2012 WGC Accenture Match Play Championship
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain – Marana, Arizona
Par 72, 7,833 yards
Wednesday, February 22-Sunday, February 26, 2012
TV: Golf Channel, NBC
Defending Champion: Luke Donald
Future odds courtesy of Bovada, head to head courtesy of Bookmaker

In my last article I talked about the Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan brackets in the 2012 Accenture Match Play Championship. Now we will take a look at the Gary Player and Sam Snead Brackets. The future odds are courtesy of Bovada and the head to head match-ups are courtesy of Bookmaker. Here are the complete brackets.

Gary Player Bracket

Players: #1 Rory McIlroy (11/1 to win event, 11/4 to win bracket), #16 George Coetzee (100/1 e, 28/1 b), #8 Kyung-tae Kim (150/1 e, 28/1 b), #9 Anders Hansen (100/1 e, 28/1 b), #4 Sergio Garcia (18/1 e, 5/1 b), #13 Miguel Angel Jimenez (150/1 e, 40/1 b), #5 Keegan Bradley (40/1 e, 10/1 b), #12 Geoff Ogilvy (50/1 e, 12/1 b),  #2 Jason Day (33/1 e, 8/1 b), #15 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (150/1 e, 33/1 b), #7 Simon Dyson (100/1 e, 28/1 b), #10 John Senden (80/1 e, 25/1 b), #3 Charl Schwartzel (33/1 e, 9/1 b), #14 Gary Woodland (66/1 e, 16/1 b), #6 Ian Poulter (30/1 e, 13/2 b), #11 Sang-moon Bae (125/1 e, 33/1 b)

First Round Match-ups: McIlroy -215 vs Coetzee +175, Kim +105 vs Hansen -135, Garcia -220 vs Jimenez +180, Bradley -120 vs Ogilvy -110, Day -170 vs Cabrera-Bello +140, Dyson +110 vs Senden -140, Schwartzel -140 vs Woodland +110, Poulter -170 vs Bae +140.

Projections: This bracket has 3 of last year’s major champions with McIlroy, Schwartzel, and Bradley. Too bad they couldn’t have switched Darren Clarke to this bracket with Jimenez going to the Snead.

McIlroy’s section of the draw is tough with  Garcia, Bradley and 2 time champion Ogilvy. Ogilvy could be a nice upset pick against Bradley because the Aussie loves this course and this event. Besides the 2 wins Ogilvy also has a runner up finish here. I like McIlroy to win a tough match against Ogilvy in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals.

The bottom half of this bracket contains some talented players but most are not really known to casual golf fans. I like Senden to upset both Dyson and Day to make the round of 16. Poulter won this event in 2010, and I like him to make the quarters against McIlroy.

Poulter and McIlroy has the potential to be a great match if both survive. I like Poulter to pull off the upset and win the Player bracket.

Sam Snead Bracket

Players: #1 Lee Westwood (18/1 e, 9/2 b), #16 Nicolas Colsaerts (80/1 e, 18/1 b), #8 Robert Karlsson (100/1 e, 25/1 b), #9 Fredrik Jacobson (80/1 e, 16/1 b), #4 Nick Watney (33/1 e, 10/1 b), #13 Darren Clarke (150/1 e, 50/1 b), #5 Tiger Woods (11/1 e, 11/4 b), #12 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (150/1 e, 33/1 b), #2 Webb Simpson (28/1 e, 7/1 b), #15 Matteo Manassero (100/1 e, 25/1 b), #7 Alvaro Quiros (66/1 e, 18/1 b), #10 Martin Laird (80/1 e, 20/1 b), #3 Bill Haas (33/1 e, 9/1 b), #14 Ryo Ishikawa (150/1 e, 33/1b), #6 Justin Rose (66/1 e, 14/1 b), #11 Paul Lawrie (100/1 e, 25/1 b).

First round matches: Westwood -175 vs Colsaerts +145, Karlsson -110 vs Jacobson -120, Watney -260 vs Clarke +210, Woods -215 vs Fernandez-Castano +175, Simpson -200 vs Manassero +160, Quiros -105 vs Laird -125, Haas-165 vs Ishikawa +135, Rose -150 vs Lawrie +120

Projections: This is the first time Tiger Woods isn’t a #1 seed in this event. Woods has won this event 3 times, more times than any other golfer. However, he hasn’t won since 2008. Woods could face a tough second round match-up with Nick Watney, and if he survives that a potential showdown with Lee Westwood awaits in the third round. Although Westwood faces a tough second round with the winner of the battle of the Swedes between Karlsson and Jacobson.

The bottom half of this bracket is wide open with Simpson, Quiros, Laird, Haas, Rose, and Lawrie. Any of those 6 could advance to the quarters but I will take Haas.

I would love to pick Tiger to win this bracket, but he is too inconsistent right now. I see him stumbling in the quarters to Haas.

Semifinals & Final

I picked Luke Donald to win the Jones Bracket, and he would match up with Matt Kuchar in the semifinals. I think that would be a great match, but Donald should win.

In the other semifinal, I have Ian Poulter matching up with Bill Haas. I like Poulter to win a close match.

So that would set up a match between Englishmen and the last two champions of this event. I like Donald to win.