Francesco Molinari takes to the field today in Texas, in Austin, among the 64 best players in the world, who compete in one of the few head-to-head challenges. This is the WGC Match Play, won last year by the number one in the ranking Dustin Johnson.
We start a day earlier, because there are so many games to play. The contest is divided into 16 groups of 4 players, with 16 seeds being the highest in the world rankings. The best of each group passes the first round, after three matches, after which we proceed to direct elimination. Until Friday there is also a draw, because each match does not go beyond the standard 18 holes and points are awarded: 1 for the winner, 0 for the loser, half a point each in the draw. From this skimming, 16 qualifiers must remain. In case of a tie there is a playoff to decide who goes through. Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow there are 32 matches every day. The round of XNUMX is played on Saturday morning and the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon. The semi-finals are on Sunday morning and the final is on Sunday afternoon. All in all, an intense programme, which promises great entertainment, because the direct challenge is compelling, as demonstrated by the Ryder Cup. For non-golf experts, we would like to remind you that normally the player competes with the course and a tournament is won by whoever scores four rounds with the fewest strokes. In this case instead the participants are against each other armed. Whoever played badly can go through, but whoever played worse has beaten and vice versa whoever played well can go out. Strong nerves, even in this type of race, are very important and nothing is ever lost.
Molinari wasn't lucky, because the group he belongs to is led by Justin Thomas, one of the champions in the best shape at the moment, winner of the Fedex Cup last year. However, no group is taken for granted and fate is bizarre. Two great friends like Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, for example, often partnered in the Ryder Cup, are opponents in the same group. The seeds are Johnson, Thomas, Spieth, Jon Rham, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey, Marc Leishman, Tyrrel Hatton, Alex Noren, Phil Mickelson, Pat Perez, Matt Kuchar.
Big absent Tiger Woods, who still doesn't have the numbers to enter the world championships (mini circuit common to the various tours), even if his form improves race after race. He also performed well at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, where he finished fifth. The victory went to a masterful Rory McIlroy, unbeatable in the last 18 holes.
