Battle rages on in the match play world championship, taking place in Austin, Texas. On the field there are the best and most aggressive players of all circuits, fighting for the title, but also to maintain or approach the world leadership. The most important seeds are the number one in the world ranking, Dustin Johnson, the number two, Rory McIlory and to follow Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas.
For two years a new formula has been adopted which guarantees everyone at least three meetings. The first 64 competitors of the world order of merit (absent apart) were divided into 16 groups of four and began to face each other yesterday, in an Italian round, ie everyone meets the other three. This is why the race started a day earlier than usual and will last a day longer.
In fact, match play is now a rare formula in golf competitions, a head-to-head challenge between players instead of between the players and the course. A much more entertaining show for the public, but less meritocratic. In a match play predictions are often overturned by the more anonymous participants, who have the psychological advantage of retaliating against the big names, a bit like in football, when a team, after a muted game, scores on the counterattack.
At the end of the three matches, the 16 winners of each group are admitted to the round of 25 which will take place together with the quarter-finals on Saturday 26 March, with semi-finals and finals for first and third place on Sunday 18 March. All matches are over 3 holes. Defending the title is Jason Day, who dropped from world leader to number XNUMX in just a few weeks.
Part of this international elite is Francesco Molinari, who, stringing together excellent placings every week, is now number 29 in the world.
The Turinese faces this match for the seventh time; he is in group 8, along with top seeded Alex Noren, Bernd Wiesberger and Thongchai Jaidee. Apparently it is a group that is not impossible, made up of players born on the European circuit and who know each other well. For this reason, however, it does not offer the psychological advantages mentioned above.
The prize pool is $9,750 million
