Power Rankings: Accenture Match Play Championship

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The Ritz-Carlton GC at Dove Mountain is a Jack Nicklaus design. As Golden Bear tracks go, there is no secret to the formula this week. Hit greens and putt well. Really well.

Fairways are forgiving but in spots are as undulating as the putting surfaces. Distance control with irons is at a premium and could decide more matches than a tilt between average putters.

This week's top 10 is broken down based on my completed bracket. This is really the only way to approach this format. The top four are my semifinalists. The next four lost to the top four in the quarterfinals, and so on.

As expected at this time of year, outstanding weather is in store all week: sunshine, light winds and high temperatures in the 70s.

Power Rankings: Accenture Match Play Championship

Rank Player   Bracket Comment Lee WESTWOOD Player Unspectacular 5-9 record here, but Europe's No. 1 (and 4th in the world) found his "groove" again after the hiccup in Abu Dhabi. He won twice late in '09 to win the first Race to Dubai. Steve STRICKER Jones The world's No. 2 and Riviera champ is the top seed. Sets up a super finale with Westwood. He's in the books as the 2001 champ of this event, but even he likely can't count how many careers back that goes now. Paul CASEY Snead The '09 runner-up has won 10 matches in last three Match Plays. He has three top-11s in four '10 starts, so he's recovered from the muscle tear. In this wide-open bracket, I have Casey losing to Westwood in the semis. Tim CLARK Hogan He posted a quiet T10 at Pebble and will stand nose-to-chest with anyone without backing down. He did knock off Tiger a year ago and is second on TOUR in putting. Stricker gets the best of him in the semis. Ian POULTER Jones If my brackets hold form, he'd lose to Stricker in the quarterfinals. And what a dichotomy in personalities that match would feature. Poulter has reached the third round four times and has an overall record of 12-7. Stewart CINK Snead Finished 2nd in 2008 and 3rd in '09. He's comfortable piping long drives in the desert. Last year defeated Westwood, Mickelson, Els and Fisher, whom he beat in the consolation match by holing out. Geoff OGILVY Player Defending champ has won twice in four starts. Also finished 2nd once. Wife Juli just gave birth to the couple's third child. I have him bowing out to Westwood. Luke DONALD Snead Conceded last year's third-round match to Els when he reinjured his wrist, but he has a sturdy 8-5 record here. Never been a one-and-done. I have him losing to Clark in the quarters in what could be a putting contest. Zach JOHNSON Snead You get the feeling that he'll win one of these at some point. The ideal scenario would be facing Clark in the final to avenge the President's Cup beatdown, but I have ZJ losing to Casey in the third round. Sergio GARCIA Hogan Just to prove that we have to have fun due to the uber-fickle nature of the event. Garcia lost as the top seed in the Player Bracket last year. He's the perfect wildcard in this free-for-all.