WGC-Cadillac Match Play 2015: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Wednesday

The 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play event got a makeover. It still consists of the top 64 players in the world golf rankings, but they are no longer in individual matches out of the gate. 

Per Carl Steward of The Oakland Tribune (via PGATour.com) the new format is more akin to the World Cup instead of March Madness with 16 groups featuring four players and round-robin matches happening on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 

One person who didn't have any complaints with the new format is Rory McIlroy. The world's top-ranked player told ESPN's Bob Harig that only good things can come from the switch:

"I don't see any downside to it," McIlroy said. "If you go out and shoot 67 or 66 and get beaten on the first day, it still gives you an opportunity. You are obviously playing well. ... It seems like a bit of a fairer format, especially for 18-hole stroke play."

It's hard to argue with a format that will keep all of the best players around for at least three days before the field gets cut down heading into the weekend. 

Regardless of the format, everyone will be keeping a close eye on McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. The world's top two players could meet in the finals on Sunday if everything breaks right, though there's a long time between now and Sunday. 

Here's a look at the results from Wednesday's opening matches from San Francisco:

Group	Results
1: Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker	McIlroy def. Dufner (5 & 4), Horschel def. Snedeker (5 & 4)
2: Jordan Spieth, Lee Westwood, Mikko Ilonen, Matt Every	Spieth def. Ilonen (4 & 2), Westwood def. Every (1 Up)
3: Henrik Stenson, John Senden, Bill Haas, Brendon Todd	Senden def. Stenson (19 Holes), Haas def. Todd (3 & 2)
4: Bubba Watson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley	Watson def. Jimenez (5 & 4), Oosthuizen def. Bradley (6 & 5)
5: Jim Furyk, George Coetzee, Martin Kaymer, Thongchai Jaidee	Furyk def. Coetzee (3 & 2), Kaymer def. Jaidee (3 & 1)
6: Justin Rose, Marc Leishman, Ryan Palmer, Anirban Lahiri	Leishman def. Rose (3 & 2), Lahiri def. Palmer (4 & 2)
7: Jason Day, Charley Hoffman, Zach Johnson, Branden Grace	Johnson def. Grace (2 Up). Hoffman def. Day (4 & 3)
8: Dustin Johnson, Matt Jones, Victor Dubuisson, Charl Schwartzel	Schwartzel def. Dubuisson (5 & 4), Johnson def. Jones (3 & 1)
9: Adam Scott, Francesco Molinari, Chris Kirk, Paul Casey	Molinari def. Scott (5 & 4), Casey def. Kirk (22 Holes)
10: Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood, Jamie Donaldson, Bernd Wiesberger	Garcia def. Fleetwood (2 Up), Donaldson def. Wiesberger (1 Up)
11: Jimmy Walker, Gary Woodland, Ian Poulter, Webb Simpson	Woodland def. Walker (19 Holes), Simpson def. Poulter (3 & 2)
12: J.B. Holmes, Marc Warren, Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley	Warren def. Holmes (2 & 1), Koepka def. Henley (1 Up)
13: Rickie Fowler, Harris English, Graeme McDowell, Shane Lowry	Fowler def. English (1 Up), Lowry def. McDowell (1 Up)
14: Matt Kuchar, Ben Martin, Hunter Mahan, Stephen Gallacher	Martin def. Kuchar (1 Up), Mahan def. Gallacher (7 & 6)
15: Patrick Reed, Andy Sullivan, Ryan Moore, Danny Willett	Reed def. Sullivan (2 & 1), Willett def. Moore (3 & 2)
16: Hideki Matsuyama, Alexander Levy, Kevin Na, Joost Luiten	Matsuyama def. Levy (5 & 4), Luiten def. Na (19 Holes)

Spieth got off to a strong start on Wednesday. The 2015 Masters champion got out to an early lead thanks to a birdie on the first hole, though Sean Martin of PGATour.com noted his opponent, Mikko Ilonen, got closer on the green but was unable to capitalize on it:

Of course, Spieth's victory isn't a surprise. He's been rolling with three wins and eight top-10 finishes in 12 starts. Per the PGA Tour's official Twitter, only 12 players have bested the 21-year-old in his last six tournaments:

Even with the different format for match play, Spieth seemed in control most of the way. He did get in trouble on the 11th when Ilonen cut the lead to one up, but the Texas native responded with two consecutive birdies on 12 and 13 to increase his lead to three shots. A birdie on No. 16 gave Spieth the win. 

The shot of the day in one of the best matches of the day belonged to Ben Martin. He was tied with Matt Kuchar through 16 holes before doing this on the par-three 17th, per PGA Tour:

Martin and Kuchar would each par the 18th hole, allowing Martin to take a win into Thursday's portion of the round-robin matches. 

Per Sean Martin, it wasn't a bad time for Ben Martin to do something he had never done on the PGA Tour:

The biggest upset based on rankings was No. 3 Henrik Stenson losing to No. 65 John Senden. It took 19 holes for Senden to secure the victory after he drained a birdie putt on the No. 18 to force a sudden-death playoff. Here was the final putt, per the PGA Tour (h/t Aussie Golfer):

Stenson told Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel on Tuesday that he has "no expectations for this week" while still recovering from an illness that has been lingering since before the Masters Tournament. He was able to play well overall in the match but couldn't close things out, either due to illness or Senden rising to the occasion. 

Per Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, upsets were a common occurrence early on Wednesday:

That trend didn't hold throughout the day with players like McIlroy, Spieth and Rickie Fowler completing their matches in the evening. It's still a reminder that world rankings are a dangerous way to measure potential success in match play. 

Fowler had one of the day's most impressive drives on the par-four 16th hole, which the PGA Tour put into a humorous Vine post:

That shot allowed Fowler to hit a birdie putt and go two-up over Harris English. The 26-year-old did give a hole back with a bogey on No. 17 before hitting a birdie putt on the final hole to secure a victory. 

Starting late in the day, McIlroy breezed through his matchup with Jason Dufner, going five up with four holes to play. It wasn't a great round for the world's best player, as he had just one birdie, but he got away with it because of Dufner's five bogeys. 

Even though it wasn't a round that McIlroy will put in his scrapbook, it's a good sign that he was able to win without his best stuff. Things will get tougher for him as the event moves along, so finding a groove on Thursday will be critical. 

Chris Kirk and Paul Casey played a marathon match that went 22 holes. Casey had a chance to close things out in regulation, carrying a one-hole lead through 15 before Kirk drilled a birdie on the 16th. They would go par-birdie-birdie-par-par before Kirk bogeyed the 22nd hole and Casey hit a par putt for the win. 

The new format didn't knock anyone out on Wednesday, but it does give those players who suffered a loss an uphill climb to keep their hopes alive. There's still a long way to go with two more days of round-robin action. It may not be time to hit the panic button for half the field, but a fast start on Thursday will be imperative.