Bracketology

Golf's version of "March Madness" tees off tomorrow with the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain, Arizona.  While it certainly is not as exciting at the NCAA Tournament, it is fun to fill out a bracket for on-line prizes.  Here are my Predictions Sure To Go Wrong:

FIRST ROUND
Rory McIlroy over Shane Lowry--Rory seems to be taking the Tiger Wood approach to getting out of a slump: take a bunch of time off.  But he should be able to beat his former amateur rival in Ireland.

Ricky Fowler over Carl Pettersson--Ricky is one of those guys who thrives on head-to-head match play competition.  Carl never gets to play on the European Ryder Cup team--so he doesn't get to expierience the format that much.

Dustin Johnson over Alexander Noren--If Paulina Gretzky hasn't exhausted DJ by now, he should be able to bomb his way to a win in this match over one of the multitude of "Who's that" guys in the field.

Padraig Harrington over Graeme McDowell--This will be the best match of the first round--as both gritty players come in playing less than their best.  I think Paddy out-scrambles Graeme for an extra holes win.  Plus it's a 12-5 matchup and those are given upsets.

Bubba Watson over Chris Wood--The battle of the crazy long guys.  Bubba is better in the format and gets the win.

Ryan Moore over Jim Furyk--Moore is something of a match play specialist dating back to his amateur days.  He outgrinds the Grinder for the upset win.

Charl Schwartzel over Russell Henley--Remember when Henley was going to take the Tour by storm after the Sony?  Charl is red hot right now and rolls to a win.

Zach Johnson over Jason Day--Zach has never played well on this bombers paradise--but I think Day will be too wild to win this one.

Louis Oosthuizen over Richie Ramsey--I have heard of Oosthuizen, I have not heard of Ramsey before this blog post.

Robert Garrigus over Brendan Grace--Garrigus will be outrageously long and make just enough putts to beat last year's Euro Tour sensation.

Keegan Bradley over Marcus Fraser--Keegan just needs to pretend it's Friday and Saturday at the Ryder Cup again.  Still the best non-Monty/Poulter match play I have ever seen.

Fredrik Jacobson over Ernie Els--Do you get the feeling that Ernie's Open Championship last year is going to look like a final fluke victory in his career.  I just hope the Junkman won't have a four footer on the last to force a playoff.  That was one of the worst putts since Scott Hoch at the Masters.

Justin Rose over KJ Choi--Rosie just needs to pretend it's the back nine at the Ryder Cup again and drain every GD putt.

Bill Haas over Nicolas Colsaerts--Haas has finished top ten in the last three events.  Colsaerts has been awful.

Sergio Garcia over Thongchai Jaidee--I really thought there would be an upset here (Jaidee is a prettey decent player)--but Sergio will sulk his way to at least one win in this tourney.

Matt Kuchar over Hiroyuki Fujita--Kooch has never lost a first round match.  And there is a reason the US dominates Presidents Cup--the Asian Tour guys never play it.

Tiger Woods over Charles Howell III--Chuckie Three Sticks' coach was making noise about how confident he is that his pupil can beat Tiger.  I might refer him to Stephen Ames and the definition of an absolute and total ass-kicking in this same event.  It won't be 9 and 8.

Francesco Molinari over Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano--I'm picking Molinari just because I want to see him go against Tiger in the next round where revenge will be served for last year's Ryder Cup mop up non-concession on 18.

Webb Simpson over David Lynn--You know why the US doesn't dominate Ryder Cup anymore?  Because Team Europe isn't filled with guys like David Lynn anymore.

Peter Hanson over Thomas Bjorn--Because I have to pick someone.

Lee Westwood over Rafael Cabrera-Bello--Westwood has played more over here and gets the nod here.

George Coetzee over Martin Kaymer--Kaymer is on my permanent shit list for sinking the Ryder Cup clinching putt last year.

Jason Duffner over Richard Sterne--Duffman wins with a clutch putt on the 18th and goes crazy by giving his patented "hey dude" hand wave.

Hunter Mahan over Matteo Manassero--The defending champ won't go out in the first round this year.

Luke Donald over Marcel Siem--For all the talk about Ian Poulter's match play record, Luke's is just as good.

Paul Lawrie over Scott Piercy--Scott Piercy is in the top 66 in the world?  Lawrie showed new life in the Ryder Cup last year.

Henrik Stenson over Steve Stricker--It kills me to pick this--but you can't just shake off the rust in the first found of a match play tournament--and Steve hasn't played in a month.

Nick Watney over David Toms--Toms is a pretty good match player, but I'll take youth in this one.

