WGC Accenture Match Play Championship 2012 Preview/Predictions

We have arrived at one of the most entertaining and unpredictable weeks of golf of the year.  The match play championship is always fun and brings the unexpected to the table.  This year is no different as the top players in the world duke it out in the desert at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona.  This is such a unique tournament because of the match play style.  It's a blast to see these guys square off in do-or-die matches and have to perform.  This five day marathon will be an exciting one this week, and I look forward to it as usual.  Picking the bracket for this is nearly a crap shoot, but I am here to unveil my picks and also provide some insight on the first round matches I am most interested in tomorrow.  I will start off by talking a little bit about the matches tomorrow that will catch my eye.

Jones Bracket:
#1 Luke Donald vs #16 Ernie Els-It's hard to believe Els is such a low seed, but Donald better not think this match will be a walk in the park. He is not in midseason form yet and Ernie could sneak up on him, but it all depends on if he can make any putts.

#4 K.J. Choi vs #13 Kyle Stanley-The Tank is in for a tough one as Stanley has played great this year and blossomed into a good player.  The Tank is tough though, so Stanley will have to utilize his length and play solid golf.

#3 Dustin Johnson vs #14 Jim Furyk-The classic case of power vs finesse here.  Johnson can hit it a mile, but his touch around the greens is suspect.  He doesn't play great in match play and Furyk is a tough competitor.

Hogan Bracket:
#5 Bubba Watson vs #12 Ben Crane-The "Golf Boys" take center stage, but this time they will be dueling it out.  Crane's sluggish pace will be matched against Watson's pink driver bombing it deep.

#6 Hunter Mahan vs #11 Zach Johnson-A number of people have Mahan making a deep run, but he has to beat the always scrappy Johnson first, who is tough as nails in match play.

Player Bracket:
#5 Keegan Bradley vs #12 Geoff Ogilvy-Perhaps the best match of the first round will feature a young, up and coming stud against a match play stalwart in Ogilivy.  Ogilvy isn't in midseason form, but he always seems to flip the switch on for this event.

#4 Sergio Garcia vs #13 Miguel Angel Jimenez-This is an interesting one between the majorless Sergio and the cigar-smoking Jimenez.  Could go either way, but I look for Garcia to pull out a win.

Snead Bracket:
#5 Tiger Woods vs #12 Gonzalo Fernadez Castano-Woods squares off against this unknown and hopes to make a big showing here and prove to the golf world he's back.

#3 Bill Haas vs #14 Ryo Ishikawa-Haas is fresh off a dramatic win, but Ishikawa could sneak up on him.


Here are my predictions/picks in my bracket

Jones Bracket: Donald, Snedeker, Wilson, Furyk in the Sweet 16
Hogan Bracket: Kaymer, Kuchar, Baddeley, Mahan in the Sweet 16
Player Bracket: McIlroy, Garcia, Day, Schwartzel in the Sweet 16
Snead Bracket: Westwood, Woods, Simpson, Rose in the Sweet 16

Final 4: Wilson, Baddeley, Day, Woods
Championship: Baddeley vs Woods
Winner: Tiger Woods
Third Place: Day

I am going out on a huge limb with these Final 4 picks, but I think Wilson can play great golf, Baddeley is an excellent putter, Day is a fierce competitor, and Tiger has the will to get it done this week.  He is furious coming off of blown chances to win, and I really want to see him pull this thing out.  There you have it, folks. Feel free to comment and let me know what you have in your bracket.  Let the fun and good golf begin!