Golf is played match-play this week, armed against each other and the most eagerly awaited duelists are certainly world number one, Rory McIlroy and number two Jordan Spieth. The Cadillac World Championship begins today in San Francisco, reserved for the best 64 players on the planet. Among these also the blue Francesco Molinari, who enters with number 64 thanks to the defection of Phil Mickelson, on vacation with his family, and Tim Clark, injured.
The WGC-Cadillac Championship returns to Harding Park, California, after the long Texan trip. For the occasion, the course, a 71-metre par 6300, designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting and inaugurated in 1925, was restored and embellished to compete with other courses at the highest levels. Tiger Woods won in San Francisco in 2005, but this year he won't be there because he is too low in the World Ranking (number 116).
The formula of the race has also been completely renewed. The players were divided into 16 groups of four to play each other in a round robin, where each player meets the other three. The 16 winners advance to the round of 2 (Saturday 3 May) and whoever wins plays the semi-finals and finals (Sunday XNUMX May). The match play challenge is certainly the most exciting for spectators, because the players don't fight against the field, but against each other and the fans also find space on the golf courses.
The expected protagonists are the two very young champions of the moment: Rory, the Northern Irishman, already the hero of two Ryder Cups and winner of four majors and Jordan, the Texan, star on the rise, winner of two tournaments this season, including the coveted Masters, the first round of the grand slam each year. However, McIlroy and Spieth will not face each other today, but possibly only in the next few days, after having won their respective groups. The Northern Irishman has to deal first with Jason Dufner, Billy Horshel (2014 Fedex champion) and Brandt Snedeker; the group of the 21-year-old Texan instead includes MIkko Ilonen, Lee Westwood and Matt Every.
Our Molinari is in the group led by world number 9 Adam Scott and to access the round of XNUMX he will have to fight the tough Chris Kirk and Paul Casey. The Australian Jason Day defends the title, who last year prevailed over the French Victor Dubuisson in a daring and hilarious final.
Here are today's match plays:
Group 1: Rory McIlroy-Jason Dufner; Billy Horschel-Brandt Snedeker;
Group 2: Jordan Spieth-Mikko Ilonen; Lee Westwood-Matt Every;
Group 3: Henrik Stenson-John Senden; Bill Haas-Brendon Todd;
Group 4: Bubba Watson-Miguel Angel Jimenez; Louis Oosthuizen-Keegan Bradley;
Group 5: Jim Furyk-George Coetzee; Martin Kaymer-Thongchai Jaidee;
Group 6: Justin Rose-Marc Leishman; Ryan Palmer-Anirban Lahiri;
Group 7; Jason Day-Charley Hoffman; Zach Johnson-Braden Grace;
Group 8: Dustin Johnson-Matt Jones; Victor Dubuisson-Charl Schwartzel;
Group 9: Adam Scott-Francesco Molinari; Chris Kirk-Paul Casey;
Group 10: Sergio Garcia-Tommy Fleetwood; Jamie Donaldson-Bernd Wiesberger;
Group 11: Jimmy Walker-Gary Woodland; Ian Poulter-Webb Simpson:
Group 12: JB Holmes-Marc Warren; Brooks Koepka-Russell Henley;
Group 13: Rickie Fowler-Harris English; Graeme McDowell-Shane Lowry;
Group 14: Matt Kuchar-Ben Martin; Hunter Mahan-Stephen Gallacher;
Group 15: Patrick Reed-Andy Sullivan; Ryan Moore-Danny Willett;
Group 16: Hideki Matsuyama-Alexander Levy; Kevin Na-Joost Luiten
Maxi television coverage by Sky Sport: today from 22pm to 4am; tomorrow 21-5; Saturday, 23pm -4am; Sunday, from 15,30pm to 19,30pm and from 20pm to midnight.
