 14 to 16 : Royal Greens Golf Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
October 28-30: Team Championship, TBA.

Super Golf League: Schedule not to clash with other tours

Actually, the press release goes on to say that the LIV Golf Invitational Series schedule is not intended to compete with the four majors or other international events. Therefore, allowing players to choose where they want to play.

However, Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, has already announced that any Tour players who join the new league will be banned from the PGA Tour. Norman had hit back in response, saying that’s not how it can be done.

“I believe players will increasingly make progress in achieving their right to play where they want. We will help in any way possible and will provide golfers with opportunities to achieve their full potential”, Norman concluded.

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PGA Tour

Premier Golf League: Tempting offer for PGA Tour professionals

Rory McIlroy and Jay Monahan are confronted with another offer towards the PGA Tour players. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy and Jay Monahan are confronted with another offer towards the PGA Tour players. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy, newest member of the PGA Players’ Advisory Council, received an email from the Premier Golf League (PGL) back on February 14, as reported by the Fire Pit Collective. The contents of that email could be another milestone in the recent evolution of professional golf. According to the mail, the PGL is planning 18 events, with prize money totaling $20 million and complementary team competitions with an additional $1 million in prize money for the winner. In addition, a prize of another 20 million dollars is to await the winner in a season-ending event. But that is not the end of the story.

A shower of money or empty words?

Rory McIlroy was confronted with this important issue on his first official day as a member of the PGA Player Advisory Council. As a member, it was his responsibility to present the issue to the rest of the players and PGA officials. The issue was not only future tournament schedules, but also a direct cash distribution to PGA, Korn Ferry and European Tour players. PGL’s proposal says they want to give 100 million shares to the PGA, Korn Ferry and DP World Tour. According to a breakdown by the PGL, 50 percent (valued at five billion dollars) would go to PGA Tour players, $750 million to the Korn Ferry Tour and $250 million to European golfers.
The PGL clearly distances itself from the Saudi Golf League. They don’t want to make popular players even richer, but rather support all players with an equal share. In the Fire Pit report, one PGL investor is quoted as saying, “They have stolen our idea 100 percent. They are not our partners, they are now our competitors.” PGL’s immense financial resources have no connection with Saudi Arabia, but come mainly from European sponsors, the FAQ on its website went on to say. Their goal, they said, is to work with the PGA Tour and build a partnership.

Kevin Kisner doubts PGL offer

Kevin Kisner, another member of the Player Advisory Council, doubts the feasibility of the promised windfall.  “Their proposal has been studied and scrutinized by an independent company to test its viability,” says Kevin Kisner, another player-director on the policy board at a members meeting earlier this month at the Players and Bay Hill. “The results were presented to all of us: Not feasible.” 

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PGA Tour

Players Championship: Daniel Berger in the middle of a heated rules debate

Viktor Hovland and Daniel Berger argue with rules official Gary Young at the Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)
Viktor Hovland and Daniel Berger argue with rules official Gary Young at the Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)

The Players Championship was marked by weather interruptions and windy misses. For Joel Dahmen, Viktor Hovland and Daniel Berger, however, their fourth round was about something else. Berger was still about 210 yards from the green on the par-5 16th hole and, four shots off the lead, wanted to take his chance at an eagle. However, his iron shot slipped and landed in the water. This everyday situation led to a heated discussion between the three flight partners.

Where did the ball go into the water? Three players – three opinions

Immediately after his miss, Berger fretted: “That’s a water ball.” After a relatively straight start, the ball flew with a slice (right turn) into the water hazard of the 16th hole. This flight curve subsequently also led to a heated discussion with his teammates Joel Dahmen and Viktor Hovland.

For Daniel Berger, the ball clearly crossed the boundary of the water hazard near the green, while Hovland and Dahmen saw the entry point much further back. The difference between the players was to be decided by an rules official and the analysis of a video recording. But official Gary Young decided he would stay out of the discussion and that the video footage that was consulted was also inconclusive.
Ultimately, the players decided to compromise and Berger dropped the ball between the two points under discussion. “I still think the drop is bad,” he clarified several times.

Divided opinions also on the net

Opinions on this debate are divided not only within the flight, but also on social networks. Some users, for example, stand by Hovland’s and Dahmen’s statement, while just as many consider Berger’s drop point to be the right position.
Viktor Hovland is one of the quietest players on tour, according to Joel Beall, editor at Golf Digest. His conclusion, “if he [editor’s note Viktor Hovland] has a problem with your drop, it’s a bad drop.”

