WGC-Dell Match Play 2023 Longshots: Theegala, Montgomery Among Best Sleeper Picks

WGC Match Play 2023 Longshots: Theegala Among Best Sleeper Picks

The PGA tour tees off in Austin, Texas this week for the 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play. The elevated event has drawn nine of the 10 best golfers in the world and the field of 64 has already been separated into their groups. Since it’s a match play format, it’s almost anyone’s game to win, especially since the first three rounds will be round robin.

Stroke play depends on how well a player performs against the field but match play is all about personal matchups, giving longshots a real chance to win this weekend.

Check out the list below for the top WGC-Dell Match Play longshots at Austin Country Club.

WGC-Dell Match Play Longshots

With a different format at Austin Country Club, anyone in the field has a shot at winning this weekend. For the first three days, players won’t be facing the whole field but instead only members from their group. In order to advance to the Round of 16, golfers will need to make it out of the round-robin and their three individual matchups with the highest score.

Players don’t have to worry about their overall score to make the cut, they will need to contend in their individual matchups. Some groups have more favorable matchups while others received a more difficult draw.

At a Pete Dye-designed course, putting is one of the most important factors in the game, so that played a major role in our selections for the WGC Match Play. Some of our best sleeper picks this weekend include Maverick McNealy, Taylor Montgomery, and Sahith Theegala.

All three of these players have been hot as of late and have been quietly moving up the rankings.

Sahith Theegala +7000

Theegala has quietly climbed to 29th on the Official World Golf Rankings, moving up 14 spots since the end of 2022.

The California native has made the cut in all seven of his starts this season. He’s also posted three top-15 finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Genesis Invitational, and Farmers Insurance Open.

Against tough competition, Theegala thrives, and this week’s field will feature some of the world’s top players. Heading into Austin, Theegala is coming off a 74th-place finish at the Players Championship and will look to bounce back in match play, which fits right into his game.

Theegala leads the field putting from 3’ and is 9th in total birdies. He’ll be up against Min Woo Lee, J.J Spaun, and Matt Fitzpatrick, who all have been playing fairly well. But Theegala has the best well-rounded game and has the ability to thrive in a match play situation.

If he makes it through his group, he could be dangerous.

Taylor Montgomery +9000

Montgomery was put into Group 12, which has the best putters in the field. He will be up against Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry, and Mackenzie Hughes, but on the complex greens at Austin Country Club, Montgomery’s mechanics will shine through.

Montgomery is fresh off a T39 and T44 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship. His putting game is currently on fire. He leads the field with putting average (1.647), overall putting average (1.509), one-putt percentage (49.36), and putts per round (27.15).

His form has been getting better, ranking 17th in the field for shots gained total. Even though he’s up against a tough group, the rookie in this format is a good choice to pull off the upset.

Maverick McNealy +13000

When it comes to playing at Austin Country Club, putting is one of the most important aspects of the course. Another rookie to keep an eye on, Maverick McNealy has one of the hottest putting games on the Tour.

He leads the field in shot gained putting (1.334), putting from 3’, and second in scrambling from 10-20 yards (80.23%). McNealy is 28th in the field in strokes gained total. He comes off a T36 performance at Valspar Championship, going +1 overall at one of the tougher courses on the Tour.

In a match play format, his game should play really well at Austin Country Club.

Take Maverick McNealy at +13000


Golf Betting Guides 2024


Arrow to top