Tiger Woods Out. Mickelson, Westwood and Kaymer Remain at Accenture

After the first day of shock and surprise the Accenture Match Play starts to get  interesting.  

Shocks included Tiger Woods being defeated in round one by a nemesis from a decade ago, Thomas Bjorn, Steve Stricker losing to Matteo Manassero and Jim Furyk being defeated by Ryan Palmer.  

Surprises would be Alvaro Quiros losing to Y.E. Yang, despite the fact that Quiros just won a tournament, Matt Kuchar taking 22 holes and a batch of missed opportunities to dismiss Anders Hansen, and Ben Crane taking out Adam Scott 4 and 2.

But so much for the major and minor upsets.  Tallying up the picks for round one, out of 32 matches, count them,  20 correct predictions, which is not awful when a lot of these matches are really a toss up.  Round one was all about who is on form now, and we have 32 who are and 32 who aren’t. It’s more fun to pick from guys who are doing well this week.

Of the remaining, Martin Kaymer had the most convincing victory, 7 and 6 over Seung-yul Noh and Phil Mickelson’s was the second strongest at 6 and 5 over Brendan Jones.  Since Noh and Jones were lesser ranked players, it is to be expected, unlike the Bjorn upset of Tiger Woods.

Eight matches went extra holes, demonstrating how close the skill levels are at the top in professional golf. 

What about round two?  Who do we look for?  And always remember Roger Maltbie’s advice on the wind: “When the Saguaros move, get low!”

Westwood Bracket

Look for Lee Westwood to dust off Nick Watney or perhaps logo him to death. Westwood has so many logos he looks like a NASCAR driver.  It will probably make Nick Watney’s eyes cross going from UPS to Dunlop to PING and so on and so forth.   

K.J. Choi who played well in Los Angeles, takes on the guy who was logoless until he added an Adams to his hat.  Ryan Moore. Perhaps one of the most distinctive golfers, Moore has a US Amateur and two US Public Links titles to his credit and should never be counted out in match play. Moore takes down the guy with the large putter grip, although that grip is a great idea for a lot of people.

In the battle of the up and comings, it’s Charl Schwartzel against Matteo Manassero.  Ordinarily you’d have to go with Schwartzel, but Manassero was the youngest to ever win on the European Tour, and he won’t be 18 until after the Masters.  Will M&Ms sponsor his bag?  If they have sense.

Luke Donald, who always seems tougher than you’d expect in match play will take on Edoardo Molinari who is a former US Amateur champ, winning the year after Ryan Moore.   This is a toss up and may come down to a lucky bounce here or there, but Molinari is a brilliant putter, and even though Luke Donald is an extra good putter, brilliant trumps extra good. Molinari in a close one.

Phil Mickelson Bracket

Having Phil Mickelson play Rickie Fowler this early in the game seems like a real waste of star power.  How can you pick who you’d rather see?  You can’t.  They are both exciting players.  However, Mickelson’s experience will carry the day.

Matt Kuchar against Bo Van Pelt is unexpected.  They are both older than they look and it comes down to one cagey veteran against another.  That said, Kuchar turned an important corner last year and he was leading money winner in 2011, so he’s the best bet.

Graeme McDowell, G-Mac, is just the most surprising golfer in the last five years. There’s no way he loses to Ross Fisher. 

Stewart Cink against Y.E. Yang is going to be another one of those matches that probably heads to extra holes.  There is no give up in either of them, and Cink has been to the finals before.  Maybe it’s his time to win this thing.  Cink in a close match. 

Martin Kaymer Bracket

Martin Kaymer will face a stronger Justin Rose than he would have seen two years ago.  After winning twice in the US in 2010, Rose has new found confidence, and you can bet he has not forgotten the snub of the Ryder Cup, so any time he can beat a fellow European, it reminds Monty of what he could have had, not that he really needed anything else. But, like that V-8 commercial, Oh, I could have had Justin Rose.   Still Martin Kaymer is an amazing player.  If he loses, it will be a surprise.

Hunter Mahan has been playing like a man on a mission lately and should handle Robert Karlsson in his next match.

The idea of Rory McIlroy playing Ben Crane would have seemed one-sided in Rory’s favor had Crane not won the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia last fall.  Now it doesn’t seem so far fetched that he will at least contend against the young Northern Irishman.  That said, contend, yes. Win, no.  Talent typically wins and Rory’s got boatloads he doesn’t even know he has yet.

Ryan Palmer against Miguel Angel Jimenez  is also a tough match to call.  Palmer has not won a PGA Tour event, and Jimenez won three times last year and 18 times in all.  It is hard but not impossible to believe that Palmer will defeat him.  Smart money goes Jimenez, aka The Mechanic.

Used-To-Be-Tiger Woods Bracket

Once the top guy gets beat, what do you call his bracket?  The Bjorn Again Bracket?  In Thomas Bjorn’s case, he has been born again with a recent European victory and now a match win against Woods.  Next he takes on former Accenture Match Play champ Geoff Ogilvy.  Ogilvy had five birdies in round one and took out Padraig Harrington at the 16th hole.  Ogilvy again.  He loves this tournament.

Two 2001 winners with three victories between them, Mark Wilson and Bubba Watson meet up in round two. Wilson, inspired by his home state Green Bay Packers, seemingly can do no wrong, wining twice this year already.  Bubba Watson, inspired by his family, overcomes a strange set up and home-made swing with great distance and touch. On a course that favors the long hitter, you have to go with the long hitter.  Bubba does it.  He’s apparently recovered from the muscle pull at Riviera. If not, it’s beware the injured golfer.    

Jason Day versus Paul Casey should go by the book. Casey should win, although Jason Day may annoy him for the full 18.

Ernie Els was up and down in his match against Jeff Overton.  JB Holmes, a last minute sub for Tim Clark, showed he is still in good form.   Although Holmes has won in the desert twice, it was up the road in Phoenix.  He will be hard to beat, but Ernie Els has shown time and again that he has a classy game. Close, but Els squeaks out another match win.