WGC Match Play: Preview, groups, betting tips and expert picks

Dustin Johnson will this week bid to become the first player to defend the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play since Tiger Woods back in 2004, albeit at a different venue these days in Austin Country Club.

Woods might not have qualified to play this week, as he's outside the top 64 players in the world at 105, but the level of excitement remains just as strong as recent weeks with one of the strongest fields aligning so far this season.

Pool play commences on Wednesday, with the winner advancing from each of the 16 groups and into knockout play beginning on Saturday.

Johnson, who has been world number one for 57 consecutive weeks now, sealed a narrow 1 up victory over Jon Rahm in last year's final.

Rory McIlroy will bid to go back-to-back on the PGA Tour following his first win since September 2016 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, and the omens look good for the pre-tournament favourite given he won this event back in 2015, albeit at TPC Harding Park.

Jason Day is another to have enjoyed a good run of fortune in the WGC Match-Play in recent years, winning at Austin Country Club in 2016 and at Dove Mountain in 2014.

REVEALED: PGA TOUR WHATSAPP GROUP CHAT REACTS TO RORY'S WIN AND TIGER'S RETURN TO FORM

GOLFMAGIC EXPERT PICK:

Here's a look at the runners and riders for this week's renewal, as well as each of the 16 groups and their seedings. Who do you fancy for the W? Share your thoughts in the GM Forum or join us on social media...

Group 1: (1) Dustin Johnson, (32) Kevin Kisner, (38) Adam Hadwin, (52) Bernd Wiesberger

GOLFMAGIC PICK: JOHNSON

Group 2: (2) Justin Thomas, (21) Francesco Molinari, (48) Patton Kizzire, (60) Luke List

GOLFMAGIC PICK: THOMAS

Group 3: (3) Jon Rahm, (28) Kiradech Aphibarnrat, (43) Chez Reavie, (63) Keegan Bradley

GOLFMAGIC PICK: RAHM

Group 4: (4) Jordan Spieth, (19) Patrick Reed, (34) Haotong Li, (49) Charl Schwartzel

GOLFMAGIC PICK: REED

Group 5: (5) Hideki Matsuyama, (30) Patrick Cantlay, (46) Cameron Smith, (53) Yusaku Miyazato

GOLFMAGIC PICK: CANTLAY

Group 6: (6) Rory McIlroy, (18) Brian Harman, (44) Jhonattan Vegas, (51) Peter Uihlein

GOLFMAGIC PICK: MCILROY

Group 7: (7) Sergio Garcia, (20) Xander Schauffele, (41) Dylan Frittelli, (62) Shubankhar Sharma

GOLFMAGIC PICK: SCHAUFFELE

Group 8: (8) Jason Day, (25) Louis Oosthuizen, (42) Jason Dufner, (56) James Hahn

GOLFMAGIC PICK: DAY

Group 9: (9) Tommy Fleetwood, (26) Daniel Berger, (33) Kevin Chappell, (58) Ian Poulter

GOLFMAGIC PICK: CHAPPELL

Group 10: (10) Paul Casey, (31) Matthew Fitzpatrick, (45) Kyle Stanley, (51) Russell Henley

GOLFMAGIC PICK: CASEY

Group 11: (11) Marc Leishman, (23) Branden Grace, (35) Bubba Watson, (64) Julian Suri

GOLFMAGIC PICK: WATSON

Group 12: (12) Tyrrell Hatton, (22) Charley Hoffman, (36) Brendan Steele, (55) Alexander Levy

GOLFMAGIC PICK: HATTON

Group 13: (13) Alex Noren, (29) Tony Finau, (39) Thomas Pieters, (61) Kevin Na

GOLFMAGIC PICK: PIETERS

Group 14: (14) Phil Mickelson, (17) Rafael Cabrera-Bello, (40) Sotashi Kodaira, (59) Charles Howell III

GOLFMAGIC PICK: CABRERA-BELLO

Group 15: (15) Pat Perez, (24) Gary Woodland, (37) Webb Simpson, (50) Si Woo Kim

GOLFMAGIC PICK: WOODLAND

Group 16: (16) Matt Kuchar, (27) Ross Fisher, (47) Yuta Ikeda, (54) Zach Johnson

GOLFMAGIC PICK: KUCHAR