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Scenarios: What to watch for Friday at WGC-Dell Match Play

AUSTIN, Texas — No player – not even those who have started 2-0 – is guaranteed to be around for the weekend at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

For groups left without an outright winner at the completion of pool play Friday afternoon, sudden-death playoffs – not head-to-head tiebreakers – will determine who moves on to the Round of 16.

Twenty players have already been eliminated. The remaining 44 will attempt to advance to Saturday and Sunday’s knockout rounds.

There will be just one match between 2-0 players Friday – Jim Furyk vs. Henrik Stenson.

There will two matches between players who can’t move on – Phil Mickelson vs. Jason Day, and Eddie Pepperell vs. Emiliano Grillo.

Given the nature of the points system and the sudden-death playoffs, scenarios abound. Two groups are still facing the possibility of a four-way playoff.

Here’s what you need to know for Friday:


WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: Full bracket | Scoring | Group standings

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: Articles, photos and videos


Group 1

RECORDS

  • Branden Grace, 2-0-0
  • Dustin Johnson, 1-1-0
  • Hideki Matsuyama, 0-1-1
  • Chez Reavie, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Johnson (1) vs. Matusyama (24)
  • Grace (40) vs. Reavie (55)

SCENARIOS

  • Grace advances with a win or halve
  • Johnson meets Grace in a playoff with a win and a Grace loss
  • Matsuyama and Reavie are eliminated

Group 2

RECORDS

  • Gary Woodland, 2-0-0
  • Justin Rose, 1-0-1
  • Eddie Pepperell, 0-1-1
  • Emiliano Grillo, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Rose (2) vs. Woodland (22)
  • Pepperell (34) vs. Grillo (53)

SCENARIOS

  • Woodland advances with a win or halve
  • Rose advances with a win
  • Pepperell and Grillo are eliminated

Group 3

RECORDS

  • Haotong Li, 2-0-0
  • Alex Noren, 1-1-0
  • Brooks Koepka, 0-1-1
  • Tom Lewis, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Koepka (3) vs. Noren (27)
  • Li (36) vs. Lewis (60)

SCENARIOS

  • Li advances with a win or halve
  • Noren meets Li in a playoff with a win and a Li loss
  • Koepka and Lewis are eliminated

Group 4

RECORDS

  • Rory McIlroy, 2-0-0
  • Justin Harding, 1-0-1
  • Luke List, 1-0-1
  • Matthew Fitzpatrick, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • McIlroy (4) vs. Fitzpatrick (32)
  • Harding (47) vs. List (64)

SCENARIOS

  • McIlroy advances with a win or halve
  • Harding meets McIlroy in a playoff with a win and McIlroy loss
  • List meets McIlroy in a playoff with a win and McIlroy loss
  • Three-way playoff with List-Harding halve and McIlroy loss
  • Fitzpatrick is eliminated

Group 5

RECORDS

  • Lucas Bjerregaard, 1-0-1
  • Justin Thomas, 1-1-0
  • Matt Wallace, 1-1-0
  • Keegan Bradley, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Thomas (5) vs. Bradley (31)
  • Bjerregaard (50) vs. Wallace (33)

SCENARIOS

  • Bjerregaard advances with a win
  • Wallace advances with a win and a Thomas loss or halve
  • Thomas meets Bjerregaard in a playoff with a win and a Bjerregaard-Wallace halve
  • Wallace meets Thomas in a playoff with a win and a Thomas win
  • Bradley is eliminated

Group 6

RECORDS

  • Marc Leishman, 2-0-0
  • Bryson DeChambeau, 1-1-0
  • Kiradech Aphibarnrat, 1-1-0
  • Russell Knox, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • DeChambeau (6) vs. Leishman (17)
  • Aphibarnrat (39) vs. Knox (59)

SCENARIOS

  • Leishman advances with a win or halve
  • DeChambeau meets Leishman in a playoff with a win and an Aphibarnrat loss or halve
  • Three-way playoff between Leishman, DeChambeau and Aphibarnrat with a DeChambeau win and Aphibarnrat win
  • Knox is eliminated

Group 7

RECORDS

  • Francesco Molinari, 2-0-0
  • Thorbjorn Olesen, 1-1-0
  • Webb Simpson, 0-1-1
  • Satoshi Kodaira, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Molinari (7) vs. Simpson (21)
  • Olesen (45) vs. Kodaira (63)

SCENARIOS

  • Molinari advances with a halve, win, or loss and Olesen halve or loss
  • Olesen meets Molinari in a playoff with a win and Molinari loss
  • Simpson and Kodaira are eliminated

Group 8

RECORDS

  • Matt Kuchar, 2-0-0
  • Jon Rahm, 1-1-0
  • J.B. Holmes, 1-1-0
  • Si Woo Kim, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Jon Rahm (8) vs. Matt Kuchar (23)
  • J.B. Holmes (43) vs. Si Woo Kim (54)

SCENARIOS

  • Kuchar advances with a win or halve
  • Rahm meets Kuchar in a playoff with a win and Holmes loss or halve
  • Three-way playoff between Kuchar, Rahm and Holmes with a Holmes win and Rahm win
  • Kim is eliminated

