2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play format: Round robin groups, matches, points, brackets
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2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play format: Round robin groups, matches, points, brackets

The WGC Dell Technologies Match Play logo
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The 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play format is unique in golf because it's not only the rare match-play event in professional golf, but it's an individual match-play event with a round-robin group component designed to help preserve the best players in the tournament from being eliminated in a potential fluke loss in the first three days of the event.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play format

The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play format changed in 2016, going from a 64-player, single-elimination, bracket-style tournament to a 64-player event beginning with 16 groups of round-robin play leading to 16 group winners who advance into a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament to determine a winner.

For the first three days of the tournament, Wednesday through Friday, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is concerned with matches inside 16 groups, each anchored by one of the top 16 highest-seeded players in the event based on this week's Official World Golf Ranking. From there, players are selected at random from three subsequent groups of the next 16 highest-ranked players to fill out groups. In these 16 groups of four, round-robin play continues for the first three days, with each player getting an 18-hole match against each player in their group.

In these 18-hole matches, three outcomes are possible: win, loss or 18-hole tie. If a player wins a match, they get a point. If they lose the match, they don't get a point. If they tie or halve the match, they and their opponent each get a half-point. In the final day of round-robin play on Friday, matches which determine the group winner. If players are tied for the lead in a group after round robin play, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play tiebreaker is a sudden-death playoff begins on the first hole as soon as possible.

The winners of each group then advance into a single-elimination, bracket-style competition on Saturday with 18-hole matches:

  • Group 1 winner vs. Group 16 winner
  • Group 8 winner vs. Group 9 winner
  • Group 4 winner vs. Group 13 winner
  • Group 5 winner vs. Group 12 winner
  • Group 6 winner vs. Group 11 winner
  • Group 3 winner vs. Group 14 winner
  • Group 7 winner vs. Group 10 winner
  • Group 2 winner vs. Group 15 winner

There must be a winner in each of these matches. From there, the bracket takes over, determining next matchups until a champion is crowned on Sunday afternoon in an 18-hole finish, and a third- and fourth-place finisher is decided by a consolation match.

All told, a winner has to compete in seven matches.

RELATED: 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play matches, tee times for Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play groups

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Ryan Ballengee

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