The draw for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which begins Wednesday in Texas, will take place on Monday around 5:00 p.m. in France. Victor Perez is the only tricolor present in the field of 64 players. What would be the most and least favorable draws for the Tarbais, placed in the hat of the “misclassified”? The editorial staff of Golf Planète has its opinion on the matter.
Victor Perez will play big, very big next week at the WGC-Match Play.
After his 45th place in Valspar Championship the Frenchman is obliged to strike a blow in Austin, Texas, to hope to enter the top 50 in the world, to compete in the Masters and thus maximize their chances of qualifying for the Ryder Cup.
Brilliant semi-finalist two years ago in this unique event on the world circuit (and which unfortunately will disappear from the calendar next season), Victor Perez is comfortable in Match Play. At the start of the season, he scored 3.5 out of a possible 4 points in the Hero Cup.
61st in the world this Monday, he will have to reach at least the quarter-finals to register the minimum of 14 points in the world ranking and re-enter the top 50 on the gong, synonymous with participation in the first major of the season.
Ryder Cup, Race to Dubai multiple stakes
Another challenge for the French number 1, to keep its place at the top of the Race to Dubai occupied since its historic victory in Abu Dhabi. He is under threat from Rory McIlroy and Min Woo Lee.
A good result would allow him to consolidate his place in the top 10 of the DP World Tour ranking, the new gateway to the PGA Tour in 2024. This is, with automatic qualification for the European selection of the Ryder Cup, the main objective of the season for Victor Perez.
The task promises to be difficult and the first step will of course be to get out of the hens. Placed in hat D, that of players ranked between 49th and 64th among participants, the Tarbais can inherit a very unfavorable draw and have to challenge the heavyweights of world golf.
But he will have to go out in first position to advance to the round of 16. The tournament is then played in the knockout format.
The writing of Golf Planet looked at the possible draws for the Frenchman, estimating which would be the most favorable draw, and which would be less so… on paper of course.
Here is our opinion.
“Favorable” draw
Hat A (in order of most favorable to least favorable)
Sam Burns, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young
Hat B
Brian Harman, Ryan Fox, Russell Henley, Sahit Theegala, Billy Horschel
Hat C
J.T. Poston, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk, Keith Mitchell, K.H. Lee, Adam Svensson
“Unfavorable” draw
Hat A
Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
Hat B
Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Day, Shane Lowry, Billy Horschel (the opinions of our journalists are divided on Horschel, winner of the tournament in 2021 after beating Victor Perez in the semi-finals, eighth finalist last year but in poor shape Currently)
Hat C
Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Si Woo Kim
We would therefore like a small draw Burns/Harman/Poston. On the contrary, we wish Victor Perez to avoid a hen of death of the style Rahm/Matsuyama/Scott.
But everything is obviously possible, whatever the verdict of the “urns” this Monday evening.
