WGC Dell Matchplay: Johnson looks the man to beat in Texas

It's a knockout

We’re into the last 16 of the WGC Dell Matchplay in Texas with the usual mix of big guns, big games and some surprise players getting through to the knockout round. 

There’s still four more rounds of action to come at Austin Country Club with the last 16 and quarter-finals being staged on Saturday before the semi-finals and then the final match to come on Sunday. 

We’ve lost the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay and Louis Oosthuizen, but John Rahm is still here and an 8.4 second favourite behind 7.4 market leader Collin Morikawa. 

Two of our four pre-event picks are still involved with 60 chance Kevin Kisner now 15 after winning three matches out of three, while Scottie Scheffler is 9.4 from 25 after beating Matthew Fitzpatrick in a play-off. 

Englishman Richard Bland is the surprise package of the tournament so far after he came through a group containing Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood.  

Bland chasing Masters spot 

Bland, 49, remains the rank outsider of the tournament at 34 and that’s because he has to face Dustin Johnson in the last 16 – with the American winning all three matches this week on the back of winning all five points at the Ryder Cup. 

Johnson is also a former winner here so the path could not be tougher for Bland, who needs to beat Johnson to qualify for the upcoming Masters for the first time. 

If Bland makes it to Augusta he will have earned it the hard way by taking out 9 shot for the title Johnson. 

If anyone from this top half of the draw wins the title then they will have earned it the hard way too as it looks the much tougher half that has two of the matches of the tournament in it. 

Rahm v Brooks Koepka could be a classic and another big Ryder Cup battle after the Spaniard beat Patrick Reed to seal his place in the last 16. 

Koepka has won all three matches though so is a live contender at 17.5 even though he’s got such a tough route to glory – as the winner will face Johnson if he sees off Bland as expected. 

There’s also a re-match of last year’s final as defending champion Billy Horschel tackles Scheffler after Scheffler made it through by beating Fitzpatrick 5&4 before then seeing off the Englishman at the sixth hole of a play-off. 

Horschel is 20 with Tyrrel Hatton, who is another player with a 100 percent record so far, just a bit shorter at 16 as he faces Seamus Power. 

Last 16 draw  

Scottie Scheffler vs Billy Horschel 

Seamus Power vs Tyrrell Hatton 

Dustin Johnson vs Richard Bland  

Jon Rahm vs Brooks Koepka 

Kevin Kisner vs Adam Scott 

Will Zalatoris vs Kevin Na 

Takumi Kanaya vs Corey Conners 

Collin Morikawa vs Abraham Ancer  

Easy route in the bottom half?  

Morikawa played some of the best golf of the week on Friday yet still only got through with a 1up victory over Jason Kokrak who responded magnificently to going four down at the turn thanks to four birdies and an eagle from Morikawa. 

Kokrak tied the match up on 15 but a final hole birdie for Morikawa set up a match with Abraham Ancer, who beat Webb Simpson to seal his spot. 

Ancer, who is a 17.5 chance, is one of a number of interesting names in the bottom half of the draw who will all feel they have a chance – including our pre-tournament pick Kisner who is as tough as they come as a match play opponent. 

If you’re on at his pre-event odds of 60 you’re sitting pretty, and even at 15 he’s not a bad bet despite a match against Adam Scott to come. Kisner eased past Justin Thomas for his third win out of three, and has won this event before and made a final so knows what it takes to get the job done. 

Canadian Corey Connors has also won all three games and it could open up for him as he faces Takumi Kanaya in the last 16 and will be favourite to win that one. At 17.5 though he’s short enough. 

Will Zalatoris dumped Hovland out in a play-off showing some real guts, but he’s also a bit short at 13 as he’ll find Kevin Na and all his idiosyncrasies tough to play against and I’d be happier taking a punt in Na at 29. 

Kisner remains the pick in the bottom half though with his combination of form, experience and price making him very backable right now, while Johnson in the top half looks to be in that Ryder Cup zone and the one to beat even in that brutal draw. 

Recommended bets 

Dustin Johnson @ 9 

Kevin Kisner @ 15