Steve Stricker Headlines Betting Favorites at WGC Accenture Match Play

Sports News - February 17th, 2010 - Written By Bryan Cross

The 2010 World Golf Championship events begin this week with the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. The tournament features the top players in the world, competing head-to-head in a match play format. This year, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will not compete, but the rest of the world's top-64 ranked play will be in the field. Every year, the Accenture World Match play features one of the deepest fields in golf.

The event take place at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Dove Mountain, Arizona. It features beautiful fairways and difficult greens. It is the second time that the course will host the World Match Play event. At 7,833 yards, no golf course on the PGA Tour in 2010 will play longer. This will put a premium on ball striking. However, the most difficult part for players this week will be the greens. Executing approach shots the correct distance, and on the proper quadrant of the green is paramount for success. There is a lot of undulation, and, combined with the speed, it makes them some of the most difficult the players will face all year.

Steve Stricker is the top overall seed in the tournament, as the second-ranked player in the world. The 64 players in the field are divided up into four brackets of 16 players, and seeded accordingly. As a player achieves victory in a match, they continue moving down the bracket until they reach the finals. The championship match will be contested over 36 holes to determine a winner.

Stricker is the betting favorite in the event according to online sportsbooks. Bodog has him established as a 14/1 favorite according to the PGA Betting Lines. Stricker has already won once this young 2010 PGA Tour season. He collected the Northern Trust Open title two weeks ago. Stricker has relied on several key statistics for his success this season, as well as the last several years. He is one of the most accurate drivers on tour, hitting 70 percent of fairways. It is nearly 10 percent ahead of the tour average. His scrambling abilities and putts per round have allowed him to put himself in position to win. Stricker won this event in 2001.

Geoff Ogilvy has played once this season, and won once this season. In the opening tournament of the year at the SBS Championship in Hawaii, Ogilvy navigated his way around Kapalua with workman precision. He hit 85 percent of greens in regulation and was able to convert his opportunities. He has a history of success in the WGC Match play tournament this week, and is the defending champion. He also won in 2006. Oddsmakers have dubbed him as a 16/1 favorite to win his third match play title.

Eighth-ranked player in the world Rory McIlroy boasts 16/1 odds to claim his first victory on the PGA Tour. The young Irish player has played well on the European Tour, but has yet to post a victory in the United States. This week will provide him with a nice opportunity to do so. He is a very long hitter of the golf ball and can take advantage of that. McIlroy should be able to have mid-irons, and short irons into the greens, versus other players who may struggle with the course's length.

Lee Westwood is the fourth-ranked player in the world and a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Westwood is a great all-around player with many strengths. Combined with his approach shots and short-game, Westwood should be able to navigate his way around the difficult course at Dove Mountain. Oddsmakers have tabbed him as an 18/1 favorite this week to capture his first WGC Accenture Match Play title.

Paul Casey played in the season opener in Hawaii, which was won by Ogilvy. He finished in a tie for 10th place. Casey is one of the shorter hitters on tour, averaging 270 yards off the tee. Compared with the tour average of 280 yards, he will have to put together his short game and iron shots this week to have success. He is more than capable of that however. Casey has been installed with 20/1 odds this week.

Coverage of the WGC Accenture Match Play tournament can be seen live Wednesday-Friday on the Golf channel beginning at 2 pm Est. Saturday and Sunday coverage will be picked up by CBS and can be seen from 2-6pm Est. The first 18 holes of the championship match on Sunday can be seen live on the Golf Channel beginning at 10am. CBS will pick up coverage of the second 18 holes.