WGC World Matchplay: 5 Standout First-Round Ties

Last year, Luke Donald triumphed. Will he manage to retain his trophy or will there be a new name on the World Matchplay winners list come Sunday?

It is the first World Golf Championship event of 2012 and apart from a couple of notable exceptions in the shape of Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey, most of the world's top golfers will be teeing it up in Arizona.

The first round starts tomorrow evening and as always, there are many early ties that will be enthralling to watch.

Let's take a look at five of the standout ties to watch for tomorrow.

Luke Donald vs. Ernie Els

Last year's winner and current world No. 1 Luke Donald could hardly have a picked a tougher first-round opponent.

That is a bold statement when Els didn't win at all last year and failed to earn at least  £1 million on tour for the first time since 1998.

The "Big Easy" is a match for anyone though, and is desperate to try and get into the Masters in April.

Donald is without a doubt the most talented player in the world right now, but Els is a seven-time winner of another matchplay event (the Volvo Matchplay on the European Tour) so don't rule out an early exit for the Englishman.

Sergio Garcia vs. Miguel Angel Jimenez

One of the most intriguing first-round ties comes with the matchup of two Spaniards, Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The pair are very good close friends, but will have to become the best of enemies when they tee off tomorrow.

Garcia has been in much better form than his older countryman and will go into the tie as the big favourite.

He won twice in Spain towards the end of lat season and on Sunday he finished in a tie for fourth in the Northern Trust Open.

Jimenez has not won since 2010, but did reach the quarterfinals of this event last year, so he can certainly not be discounted.

It is a tie that could require more holes than the standard 18.

Darren Clarke vs. Nick Watney

Last year's Open winner Darren Clarke takes on American Nick Watney in the Sam Snead bracket, and a tie could see the winner face Tiger Woods in the next round.

Watney is seeded fourth in the bracket, whilst Clarke is a lowly 13th, but I fancy the Northern Irishman to beat Watney tomorrow.

Clarke is a previous winner of this event, famously beating Woods in 2000 and Watney has never done better than getting to the round of 16.

Also, Watney, despite having a very successful last couple of seasons, has shown he can blow it in big tournaments, none more so than when he shot an 81 in the 2010 PGA Championship after leading by three shots going into in the final round.

Clarke is a man who is enjoying his golf again and will be looking to spring a surprise.

David Toms vs. Rickie Fowler

One of the tightest first-round ties will surely be the all-American affair between David Toms and Rickie Fowler.

Even their seedings are close with Toms seeded eighth and Fowler ninth in the Ben Hogan bracket.

It is an interesting mix between the youthful Fowler and the experienced Toms, who at 45 is almost double his fellow countryman's age.

And I fancy the 2001 PGA Championship winner Toms to edge out Fowler, who is still trying to fine tune some of his erratic swings.

That is something you cannot afford in a matchplay format especially against such a determined opponent as Toms.

Graeme McDowell vs. Y.E. Yang

For my final choice of the five ties to watch out for tomorrow, I have chosen the tie between two former major winners, Graeme McDowell and Y.E. Yang.

It shows the caliber of the lineup in Arizona that either the Northern Irishman or the South Korean will be leaving the competition in Round 1, but that's the reality of the matchplay format.

McDowell is of course the man who holed the winning putt at the 2010 Ryder Cup and has a steely determination that is a match for anyone on his day.

Yang also has this quality as shown when he overhauled Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship.

This has all the makings of a classic, but I'll tip Yang to edge in 20 holes.

Some Other Stand out Ties

You have read my top five, but such is the quality in the World Matchplay field, I feel it would be unfair not to mention a few other ties that should be worth watching.

Facing off against each other will be good friends Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan in the Ben Hogan bracket. This is another tie where putting will be key, so I suspect Johnson will be the one celebrating tomorrow night.

Another all-European tie to look out for is big hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros against Scotland's Martin Laird. Both are on the fringes of the Ryder Cup selection process and will both be keen to have a good showing this week.

And finally, before I end up previewing all 32 ties, keep an eye out for 2011 PGA runner-up Jason Dufner against Sweden's Peter Hanson. It won't be the quickest match by any means, but could be another one which requires extra holes.

All of these ties I have chosen are just hunches of course, but I'm sure the next five days of golf in Arizona will be enthralling.