The 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play was the 17th WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship, played April 29 – May 3 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. It was the second of four World Golf Championships in 2015. Top-ranked Rory McIlroy defeated Gary Woodland in the final, for his second win in a WGC event, after his win in the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

On September 30, 2014, Cadillac was announced as the new title sponsor.

Field The field consisted of the top 64 players available from the Official World Golf Ranking on April 19. However, the seedings were based on the World Rankings on April 26.

Luke Donald (ranked 50 on April 19, personal reasons), Tim Clark (ranked 57, injury), and Phil Mickelson (ranked 18, personal reasons) did not compete, allowing entry for Miguel Ángel Jiménez (ranked 65), Francesco Molinari (ranked 66), and Mikko Ilonen (ranked 67).

Two players made their WGC debut: Andy Sullivan and Ben Martin.

Format A new format was introduced in 2015. Previously, the Championship was a single elimination match play event. Beginning in 2015, the championship started with pool play, with 16 groups of four players playing round-robin matches, on Wednesday through Friday. There are no halved matches in pool play with extra holes played to determine the winner. The top 16 seeded players were allocated to the 16 groups, one in each group. The remaining 48 players were placed into three pools (seeds 17–32, seeds 33–48, seeds 49–64). Each group had one player randomly selected from each pool to complete the group.

The winners of each group advanced to a single-elimination bracket on the weekend, with the round of 16 and quarterfinals on Saturday, and the semi-finals, finals, and consolation match on Sunday. If two players are tied at the top of the group, the result of their head-to-head match determines the group winner. If three players are tied, the winner is determined by a sudden-death playoff.

+Top 16 seedsSeed and Rank Player1 Rory McIlroy 2 Jordan Spieth 3 Henrik Stenson4 Bubba Watson 5 Jim Furyk 6 Justin Rose7 Jason Day8 Dustin Johnson 9 Adam Scott 10 Sergio García 11 Jimmy Walker 12 J. B. Holmes 13 Rickie Fowler 14 Matt Kuchar 15 Patrick Reed 16 Hideki Matsuyama +Pool 1SeedRankPlayer17 17 Martin Kaymer18 19 Billy Horschel19 20 Brooks Koepka20 21 Kevin Na21 22 Victor Dubuisson22 23 Ryan Palmer23 24 Bill Haas24 25 Zach Johnson25 26 Chris Kirk26 27 Lee Westwood27 28 Ian Poulter28 29 Ryan Moore29 30 Louis Oosthuizen30 31 Jamie Donaldson31 32 Hunter Mahan32 33 Graeme McDowell

+Pool 2 Seed Rank Player33 34 Keegan Bradley34 35 Anirban Lahiri35 36 Brandt Snedeker36 37 Paul Casey37 38 Charl Schwartzel38 39 Branden Grace39 40 Bernd Wiesberger40 41 Matt Every41 42 Stephen Gallacher42 43 Brendon Todd43 44 Joost Luiten44 45 Thongchai Jaidee45 46 Russell Henley46 47 Webb Simpson47 48 Shane Lowry48 49 Danny Willett+Pool 3SeedRankPlayer49 50 Charley Hoffman50 52 Gary Woodland51 53 Marc Warren52 54 Alexander Lévy53 56 Jason Dufner54 57 Tommy Fleetwood55 58 Harris English56 60 Marc Leishman57 61 Andy Sullivan58 63 Matt Jones59 64 George Coetzee60 65 John Senden61 67 Ben Martin62 68 Mikko Ilonen63 69 Miguel Ángel Jiménez64 70 Francesco Molinari Rank – Official World Golf Ranking on April 26, 2015.

Results

Pool play Players were divided into 16 groups of four players and played round-robin matches on Wednesday to Friday. Round 1 – April 29 Round 2 – April 30 Round 3 – May 1

Notes: Round 1

Of the 32 matches played, 14 were "upsets" with the lower seeded player beating the higher seeded player. These included #3 Henrik Stenson (lost to #60 John Senden), #6 Justin Rose (lost to #56 Marc Leishman), #7 Jason Day (lost to #49 Charley Hoffman), and #9 Adam Scott (lost to #64 Francesco Molinari).

Notes: Round 2

Of the 32 matches played, 16 were upsets. These included #5 Jim Furyk (lost to #44 Thongchai Jaidee), #7 Day (lost to #38 Branden Grace), #8 Dustin Johnson (lost to #37 Charl Schwartzel), #9 Scott (lost to #36 Paul Casey), and #10 Sergio García (lost to #39 Bernd Wiesberger). Two players, #13 Rickie Fowler and #60 John Senden, were guaranteed to advance.

