PGA Tour: Rory McIlroy gets favourable WGC Dell Match-Play round robin draw
GETTY Rory McIlroy has got a favourable draw for the WGC Dell-Matchplay Championship
The draw was undertaken in Austin Monday night local time and in a first match on Wednesday will face American and World No.57 Peter Uhlein before then tackling another American in Brian Harman (World No.18) on day two and then face Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas (World No.44) on Friday. The top points scorer in each of the 16 groups will win through to the last 16 under match-play conditions. A year ago, McIlroy was both a shock first and second day loser and then ended-up playing a 'nothing counts' third day match to unceremoniously bundled out of the $1million event in the Texas capital. The field of 64 has been split into 16 groups of four, with the players facing off over 18 holes of match play in a round robin over the first three days and the winner of each group advancing to the knockout stages at the weekend. Defending Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood will come up against some serious match play experience in 2010 champion and Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, with Group 9 completed by Americans Daniel Berger and Kevin Chappell. "It's a World Match Play, you're not going to get any easy draws," said Fleetwood. "I'm happy to play anyone.
It's a World Match Play, you're not going to get any easy draws. I'm happy to play anyone. Tommy Fleetwood
"I know all three of the guys well and I've known Ian pretty well over the last couple of years so it will be nice to play against them." McIlroy arrives in Texas off the back of a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and in his final event ahead of the 5th April commencing Masters. Austrian giant Bernd Wiesberger finds himself in the elite Group 1 but facing defending champion and World No. 1 One Dustin Johnson, and then to face American Kevin Kisner and Canada's Adam Hadwin. Last year's runner-up Jon Rahm will face a fellow European Tour Member who has already tasted match-play glory this season in ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat. American duo Chez Reavie and Keegan Bradley complete Group 3. One of the standout matches on day one will be the all-Texas duel of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. There is also two groups with two Englishman set to square off against each other with Paul Casey to face Matthew Fitzpartick in group 10 and then in group nine Ian Poulter will have to face European Tour No.1 Tommy Fleetwood.
PGA Rory McIlroy group for the WGC Dell-Matchplay Championships