Adam Scott over Tim Clark--Battle of the broomhandle putters.  Better make em while you can boys--despite the PGA's threats against the USGA.  Scott's better length (driving not putter) makes the difference.

Jamie Donaldson over Thorbjorn Olesen--There are no guarantees in match play, but I GUARANTEE NOBODY will be following this match!

Ian Poulter over Stephen Gallacher--Is the format still match play?  Yeah, I'll take "The Ninja".

Bo Van Pelt over John Senden--A very underrated match here.  Van Pelt's experience wins it.

SECOND ROUND:

Ricky Fowler over Rory McIlroy--Remember the "Har-Bowl" a couple of weeks ago?  This is the "Hair Bowl".  I'll take straight and long over curly and shaggy in about 26-holes.

Padraig Harrington over Dustin Johnson--Mr Intensity versus Mr Laid-back.  I'll take intensity in this one.

Ryan Moore over Bubba Watson--I think Bubba loses focus and interest just two rounds in and Moore gets the upset win.

Charl Schwartzel over Zach Johnson--Riding the much hotter horse here.

Louis Oosthuizen over Robert Garrigus--Louis is looking too smooth to be rattled by a big bomber.

Keegan Bradley over Fredrick Jacobson--Who is more likely to make a four footer on 18 to win the match?

Justin Rose over Bill Haas--Another extra holes match, but Rose is starting to feel his oats and realize his talent.

Matt Kuchar over Sergio Garcia--Could any two men be any more different in demeanor?  One sulks around the course all day acting like every force of nature is conspiring against him.  The other makes a double bogey and smiles his way off the green to the next tee.

Tiger Woods over Francesco Molinari--Tiger is like Michael Jordan, he remembers every slight affected against him by any other golfer, writer, coach and caddy.  18 at Medinah last year will be very fresh in his mind on number 1 at Dove Mountain.

Webb Simpson over Peter Hanson--Webb is playing much more consistant golf right now.

Lee Westwood over George Coetzee--This will be a real snoozer, but Lee will out par Coetzee for the sleepy win.

Jason Dufner over Hunter Mahan--Anyone with a pulse in this one.  Dufner will celebrate dropping the winning putt with his patented hat tip.

Luke Donald over Paul Lawrie--Luke makes a bunch of putts to win easily.

Henrik Stenson over Nick Watney--Stenson is building some momentum here.

Adam Scott over Thorbjorn Olesen--Simply because I can't provide any insight into Oleson's game.

Ian Poulter over Bo Van Pelt--The last time I checked, the format is still match play.

THIRD ROUND
Padraig Harringon over Rickie Fowler--One low seed always makes a run in this tournament--and Harrington is my pick to be that guy.

Charl Schwartzel over Ryan Moore--Schwartzel continues to hit perfect shot after perfect shot to win again.

Keegan Bradley over Louis Oosthuizen--There is a lot of question about Oostie's ability to close.  No question about Keegan.

Matt Kuchar over Justin Rose--A slight upset here as well, but Kooch has been consistent all year.

Tiger Woods over Webb Simpson--This will be the 22-hole match that Tiger makes a bunch of crazy long putts to survive.

Jason Dufner over Lee Westwood--The Duffman will celebrate with an over the top slight fist pump.

Henrick Stenson over Luke Donald--Luke is great in this format, but always finds a way to lose too early.

Ian Poulter over Adam Scott--Still match play.

BRACKET FINALS
Charl Schwartzel over Padraig Harrington--Paddy's Cinderella run ends here to Mr Consistent.

Keegan Bradley over Matt Kuchar--Intensity overwhelms calm with a bunch of incredibly clutch putting.

Tiger Woods over Jason Dufner--This match will set a new tournament record for fewest words said by competitors.  Tiger guts out another extra holes win.

Ian Poulter over Henrik Stenson--The only thing missing here is the crazy-faced, bulging-eye reaction from Poulter that we get at the Ryder Cup when he makes every must-make putt to gut his opponent.

FINAL FOUR
Keegan Bradley over Charl Schwartzel--I give Keegan the wide advantage in fist pumps and clutch putts to win 1-up.

Ian Poulter over Tiger Woods--If this match actually happens, cancel all of my plans for Saturday afternoon because there is NO WAY I am missing it.  Poulter gives us his Ryder Cup face when he bounced Tiger on the 20th hole.

CONSOLATION MATCH
Charl Schwartzel over Tiger Woods--You think Tiger will actually be interested in a consolation match?

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Keegan Bradley over Ian Poulter--I hope the Europeans get a good look at this match--because this is the future of the Ryder Cup.  (Or at least the future those of us who care about the Ryder Cup here in America hope it will look).