Notes: Round 3

Of the 32 matches played, 18 were upsets. These included #2 Jordan Spieth (lost to #26 Lee Westwood), #3 Stenson (lost to #23 Bill Haas), #4 Bubba Watson (lost to #29 Louis Oosthuizen), #7 Day (lost to #24 Zach Johnson), #9 Scott (lost to #25 Chris Kirk), and #10 García (lost to #30 Jamie Donaldson). Day, Scott and Jimmy Walker were the only top seeds to lose all three matches. Only five of the top seeds advanced: #1 Rory McIlroy, #5 Furyk, #12 J. B. Holmes, #13 Fowler, and #16 Hideki Matsuyama. 12 of the 16 group winners advanced with perfect 3–0 records. Three groups winners advanced based on head-to-head tie-breaker and one group went to a three-way sudden-death playoff. Branden Grace defeated Zach Johnson and Charley Hoffman on the third extra hole in group 7. In Group 11, all six matches of the three rounds were upsets. A total of 18 of the 96 matches went extra holes, causing some to suggest altering the format next year to include halved matches.

+ Group 1 Round Winner Score Loser1 McIlroy 5 & 4 Dufner Horschel 5 & 4 Snedeker2 McIlroy 2 up Snedeker Horschel 3 & 2 Dufner3 McIlroy 20 h Horschel Dufner 1 up Snedeker Seed Player W L Finish 1 Rory McIlroy 3 0 1 18 Billy Horschel 2 1 2 53 Jason Dufner 1 2 3 35 Brandt Snedeker 0 3 4+ Group 2 Round Winner Score Loser1 Spieth 4 & 2 Ilonen Westwood 1 up Every2 Spieth 4 & 3 Every Westwood 1 up Ilonen3 Westwood 1 up Spieth Ilonen 8 & 6 Every Seed Player W L Finish 26 Lee Westwood 3 0 1 2 Jordan Spieth 2 1 2 62 Mikko Ilonen 1 2 3 40 Matt Every 0 3 4

+ Group 3 Round Winner Score Loser1 Senden 19 h StensonHaas 3 & 2 Todd2 Stenson 3 & 2 ToddSenden 4 & 3 Haas3 Haas 3 & 1 Stenson Senden 1 up Todd Seed Player W L Finish 60 John Senden 3 0 1 23 Bill Haas 2 1 2 3 Henrik Stenson 1 2 3 42 Brendon Todd 0 3 4+ Group 4 Round Winner Score Loser1 Watson 5 & 4 Jiménez Oosthuizen 6 & 5 Bradley2 Watson 4 & 2 Bradley Oosthuizen 2 up Jiménez3 Oosthuizen 19 h Watson Jiménez 2 up Bradley Seed Player W L Finish 29 Louis Oosthuizen 3 0 1 4 Bubba Watson 2 1 2 63 Miguel Ángel Jiménez 1 2 3 33 Keegan Bradley 0 3 4

+ Group 5 Round Winner Score Loser1 Furyk 3 & 2 Coetzee Kaymer 3 & 1 Jaidee2 Jaidee 3 & 1 Furyk Coetzee 19 h Kaymer3 Furyk 20 h Kaymer Coetzee 21 h Jaidee Seed Player W L Finish 5 Jim Furyk 2 1 1 59 George Coetzee 2 1 2 17 Martin Kaymer 1 2 T3 44 Thongchai Jaidee 1 2+ Group 6 Round Winner Score Loser1 Leishman 3 & 2 Rose Lahiri 4 & 2 Palmer2 Rose 19 h Lahiri Leishman 4 & 3 Palmer3 Rose 2 & 1 Palmer Leishman 1 up Lahiri Seed Player W L Finish 56 Marc Leishman 3 0 1 6 Justin Rose 2 1 2 34 Anirban Lahiri 1 2 3 22 Ryan Palmer 0 3 4

+ Group 7 Round Winner Score Loser1 Hoffman 4 & 3 Day Z. Johnson 2 up Grace2 Grace 4 & 3 Day Hoffman 2 & 1 Z. Johnson3 Z. Johnson 3 & 2 Day Grace 2 & 1 Hoffman Seed Player W L Finish 38 Branden Grace 2 1 1 24 Zach Johnson 2 1 T2 49 Charley Hoffman 2 1 7 Jason Day 0 3 4 Grace won sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the third hole.+ Group 8 Round Winner Score Loser1 D. Johnson 3 & 1 Jones Schwartzel 5 & 4 Dubuisson2 Schwartzel 20 h D. Johnson Jones 2 up Dubuisson3 D. Johnson 2 & 1 Dubuisson Schwartzel 20 h Jones Seed Player W L Finish 37 Charl Schwartzel 3 0 1 8 Dustin Johnson 2 1 2 58 Matt Jones 1 2 3 21 Victor Dubuisson 0 3 4

