Ricky Dimon
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It’s March Madness, and even golf is joining the fun. Yes, the one golf tournament that features a bracket format is taking place this week. If your NCAA Tournament bracket is busted (and it very well could be based on what happened in the first two rounds!), why not fill one out for the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play?
Okay, it may not have quite the same luster as the Big Dance, but this is a fun tournament. A whopping 64 of the top 74 players in the Official World Golf Rankings will battle it out for the trophy. You won’t find a better field outside of the 4 majors and The Players Championship.
It’s time to jump into this links madness with our best bets.
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Three-star play: Scottie Scheffler +1700
We have been on the Scheffler bandwagon all season long, and to say that such plays have worked out would be a gross understatement. In 11 events during this official 2022 golf season, Scheffler has already won twice and has posted five top-10 finishes. He is leading the FedEx Cup standings. The 25-year-old went all the way to the final of the 2021 Match Play Championship before falling to Billy Horschel, so he knows he can excel at this unique event. Moreover, what is one of the biggest keys to Match Play? You have to make birdies – a lot of birdies. Well, Scheffler certainly does that. The world No. 5 finished third on the PGA Tour in total birdies made last year and so far this season he leads the tour in birdies per round. There is nothing not to like about Scheffler’s chances this week.
Two-star play: Viktor Hovland +1500
Hovland is absolutely on fire right now. In his last eight starts dating back to last November, the 24-year-old has five top-10 finishes and two victories. He is up to No. 3 in the world and comes in at No. 6 in the FedEx Cup standings. Hovland is arguably the best player in the world tee-to-green at the moment. However, his short game probably isn’t at a top 50 level. So things could go in any direction for the Norwegian at the Match Play Championship, just as they can even at the more traditional tournaments in which he tees it up. It could be all-or-nothing for Hovland this week. And since we are in the business of making an all-or-nothing kind of pick – this is the outright winner, after all – Hovland is a good bet.
One-star play: Joaquin Niemann +3600
Niemann is not too far behind Scheffler in the birdie-hunting department. The 23-year-old Chilean was fourth on the PGA Tour in total birdies last season and so far in 2022 he is averaging 4.47 birdies per round (Scheffler is averaging 4.90). Like Hovland, Niemann is one of the best ball-strikers on tour. He is never going to have too many blowup holes out there. The world No. 18 has delivered three top-6 performances in his last seven tournaments, including a triumph at Riviera last month. All signs point to Niemann being a great under-the-radar value play.
Pickswise is the home of free expert Golf Picks and Predictions. We have weekly previews and pick for all the PGA Tour tournaments in 2022, plus the four majors – the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and British Open.
