Match play, which determines the outcome of each hole, is more surprising than stroke play, which determines the ranking by the number of at-bats for 18 holes.
It is often unusual for a player who is behind in the rankings to defeat the top ranked players.
The World Golf Championship (WGC) Dell Technologies Match Play, which is the only match play method held on the PGA Tour in the United States, became a stage of surprise this year as well.
Of the 7 players in the top 10 in the world rankings who participated in this tournament, more than half of them packed their bags without passing the group stage that ended on the 26th (Korean time).
World No. 3 Victor Hoblan (Norway) was eliminated in the play-off with Will Zalitoris (USA) with 2 wins and 1 loss in 3 group matches.
On that day, after losing to Zalitoris by one hole in the last game of the group stage, Hoblan got a birdie on the second hole of the playoffs and knelt down.
For about two years from February 2020, Hoblan is looking to top the world rankings with an upward trend, sweeping up five victories, including three wins on the PGA Tour and two wins on the DP World Tour (formerly European Professional Golf Tour).
However, he lost face twice a day to the 29th world ranking Zalitoris, who has not yet won a championship on the PGA Tour.
World ranking 4th and last year’s playoff champion Patrick Cantlay (USA) was eliminated after winning only one match in the group stage.
He was eliminated early with 1 draw and 1 loss in the first and second games, and he defeated Im Seong-jae (24) in the third game, avoiding the loss of a draw.
World No. 6 Justin Thomas (USA) lost to Luke List (USA) and Kevin Kisner (USA) and returned home with only one win.
Thomas was the number one contender for the championship predicted by the PGA Tour expert group prior to the tournament.
World No. 7 Xander Schoppele (USA) also won the first match of the group stage, but lost all the other two matches and was eliminated. The ticket to the round of 16, which was expected to be taken by Shophalera, went to World Ranking 63 Takumi Kanaya (Japan).
The elimination of world ranking 14th Louis Ustheisen (South Africa) is also considered a surprise.
In the first game, he lost to world No. 56 Alex Noren (Sweden) by one hole, and in the second game, he lost to world No. 41 Cory Connors (Canada) by two holes.
Usthizen won only one win in the third group stage match, but his opponent Paul Casey (England) was unable to play due to an injury, so they withdrew.
Jordan Spieth (USA), who was once ranked No. 1 in the world, also failed to live up to his name as he was eliminated with 1 win and 2 losses.
On the other hand, world ranking 48th Seymour Power (Ireland), 60th Richard Bland (England), 63rd Kanaya, etc. will advance to the round of 16 and challenge the unknown rebellion.