Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

The 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Fantasy Sleeper Report

It may have been a low-grade event in the end, but Matt Jones’ performance was anything but as he clinched the Honda Classic on Sunday.

Striking the ball with supreme precision, the Australian makes putts at the best of the time and that combination saw him romp home by five strokes from Brandon Hagy. In truth, nobody could lay a glove on the winner.

That was Jones’ first win in seven years on the PGA TOUR, but he showed few nerves throughout and his emotions at the end were a testament to a hard-working player who has been grinding for some time now.

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From a sunny Florida to a rather more changeable Texas, where the TOUR heads for a two-event stint prior to The Masters. First up is the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where 64 of the world’s finest will go toe-to-toe in a very rare foray into this unique format.

For the uninitiated, the field is split into groups of four, and they all play each other in a round robin fashion with points on the line for winning, drawing and so on. The group winners then progress to a traditional bracket phase, via which an eventual champion will be crowned on Sunday – note the Wednesday start.

It’s a difficult tournament to win then, and made even more complex by the fact it’s played at a customarily tough Pete Dye layout at the Austin Country Club.

All of Dye’s trademarks are here – tiny greens which run slick on the stimp, plenty of deep bunkers and the not inconsequential presence of Lake Austin on half of the course. The other half is played on hilly terrain with elevation changes, so the champion will truly earn their corn this week.

Perhaps the identities of the 2019 finalists reveals all we need to know. Kevin Kisner defeated Matt Kuchar 3 & 2 back then, and those strategic wind players were in their element as Austin CC showed its teeth. Can we expect a repeat this week?

With many of the sport’s elite performers struggling in this event historically, it does feel as though a sleeper winner is there for the taking. But who might it be? Let’s take a look at our WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play sleeper shortlist.

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The 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Fantasy Sleeper Report

Jason Day – 50/1 – While far from enjoying an easy ride in Group 6, there could be an argument that states that Jason Day – a two-time winner of this event, remember – is well placed to top the pile.

Xander Schauffele has not been at his excellent best lately, and it’s not beyond unreasonable to suggest that Scottie Scheffler’s edge-of-the-seat style might not be best suited to match play. Is Andy Sullivan up to the grade of this trio? The jury is out on that.

Australians are renowned for their tremendous fighting spirit, and if Day can find himself through this group then 50/1 ahead of the bracket phase would look a tremendous price.

Russell Henley – 70/1 – Bouncing back to form at the Honda Classic, Russell Henley comes into the WGC Match Play reasonably hot.

And he’s another whose profile fits the bill for this format – we’re talking fairways and greens in regulation plus putts made.

He may be in a tough group, but there’s a lot to like about Henley at a layout such as Austin CC and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Sungjae Im and co.

Si-Woo Kim – 75/1 – If the recent history of the WGC Match Play has taught us anything it’s not to go ‘bracket hunting’ – i.e. seeking out those who have a perceived easier route. After all, the great and good of the sport have all struggled in this format.

And so there’s no harm in being contrary in our picks, and we’re happy to take on Bryson DeChambeau in Group 5 simply because he does not have a good record in match play golf.

It would be typical Bryson to go and wipe the floor with everyone now, but his game is not perfectly suited to Pete Dye golf courses and so we’re happy to swerve him for those reasons.

Perhaps Si-Woo Kim will be the one to emerge as the group winner. A former champion at Sawgrass, Dye’s masterwork, the Korean is playing excellent golf at the moment and can be taken to see off Bryson, the out-of-sorts Tommy Fleetwood and Frenchman Antoine Rozner, making his WGC Match Play debut.

And after that, who knows?

Ryan Palmer – 90/1 – Is there an opportunity in Group 3?

We say that because Jon Rahm, despite racking up plenty of prize money, hasn’t looked himself of late and Shane Lowry, who we drafted at the Honda Classic in conditions that should have suited, was disappointing.

We don’t know a great deal about Sebastian Munoz in match play golf, and while we can say the same about Ryan Palmer at least he has excellent form in the tank. He closed out 2020 with a T4 return at the ZOZO Championship, and this year he has recorded a pair of top-fives and a handy T17 last time out at Sawgrass.

Carlos Ortiz – 110/1 – With Patrick Cantlay looking out of sorts in THE PLAYERS and Hideki Matsuyama failing to make it out of his group in four attempts, there’s a vacancy for somebody to take Group 10 by the scruff of the neck.

Brian Harman, in form and a plodder of the highest order, is a possible candidate, but we can take a chance on Carlos Ortiz, who has saved some of his best golf for the Lonestar State.

A winner of the Houston Open, where he also has another top-five, Ortiz is at home on Bermuda in the Texan wind, and so he can be chanced here.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play here.

Sleeper Report Predictions This Season (2020-2021)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”1.73%” bar_text=”2 out of 115 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent= “10.43%” bar_text=”12 out of 115 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”27.82%” bar_text=”31 out of 115 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=0%” bar_text=”0 out of 23 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”8.69%” bar_text=”2 out of 23 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”70.43%” bar_text=”81 out of 115 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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