World No.1 Dustin Johnson defends his crown as the PGA TOUR returns to Austin for its annual bracketology week, as FedExCup titleholder Justin Thomas and two-time Match Play king Jason Day head the challenge from a wealth of marquee names. Day is among five former champions in the field, joined by Rory McIlroy (2015), Matt Kuchar (2013) and Ian Poulter (2010). Jon Rahm, who took Johnson to the 18th hole as a Match Play rookie, is also back for a second bite of the apple. FIELD NOTES: Masters titleholder Sergio Garcia is set for his first start since becoming a father. His opening match comes exactly one week after welcoming daughter Azalea Adele Garcia into the world. … In all, Austin CC greets 59 of the world’s top 64 who qualified in the first pass. … Brooks Koepka continues to rest a wrist injury, while three others among the world’s top 15 opted to join him on the sideline: Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson. Adam Scott is the other absentee. … Moving into the lineup are Kevin Na, Charles Howell III, Joost Luiten, Keegan Bradley and Luke List. … Adam Hadwin, who skipped last year’s event because it conflicted with his wedding, is one of 14 players set for their WGC Match Play debuts. For James Hahn and Australia’s Cameron Smith, it’s their first WGC start of any kind. … World rankings will determine the 16 top seeds, with blind draws to fill each group from pools of players seeded Nos. 17-32, Nos. 33-48 and the remainder. The draws will be televised Monday night. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 550 points. STORYLINES: Three entrants return to action seeking to win in back-to-back starts: Thomas (Honda Classic), Phil Mickelson (WGC-Mexico) and Paul Casey (Valspar Championship). … Day seeks his third WGC Match Play title in five editions, to go with 2016 in Austin and 2014 in Arizona. He owns a 21-7 record in matches played, but went only six holes last year before exiting to be alongside his mother as she underwent cancer treatment. … Johnson, who made the Match Play his third straight win last year, owns four top-10s since the calendar turned but just one victory. … Garcia and Poulter – both Ryder Cup virtuosos – can surpass Tiger Woods for most career matches if either makes the semifinals. Both have 37 matches on their ledger; Woods has played 43. … In a statistical anomaly, no matches went to extra holes last year. COURSE: Austin Country Club, 7,108 yards, par 71. Nestled next to Lake Austin, Pete Dye’s 1984 design has proven a worthy Match Play host in its two editions. The layout features two distinctly different nines – a front nine on higher ground and typical of the surrounding Texas hill country, followed by a “lowlandsâ€� nine alongside Lake Austin that offers a scenic backdrop as matches complete. Austin CC dates back to 1899, believed to be the oldest golf club in Texas, relocating twice before occupying its current site. Austin was the original venue for the Legends of Golf from 1978-94; the city later hosted another PGA TOUR Champions stop from 2003-09. LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: 9 & 8, Tiger Woods def. Stephen Ames (1st round, 2006 at La Costa Resort & Spa). LONGEST MATCH: 26 holes, Mike Weir def. Loren Roberts (1st round, 2003 at La Costa), Scott Verplank def. Lee Westwood (1st round, 2006 at La Costa). LAST YEAR: Johnson became the first man to capture all four World Golf Championships, defeating Rahm 1-up in the final to cap off back-to-back-to-back wins in a six-week stretch. Johnson never fell behind in any match, playing 112 holes on the week, though Rahm pushed him the distance in the final. Facing a 4-down deficit, the Spaniard drove the green at No.13 to start a run of three birdies in a four-hole burst. They matched pars at No.17, and Rahm watched his drive 356-yard 18th run through the green. His delicate chip down the slope checked up short of its target, resulting in par, while Johnson’s chip from just short of the green stopped 30 inches away to seal the victory. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (GC), 2-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (GC), 3-7 p.m. (NBC). (Golf Channel / NBC Sports LiveExtra simulcast stream) PGA TOUR LIVE: Wednesday-Friday, 10:15 a.m.-4 p.m. ET (featured groups), 4-8 p.m. (featured holes). RADIO: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8 p.m. ET. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com). Â
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