Hovland himself said after his round, “It looked like it kind of started at the pin and then cut off toward the end because the wind was coming from the left a little bit, too.” He went on to say, “it ended up being somewhat of a compromise. He dropped a little bit further up than Joel and I kind of thought, but we ended up making a compromise, and that’s where he hit it from.”
One user went even further, thanking Hovland and Dahmen for “protecting the field and maintaining the integrity of the event.”

On the other side are Berger’s supporters. The shot tracker from the PGA broadcast is often used as a basis for argument. On this, it looks as if the ball is flying just before the green in the direction of the water hazard.

The comments go on to say, “the player knows best himself, if Dahmen doubts that, then he also doubts Berger’s integrity.”

The conclusion to the debate at the Players Championship

In the end, no clear answer can be found from pictures alone. It was statement against statement and the compromise found was probably the most de-escalating variant, although not a satisfactory decision for all players. For all players involved, however, it was clear after the round that they did not seek confrontation for personal reasons, but only to ensure compliance with the rules.

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PGA Tour

Players Championship 2022: How much prize money did players earn?

The prize money payout at the PGA Tour's Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)
The prize money payout at the PGA Tour's Players Championship. (Photo: Getty)

A record prize money of 20 million dollars was paid out in total at the Players Championship. The PGA Tour had increased the prize money for its flagship event by 5 million dollars for this year. Winner Cameron Smith alone gets 3.6 million dollars from the prize money pool. In his time on the PGA Tour, Smith has so far earned 22,726,511 dollars.
Even 4th place at the Players Championship still receives almost one million dollars.

What he wants to do with the money, Smith does not know yet, he said in the press conference after his victory. When talking about a possible FedExCup win with it’s 15 million dollar bonus, he didn’t seem so eager for the money. “I don’t know, I’m pretty set, to be honest. I’m good. I’m good with what I’ve got. I don’t know what I’d do, to be honest. Maybe some more fishing equipment.” For 3,6 million dollar you get a lot of fishing equipment. In addition, Smith takes over second place in the FedExCup rankings.

Players Championship: Who gets how much prize money?

1st Cameron Smith, $3,600,000

2nd Anirban Lahiri, $2,180,000

3rd Paul Casey, $1,380,000

4th Kevin Kisner, $980,000

5th Keegan Bradley, $820,000

T6. Russell Knox, Harold Varner III, Doug Ghim, $675,000

T9. Dustin Johnson, Adam Hadwin, Viktor Hovland, Sepp Straka, $525,000.

T13. Russell Henley, Taylor Pendrith, Brendan Steele, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Keith Mitchell, Max Homa, Erik van Rooyen, Daniel Berger, $327,000.

T22. Kevin Streelman, Tommy Fleetwood, Patton Kizzire, Joquin Niemann, $201,000.

T26 Sergio Garcia, Alex Noren, Patrick Reed, Corey Conners, Will Zalatoris, Sam Burns, Doc Redman, $143,000

T33. Abraham Ancer, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Rory McIlroy, Seamus Power, Justin Thomas, Joel Dahmen, Tom Hoge, Sebastián Muñoz, $100,111.

T42. Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Scott Stallings, Kramer Hickok, $73,000.

T46. Troy Merritt, Peter Malnati, Adam Long, Maverick McNealy, $57,000

T50. Brice Garnett, Dylan Frittelli, Aaron Wise, $50,200

T53. Branden Grace, Jason Kokrak, $47,800

T55. Jimmy Walker, K.H. Lee, Sungjae Im, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, $46,200.

T60. Michael Thompson, Sam Ryder, Denny McCarthy, $44,600

T63. Brian Harman, Chesson Hadley, Hank Lebioda, $43,400

T66. Nick Watney, Hayden Buckley, $42,400

T68. Bubba Watson, Lucas Herbert, $41,600

  1. Lee Hodges, $41,000
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PGA Tour

Jon Rahm cards 9 on par-4 at Players Championship

Jon Rahm cards a 9 on a par-4 at Players Championship. (Photo: Getty / Screenshot PGA Tour)
Jon Rahm cards a 9 on a par-4 at Players Championship. (Photo: Getty / Screenshot PGA Tour)

On the final round of the Players Championship, Jon Rahm robbed himself of his chance for a good finish early on. On hole 4 (a par-4), the Spanish US Open champion recorded a 9. It is the worst score on a single hole in his professional career. Previously, a 7 was his worst score.

The 27-year-old found the water from a fairway bunker with his second shot. He then missed the next shot from the drop zone as well and had to call for another relief. His third attempt then just reached the green, but it was still more than 20 metres to the hole. After the three-putt and three penalty strokes, Rahm recorded a 9.

Full Leaderboard Players Championship 2022

Jon Rahm cards 9 on a par-4