2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship Discussion

[BigAl5150]

The Volvo World Match Play Championship is this weekend. Who's your pick to win it?

The Field

[BallStriker]

Hard not to take Luke Donald with the way he has been playing of late......that said, I'll go with fellow Pacific Northwesterner Ryan Moore.

[deasy55]

Donald or McIlroy

[Chilli Dipper]

As an American, my only horse in the field is Ryan Moore. He's played well enough this year to not miss any cuts this year, but not well enough to pick up any notable results. However, his best performance of 2011 thus far was reaching the quarterfinals at the Match Play in Tuscon, so maybe there's something to the format that suits his game. Let's see if neckties are a good omen in Spain.

[Acropo]

I think it's genuinely wide open - pretty much everyone has a good matchplay track record and can do the business on their day. I'm really looking forward to it.

If severely pushed, I will go for Donald or Westwood - but it would be just like Poulter to suddenly rediscover his form and come storming back to the winner's circle!

[BigAl5150]

Anything can happen in match play but Luke Donald's play of late makes him my pick. Should be fun to watch.

[deasy55]

Here are the 8 groups. Everyone plays each other once with the top 2 then going through to the last 16.

Volvo World Match Play Draw 2011

Seve Balleteros Group : Lee Westwood (Eng), Anders Hansen (Den), Aaron Baddeley (Aus)

Mark McCormick Group: Luke Donald (Eng), Ross Fisher (Eng), Ryan Moore (USA)

Arnold Palmer Group : Martin Kaymer (Ger), YE Yang (Kor) Seung-yul Noh (Kor

Ian Woosnam Group : Graeme McDowell (Nir), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) and Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)

Gustaf Larson Group: Retief Goosen (RSA), Rory McIlroy (Nir) and Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)

Greg Norman Group: Paul Casey (Eng), Álvaro Quiros (Spa) and Søren Kjeldsen (Den).

Assar Gabrielsson Group :Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (Spa) and Johan Edfors (Spa)

Gary Player Group: Francesco Molinari (Ita), Ian Poulter (Eng) and Paul Lawrie (Sco)

[deasy55]

Fantastic Match between Rory and Goose. Rory 1 up standing on the 17th tee but it has been back and forth all day

[deasy55]

The top 5 ranked players playing (Westwood, Donald, Kaymer, McDowell and McIlroy) all won today. Will be an exciting few days

[deasy55]

Guess i'm talking to myself here

Full last 16 draw:
Seung-yul Noh v Alvaro Quiros
Martin Kaymer v Soren Kjeldsen
Ross Fisher v Charl Schwartzel
Luke Donald v Johan Edfors
Jhonattan Vegas v Nicolas Colsaerts
Rory McIlroy v Graeme McDowell
Aaron Baddeley v Francesco Molinari
Ian Poulter v Lee Westwood

[Vermeer]

My last eight for the Quarter Finals are

Alvaro Quiros

Martin Kaymer

Charles Schwartzel

Luke Donald

Nicolas Colsaerts

Graeme McDowell

Francesco Molinari

Lee Westwood

See deasy55 your not talking to yourself.

[Stretch]

The Donald/Schwartzel match today was an absolute corker, with Luke only taking it on the last hole. So Kaymer plays Donald tomorrow in a repeat of the Accenture final and Poulter gets Coltsaerts, who has played out of his skin so far. Picking Kaymer to go through, win it all and go #1 again as Donald looked absolutely beat at the finish this evening.

[Vermeer]

Well, a tournament  including many of the worlds top golfers and there appears to be a deafening indifference from the members of The Sand Trap. Guess you Americans are a little bit parochial.

( Just trying to get some interest )

[deasy55]

Originally Posted by Vermeer

Well, a tournament  including many of the worlds top golfers and there appears to be a deafening indifference from the members of The Sand Trap. Guess you Americans are a little bit parochial.

( Just trying to get some interest   )

I bet half of American golf fans don't even realise this event is on since it's not a PGA Tour event.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by deasy55

I bet half of American golf fans don't even realise this event is on since it's not a PGA Tour event.

That's probably accurate.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by iacas

That's probably accurate.

And a bit sad, considering the quality of the competition.

Anyway, I was wrong. Donald spanks Kaymer 5 and 3 and now has a chance to win this afternoon and go top of the world rankings -- which will doubtless produce more whining about undeserving (and coincidentally non-American) No. 1s. Tiger will also fall out of the top 10, which as Gary Player said the other day is borderline unbelievable.

Poulter confirms yet again that he's a seriously tough matchplay competitor, coming back from three down to take the match to the 18th. Still in balance.

[Stretch]

Poulter to play Donald in the final after Coltsaerts impersonates Hunter Mahan on his chip from the fringe in the playoff. Just made a fire and opened some wine -- settling in to watch.

[deasy55]

If Donald wins today I can see him being #1 for a good period. Unbelievable playing from him for the last 6 months and I don't see that stopping anytime soon.