25th March 2023, 9:55am (UK time)

2023 WGC Match Play Day 3 Summary

The group stages came to a close with Jon Rahm being the biggest name to drop out. Tony Finau also lost a three-man playoff to bow out, meaning 9 of the 16 top seeds don't make it through to the knock out phase. 

Notable WGC Match Play Day 3 Quotes

"Honestly, I've just played some really solid golf. Obviously new caddie this week with Paul Tesori. I think the work that he's put in on my behalf this week, just as far as preparation and game planning, has done a lot of good for me." Cameron Young

"It's getting there. It's very solid. I didn't make a bogey the last couple of days. I think I only made one in the last three. It's good. It's probably as good as it's felt all year, which is nice going into obviously the next couple of weeks." Rory McIlroy

2023 WGC Match Play Day 4 Weather

Partly Sunny all day.  Wind 3-8mph.

How do we expect the market favourites to perform?

Scottie Scheffler has shortened to 4/1 and is up against JT Poston in the next round. Judging by their scorecards yesterday, it shouldn't be plain sailing for Scheffler who carded two bogeys yesterday whilst Poston went round in a bogey free five under par. If Scheffler can advance, he is likely to face Jason Day followed by Patrick Cantlay should results go as expected so we can't see value in 4/1.

Rory McIlroy is next at 5/1 and he also has a potential banana skin against Lucas Herbert, who is playing remarkable golf after his disaster rounds at Sawgrass. Herbert has shot the lowest combined score in the field over the three days and won't make it easy for Rory. If he can get past the Aussie, he could face Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young before a potential clash against Scheffler in the final. 5/1 makes no appeal but Rory is talking a good game this week. 

Where is the value?

The favourites have been priced short for their match ups despite tough opponents and picking out the shock winners continues to be the play. 

Day 4 Bets

24th March 2023, 00:55am (UK time)

2023 WGC Match Play Day 2 Summary

Jordan Spieth and Sungjae Im both relinquished leads to suffer shock defeats.  Several of the top seeds dropped out, including Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland.

Notable WGC Match Play Day 2 Quotes

"The biggest difference was on the greens. Started pretty solid yesterday on the first five, six holes, maybe the front nine. But after that, I didn't really -- didn't have my best, even starting on 4, 11, 12, and 14, those are 30-, 40-footers that usually I hit within 3 feet, and all of 'em were 6 feet or longer. I made one of 'em, missed three of 'em. That's what cost me the match, plain and simple. Apart from that, I hit a couple of really good putts that just didn't go in. Today, it was kind of the opposite, right, we were pretty even up until 8, and then 9, 11, 12, I make those putts and I suddenly have a five-shot lead. So that was the main difference. Tee to green, pretty similar." Jon Rahm

"Yesterday I made too many mistakes, I think, and today I just went out and played solid, no bogeys, and made some key putts in the beginning of the match. Alex birdied the first and then played solid after that, and made two key putts I believe on 5 and 6. I made about a seven-footer for birdie and then about an eight-footer for birdie to tie the match, and made another key putt at 7 for birdie to take the lead. After that I just kind of kept the pressure on him and hit really good shots on 10 and 11 and got myself in position on 12 and made a good putt there at 13." Scottie Scheffler

"it wasn't easy out there. It's windy and blustery and tricky. It was good. I'm really proud of myself that I hung in there after being three down early and clawing it back and producing the shots that I did over the last few holes to ultimately get the job done." Rory McIlroy

2023 WGC Match Play Day 3 Weather

Light rain in the morning.  Wind 5-11mph.

How do we expect the market favourites to perform?

Scottie Scheffler has shortened to 5/1 after his convincing victory against Alex Noren.  Scheffler's path to the final has arguably been made easier by the fact J.T. Poston defeated Sungjae Im and Scheffler will now likely play the world number 52 rather than the world number 18 if he makes it out of the group tomorrow.  The defending champion can't be written off.

Rory McIlroy remains second favourite but can still be backed at 9/1.  That seems a very fair price considering he's driving the ball well and could possibly face Lucas Herbert in first knockout match.  

Where is the value?

We could still see a shock in several of the groups.  Our pre-event selection, MacKenzie Hughes, looks particularly big at 300/1 considering how he played on day two. A win against Taylor Montgomery would put him into a playoff to decide the group winner. 

Those of you with access to Skybet could do worse than back the 19/20 on offer for Xander Schauffele to beat Tom Hoge in their match today.

Day 3 Bets

23rd March 2023, 7:35am (UK time)

2023 WGC Match Play Day 1 Summary

Several favourites lost out in the first round, Jon Rahm being the highest ranked player to slip up.  Tyrrell Hatton, Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick were badly out of sorts and Viktor Hovland succumbed to match play specialist, Matt Kuchar.  Scottie Scheffler survived a scare when Davis Riley missed a 3ft birdie putt to level the match on the 16th.  Scheffler needed to hole a 12ft birdie putt on the 18th to win one up.

Notable WGC Match Play Day 1 Quotes

" I've been trying to work on just kind of hitting and playing and not talking so much. I did an okay job of that. I would say I didn't do a great job of that on my last hole. I was like, what am I doing hitting it over here, and then I ended up holing the shot. It doesn't necessarily affect how I play, but it is a lot less energy used up, it feels like, over the last couple weeks." Jordan Spieth

"I didn't have my best stuff today. Made too many mistakes throughout the round and had some chances to kind of put it away, made a few mistakes, but fortunately made a really nice putt there on 18." Scottie Scheffler

"Driver was good. Driver was really good. I'm much happier with where I am there. Obviously off the tee is such an important part of the game for me. Putter was good. Struggled a little bit with the speed, so I'll probably go work on that a little bit this afternoon. But overall pretty happy with my win." Rory McIlroy

2023 WGC Match Play Day 2 Weather

Cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning and wind rising to 19mph in the afternoon.

How do we expect the market favourites to perform?

Scottie Scheffler is priced up as 7/1 favourite but he really didn't convince yesterday and with the unpredictability of match play, we are in no rush to take the odds on offer.  Scheffler had arguably his easiest game of the group yesterday and must now defeat Alex Noren and Tom Kim, two players who love the cut and thrust of match play.

Rory McIlroy is 10/1 second favourite and he makes much more appeal given his potential second round opponent looks like being Ben Griffin or Lucas Herbert.  Number one seed in Griffin and Herbert's group, Tyrrell Hatton, lost out yesterday after appearing to injure his hand in the warm up and McIlroy is now expected to reach at least the quarter finals.

Where is the value?

Don't discount players who lost their opening match, on average two players per year qualify for the knockout stages after losing their opening game.  There could be opportunities to pick up some big prices on players who lost out yesterday.

Day 2 Bets