Group 9

RECORDS

  • Xander Schauffele, 1-0-1
  • Tyrrell Hatton, 1-0-1
  • Rafa Cabrera Bello, 0-1-1
  • Lee Westwood, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Schauffele (9) vs. Cabrera Bello (29)
  • Hatton (35) vs. Westwood (62)

SCENARIOS

  • Schauffle advances with a win and Hatton loss or halve, or a halve and Hatton loss
  • Hatton advances with a win and Schauffele loss or halve, or a halve and Schauffele loss
  • Schauffele and Hatton meet in a playoff if both players halve their matches
  • All four can meet in a playoff with a Cabrera Bello win and a Westwood win

Group 10

RECORDS

  • Paul Casey, 1-0-1
  • Charles Howell III, 1-0-1
  • Abraham Ancer, 1-1-0
  • Cameron Smith, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Casey (10) vs. Smith (25)
  • Howell III (42) vs. Ancer (58)

SCENARIOS

  • Casey advances with a win and Howell loss or halve, or halve and Howell loss
  • Howell advances with a win and Casey loss or halve, or halve and Casey loss
  • Ancer advances with a win and Casey loss
  • Casey meets Howell in a playoff if both players halve their matches
  • Ancer meets Casey in a playoff with a win and a Casey halve
  • Smith is eliminated

Group 11

RECORDS

  • Tommy Fleetwood, 1-0-1
  • Kyle Stanley, 1-0-1
  • Louis Oosthuizen, 1-1-0
  • Ben An, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Fleetwood (11) vs. Oosthuizen (19)
  • Stanley (41) vs. An (49)

SCENARIOS

  • Fleetwood advances with a win and Stanley loss or halve, or halve and Stanley loss
  • Stanley advances with a win and Fleetwood loss or halve
  • Oosthuizen advances with a win and Stanley loss
  • Fleetwood meets Stanley in a playoff if both players halve their matches
  • Oosthuizen meets Stanley in a playoff with a win and a Stanley halve
  • An is eliminated

Group 12

RECORDS

  • Henrik Stenson, 2-0-0
  • Jim Furyk, 2-0-0
  • Jason Day, 0-2-0
  • Phil Mickelson, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Day (12) vs. Mickelson (20)
  • Stenson (37) vs. Furyk (52)

SCENARIOS

  • Stenson advances with a win
  • Furyk advances with a win
  • Stenson and Furyk meet in a playoff with a halve
  • Day and Mickelson are eliminated

Group 13

RECORDS

  • Patrick Cantlay, 1-0-1
  • Brandt Snedeker, 1-0-1
  • Tiger Woods, 1-1-0
  • Aaron Wise, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Woods (13) vs. Cantlay (18)
  • Snedeker (44) vs. Wise (61)

SCENARIOS

  • Cantlay advances with a win and Snedeker loss or halve
  • Snedeker advances with a win and Cantlay loss or halve
  • Woods advances with a win and Snedeker loss
  • Cantlay meets Snedeker in a playoff if both players halve their matches
  • Woods meets Snedeker in a playoff with a win and a Snedeker halve
  • Wise is eliminated

Group 14

RECORDS

  • Tony Finau, 1-1-0
  • Ian Poulter, 1-1-0
  • Kevin Kisner, 1-1-0
  • Keith Mitchell, 1-1-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Finau (14) vs. Poulter (30)
  • Kisner (48) vs. Mitchell (56)

SCENARIOS

  • Finau advances with a win and Kisner-Mitchell halve
  • Poulter advances with a win and a Kisner-Mitchell halve
  • Kisner advances with a win and a Finau-Poulter halve
  • Mitchell advances with a win and a Finau-Poulter halve
  • Two players can meet in a playoff with outright wins
  • All four can meet in a playoff with halves

Group 15

RECORDS

  • Jordan Spieth, 1-0-1
  • Billy Horschel, 1-0-1
  • Kevin Na, 1-1-0
  • Bubba Watson, 0-2-0

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Watson (15) vs. Spieth (28)
  • Horschel (38) vs. Na (57)

SCENARIOS

  • Spieth advances with a win and Horschel loss or halve
  • Horschel advances with a win and Spieth loss or halve
  • Na advances with a win and Spieth loss
  • Spieth meets Horschel in a playoff if both players halve their matches
  • Na meets Spieth in a playoff with a win and Spieth halve
  • Watson is eliminated

Group 16

RECORDS

  • Sergio Garcia, 2-0-0
  • Andrew Putnam, 1-1-0
  • Patrick Reed, 0-1-1
  • Shane Lowry, 0-1-1

FRIDAY’S MATCHES

  • Reed (16) vs. Garcia (26)
  • Lowry (46) vs. Putnam (51)

SCENARIOS

  • Garcia advances with a halve or win, or loss and a Putnam halve or loss
  • Putnam meets Garcia in a playoff with a win and Garcia loss
  • Reed and Lowry are eliminated