Tiger Woods: How Far Will He Go at Accenture Match Play Tourney?

It’s 64 players, just like the NCAA's 64 teams. But no wildcards. It’s golf, so the ball is smaller and so is the basket.  Instead of 60 minutes and OTs, it’s 18 holes and OTs, at least for the first five rounds. 

Instead of two-three weeks, it’s compressed into one.  Instead of national college rivalries, it’s world rivalries.  Instead of March Madness, it's February Foolishness or Late Winter Lunacy.  Whatever you want to call it, it's Golf's Bracket Blaster, a game where no matter who you pick, you're going to be wrong a few times.

The top four seeds head each of four brackets.  But all four brackets are packed with quality challengers, those who would trip up the top players on their way to the winner’s circle.

First, Tiger Woods gets Thomas Bjorn, a guy who beat him while wearing red.  Three years ago, it would have been Woods, no contest.  But this year, since Bjorn just won, it could be a close call.  Still it’s match play, so look for Woods to eke out a victory.  He can lose eight holes, and tie one and still win.  A tie after 18 holes goes to sudden death. Woods has played well enough recently to handle Bjorn although some feel he will lose this one.  Woods should be good for at least the first two rounds, so watch early.    

Phil Mickelson drew Brendan Jones of Australia.  While Mickelson was not at the top of his game at Riviera,  he’s a great match player. Look for him to cruise to round two.  The only thing stopping him is the schedule.  He’s played several more in a row than he usually does, so fatigue will be a factor eventually.

Lee Westwood is pitted against Henrik Stenson.  Westwood fears no one at this point, and although Stenson can be formidable, he has not been recently.  Westwood wins this one hands down.

Martin Kaymer plays Korean Seung-yul Noh  in the battle of youngsters.  Noh became the youngest Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2010, winning that title at age 19.  Noh has something to prove, but Kaymer may also want to make a statement.  If Kaymer is on, he will be unstoppable.    

There are many interesting matches, unfortunately so many that it’s hard to follow them all.  One that will be exciting to watch is Italian teenager Matteo Manassero against veteran Steve Stricker.  Long hitting Alvaro Quiros just won in Africa, and he faces Y.E. Yang, the man who took down Tiger Woods at Hazeltine.

Last year’s champ, Ian Poulter against Stewart Cink should be a tidy, straight down the middle match of veteran versus veteran.  You can almost hear the gnashing of teeth during that one.  If outfits count, Poulter will come up victorious.  If they could only summon their Twitter followers.  

Robert Allenby against Ross Fisher should be another in the mold of Poulter and Cink, two guys who manage their games rather than overpower the golf course. The winner of that contest gets either Graeme McDowell or Heath Slocum, which is where we will find out if McDowell is still playing as well as he was in the last quarter of 2010.     

Unfortunately, because of the way the draws are made, there are some players who will have to knock out a big gun or two to get more than two rounds. One of them is Rickie Fowler, who is bracketed just below Phil Mickelson.  Fowler plays Peter Hansen of Sweden.  Also in that same side of the draw are Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Alvaro Quiros.  

Mickelson’s bracket is opposite Tiger Woods’ bracket, so the ideal pairing would have Mickelson and Woods in a semifinal, making viewers happy.  Of course it never happens that way, but that’s the intent. 

In the Woods side of the draw are Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Tim Clark, Paul Casey, Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington.  Talk about having to slog through some champions to emerge from that side.

Lee Westwood’s side of the matches includes Ryo Ishikawa, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari, Matteo Manassero, Anthony Kim, Retief Goosen and Steve Stricker.   Westwood doesn’t have to take out all of them, just enough to get to the semifinals.

Martin Kaymer or someone on his side of the draw has to knock off Hunter Mahan, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Jim Furyk, to name but a few. 

After the dust settles from round one, it will be possible to make some real picks for victory because we will know who is on and who isn’t. Thirty-two will be and thirty-two won’t be. 

Woods’ chances for victory?  Doubtful in this format.  Although he is a superior match player and has won the event, his game is not sharp enough to take out the entire field.  And his luck seems to be on vacation, too.  When Woods is on, he is both good and lucky.

Picks: Woods Bracket

Woods over Bjorn, because of the red shirt incident years ago.

Ogilvy over Harrington, because Ogilvy loves this event.

Johnson over Wilson, because Wilson’s already overachieved for this season.

Haas over Watson, because Bubba withdrew in LA with injury.

Casey over Green.

Day over Kim, Anthony, because he could not play out of his shadow last week.

Els over Overton, because Els did much better at this event last year without the world traveling.

Clark over Villegas, because he’s unexpected.

Picks:  Mickelson Bracket 

Mickelson over Jones, even though Jones once famously quipped to the camera while losing to Tiger Woods, “ I’ve got him right where I want him.”  You’ve got to like a guy with that kind of attitude.

Fowler over Hanson

Kuchar over Hansen

Oousthuizen over Van Pelt, because Shrek never loses.

McDowell over Slocum, McDowell over everybody until he proves he’s played himself out.

Fisher over Allenby, who is probably tired after LA.

Poulter over Cink, because of the outfits, but it will be an all Twitter match.

Quiros over Yang, because he’s super long.

Picks: Westwood Bracket

Westwood over Stenson

Watney over Kim ( the Kim not named Anthony)

Goosen over Choi

Moore over Molinari

Stricker over Manassero, because Manassero will be more nervous

Ishikawa over Schwartzel

Donald over Hoffman

Laird over Molinari

Picks:  Kaymer Bracket

Kaymer over Noh

Rose over Johnson

Karlsson over Fujita

Mahan over O’Hair whose last victory was Quail Hollow in 2009.

McIlroy over Byrd, who has had such great luck lately that it must be time for someone else to have it.

Scott over Crane, although the new Ben Crane is interesting.

Furyk over Palmer

Jimenez over Ikeda, although Ikeda surprised last year.

Kathy Bissell