+ Group 9 Round Winner Score Loser1 Molinari 5 & 4 ScottCasey 22 h Kirk2 Casey 1 up Scott Kirk 2 & 1 Molinari3 Kirk 1 up Scott Casey 1 up Molinari Seed Player W L Finish 36 Paul Casey 3 0 1 25 Chris Kirk 2 1 2 64 Francesco Molinari 1 2 3 9 Adam Scott 0 3 4+ Group 10 Round Winner Score Loser1 García 2 up Fleetwood Donaldson 1 up Wiesberger2 Wiesberger 2 & 1 García Fleetwood 21 h Donaldson3 Donaldson 2 & 1 García Fleetwood 19 h Wiesberger Seed Player W L Finish 54 Tommy Fleetwood 2 1 1 30 Jamie Donaldson 2 1 2 39 Bernd Wiesberger 1 2 T3 10 Sergio García 1 2

+ Group 11 Round Winner Score Loser1 Woodland 19 h Walker Simpson 3 & 2 Poulter2 Simpson19 h Walker Woodland 3 & 2 Poulter3 Poulter 4 & 2 Walker Woodland 1 up Simpson Seed Player W L Finish 50 Gary Woodland 3 0 1 46 Webb Simpson 2 1 2 27 Ian Poulter 1 2 3 11 Jimmy Walker 0 3 4+ Group 12 Round Winner Score Loser1 Warren 2 & 1 Holmes Koepka 1 up Henley2 Holmes 19 h Henley Koepka 20 h Warren3 Holmes 2 & 1 Koepka Henley 1 up Warren Seed Player W L Finish 12 J. B. Holmes 2 1 1 19 Brooks Koepka 2 1 2 45 Russell Henley 1 2 T3 51 Marc Warren 1 2

+ Group 13 Round Winner Score Loser1 Fowler 1 up EnglishLowry 1 up McDowell2 Fowler 1 up Lowry English 2 & 1 McDowell3 Fowler 5 & 4 McDowell English 1 up Lowry Seed Player W L Finish 13 Rickie Fowler 3 0 1 55 Harris English 2 1 2 47 Shane Lowry 1 2 3 32 Graeme McDowell 0 3 4+ Group 14 Round Winner Score Loser1 Martin 1 up Kuchar Mahan 7 & 6 Gallacher2 Kuchar3 & 2 Gallacher Mahan 5 & 3 Martin3 Mahan 5 & 4 KucharMartin 20 h Gallacher Seed Player W L Finish 31 Hunter Mahan 3 0 1 61 Ben Martin 2 1 2 14 Matt Kuchar 1 2 3 41 Stephen Gallacher 0 3 4

+ Group 15 Round Winner Score Loser1 Reed 2 & 1 Sullivan Willett 3 & 2 Moore2 Willett 2 & 1 Reed Sullivan 3 & 2 Moore3 Reed 1 up Moore Willett 1 up Sullivan Seed Player W L Finish 48 Danny Willett 3 0 1 15 Patrick Reed 2 1 2 57 Andy Sullivan 1 2 3 28 Ryan Moore 0 3 4+ Group 16 Round Winner Score Loser1 Matsuyama 5 & 4 LévyLuiten 19 h Na2 Matsuyama 2 up Luiten Na 3 & 1 Lévy3 Matsuyama 5 & 4 Na Luiten 1 up Lévy Seed Player W L Finish 16 Hideki Matsuyama 3 0 1 43 Joost Luiten 2 1 2 20 Kevin Na 1 2 3 52 Alexander Lévy 0 3 4

Final 16 bracket

The match between Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey was completed on May 3 having been all square after 21 holes when it became too dark to continue.

Prize money breakdown Place Description US ($)1 Champion 1,570,0002 Runner-up 930,0003 Third place 646,0004 Fourth place 520,000T5 Losing quarter-finalists x 4 285,000T9 Losing round of 16 x 8 150,000T17 Those with 2–1 record in pool play x 17 85,824T34 Those with 1–2 record in pool play x 18 63,500T52 Those with 0–3 record in pool play x 13 49,385 Total 9,250,000 Source:

References

External links

Coverage on the European Tour's official site