2011 WGC Accenture Match Play Preview

Poulter with the Walter Hagen trophy 12 months ago

Defending champion Ian Poulter will face a tricky first round tie against Stewart Cink in the opening round of the WGC Accenture Match Play in Arizona on Wednesday.

Poulter, who defeated compatriot Paul Casey 4&2 in last year's 36-hole final, will need to be on his game from the start if he is to see off a player who has finished no worse than fifth in this event in the last four years.

World number six Casey, who finished tied 12^th at last week's Northern Trust Open, will open his campaign against Australian left hander Richard Green.

Hotly-tipped Casey will bid to make it third time lucky after finishing runner-up in the previous two years on the Ritz-Carlton course.

World number one Lee Westwood will meet 2007 WGC Match Play champion Henrik Stenson after Japan's Toru Taniguchi withdrew from the tournament with an injury.

Westwood will hope to end a torrid run of form in this event by advancing into the third round for the first time in his career.

World number two Martin Kaymer, three-time Match Play winner Tiger Woods and triple Masters champion Phil Mickelson make up the top seeds in the other three groups.

Kaymer, who won last year's US PGA Championship, faces rising South Korean star Noh Seung Yul, while Woods takes on in-form Dane Thomas Bjorn, who won the Qatar Masters two weeks ago.

Mickelson, who has reached the quarter-final stage just once in ten starts, will look to set the record straight by starting off with a win against Brendan Jones.

Ryder Cup heroes Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy face more American opposition with McDowell playing Heath Slocum and McIlroy meeting the PGA Tour's season-opening winner Jonathan Byrd.

One of the most interesting first round matches on paper sees major champions Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington lock horns at Dove Mountain.

Australian Ogilvy, who resides in Arizona, will be hoping to lift the Walter Hagen trophy for a third time after victories in 2006 and 2009.

South African Ernie Els is set to return to action after missing last week's Northern Trust Open with a neck problem.

Els, who was advised by doctors to take a week's rest, is scheduled to meet American Ryder Cup player Jeff Overton.

Bobby Jones Bracket:

(1) Lee Westwood (Eng) v (64) Henrik Stenson (Swe)
(32) Nick Watney (US) v (33) Anthony Kim (US)
(16) Retief Goosen (SA) v (49) KJ Choi (S Kor)
(17) Francesco Molinari (Ita) v (48) Ryan Moore (US)
(8) Steve Stricker (US) v (57) Matteo Manassero (Ita)
(25) Charl Schwartzel (SA) v (40) Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn)
(9) Luke Donald (Eng) v (56) Charley Hoffman (US)
(24) Edoardo Molinari (Ita) v (41) Martin Laird (Sco)

Ben Hogan Bracket:

(4) Phil Mickelson (US) v (61) Brendan Jones (Aus)
(29) Rickie Fowler (Aus) v (36) Peter Hanson (Swe)
(13) Matt Kuchar (US) v (52) Anders Hansen
(20) Louis Oosthuizen v (45) Bo Van Pelt (US)
(5) Graeme McDowell (NI) v (60) Heath Slocum (US)
(28) Robert Allenby (Aus) v (37) Ross Fisher (Eng)
(12) Ian Poulter (Eng) v (53) Stewart Cink (US)
(21) Alvaro Quiros (Sp) v (44) YE Yang (S Kor)

Gary Player Bracket:

(2) Martin Kaymer (Ger) v (63) Noh Seung Yul (S Kor)
(31) Zach Johnson (US) v (34) Justin Rose (Eng)
(15) Robert Karlsson (Swe) v (50) Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn)
(18) Hunter Mahan (US) v (47) Sean O'Hair (US)
(7) Rory McIlroy (NI) v (58) Jonathan Byrd (US)
(26) Adam Scott (Aus) v (39) Ben Crane (US)
(10) Jim Furyk (US) v (55) Ryan Palmer (US)
(23) Miguel Angel Jimenez (Sp) v (42) Yuta Ikeda (Jpn)

Sam Snead Bracket:

(3) Tiger Woods (US) v (62) Thomas Bjorn (Den)
(30) Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) v (35) Padraig Harrington (Ire)
(14) Dustin Johnson (US) v (51) Mark Wilson (US)
(19) Bubba Watson (US) v (46) Bill Haas (US)
(6) Paul Casey (Eng) v (59) Richard Green (Aus)
(27) Kim Kyung-tae (S Kor) v (38) Jason Day (Aus)
(11) Ernie Els (SA) v (54) Jeff Overton (US)
(22) JB Holmes (US) v (43) Camilo Villegas (Col)