One week after most of the big names opted not to compete at the Honda Classic, 64 of the world's best are playing in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.

This is an exclusive tournament with the top 64 in the world rankings invited, but there are a few notable exceptions who declined for a variety of reasons – Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland.

Their absences have allowed others lower in the world rankings the ability to compete for the prestigious title at the Austin Country Club in Texas.

The tournament gets underway Wednesday in a March Madness-style competition, which is a day earlier than most normal events.

The first three days will have 16 groups of four golfers each playing one another once in a round-robin format, with the winners from those groups advancing to the Sweet 16.

After that, it's single elimination knockout matches all the way to the final where a champion is crowned.

This tournament was not played last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving 2019 winner Kevin Kisner as the defending champion.

There are two Canadians in the field vying for the title, with 37th-ranked Corey Conners sporting +5000 odds to win outright.

Mackenzie Hughes, ranked 48th, is a much bigger long shot, with only two golfers facing longer odds than the +15000 Hughes faces.

Conners will be in a quartet of golfers that includes Jordan Spieth, Matthew Wolff and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Hughes, meanwhile, is in a grouping with Paul Casey, Webb Simpson and Talor Gooch.

Here's our first look at the field for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Betting Odds To Win 2021 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – Top 15

Bryson DeChambeau   +1400

Dustin Johnson            +1400

Justin Thomas              +1400

Jon Rahm                      +1400

Rory McIlroy                +2000

Collin Morikawa           +2200

Jordan Spieth               +2500

Patrick Reed                 +2500

Xander Schauffele       +2500

Paul Casey                    +2500

Tony Finau                    +2800

Patrick Cantlay             +2800

Tyrrell Hatton               +2800

Daniel Berger               +3000

Viktor Hovland             +3300

The 64-man bracket

To set the stage for the matchups, let's first look at the March Madness inspired bracket with the players and groupings.

As mentioned earlier, Paul Casey is competing against Canada's own Mackenzie Hughes, Webb Simpson and Talor Gooch, who got into the field when others withdrew.

Casey has been on a hot streak in 2021, with nothing worse than a tie for 12th in six events around the world.

Included in that was his triumph at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Casey's other results were a T-5 at his most recent event at the Players Championship, T-5, T-8, T-10 and T-12.

All aspects of his game have been clicking, as he's been inside the top 15 in seven key strokes gained categories, including second overall in total strokes gained in the last 12 rounds on the PGA Tour.

Casey is also a match play stalwart, having won the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship and was runner-up in the 2009 and 2010 edition of this tournament, though that was at a different golf course.

Predicting who will advance is always tricky in this volatile format, but Casey's +2500 odds are intriguing.

Past Five Winners of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

2019          Kevin Kisner def. Matt Kuchar

2018          Bubba Watson def. Kevin Kisner

2017          Dustin Johnson def. Jon Rahm

2016          Jason Day def. Louis Oosthuizen

2015          Rory McIlroy def. Gary Woodland

*The 2020 tournament was not contested due to COVID-19

FORE YOUR INFORMATION

Trending Up

Corey Conners +5000

Playing in his first career WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play is Corey Conners and he's coming in playing really well.

In his last two starts, the 29-year-old has finished third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and seventh at the Players Championship.

That is part of a stretch where Conners has been inside the top 25 in eight of his last 10 starts.

He's an elite ball striker, ranking 12th this season after being first last campaign.

The putter has been what has been holding him back from winning more championships, but in the last two tournaments he's gained over seven shots on the dance floor compared to his contemporaries.

Conners is going to have a heck of a battle just making it out of the group stage, however, as he's up against Jordan Spieth, who has top-4 finishes in three of the last five times teeing it up.

Matthew Fitzpatrick is also in the quartet, and he's had nothing worse than a T-17 in his last five championships with three top-10's.

Rounding out the foursome is Matthew Wolff who is battling a nagging injury and hasn't played to his normal standards, but he had back-to-back runner-ups earlier in the season at the U.S. Open and in Las Vegas.

If he can sneak his way through his group and continue his fantastic tee-to-green play and make a few putts, Conners could surprise this week.

Horse for this Course

Kevin Kisner +6000

When considering what players with long odds could be worthy of wagering on, then look no further than defending champion Kevin Kisner.

Not only did he win the latest WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play installment, but he was also in the final in 2018 also, before eventually falling to Bubba Watson.

The main issue might be another tough group to get out of, much like Conners’ group.

Kisner will be up against Justin Thomas, who won his last start at the Players Championship, 2016 finalist Louis Oosthuizen and Matt Kuchar, who Kisner defeated in order to win the title in the 2019 final.

Kisner has been middling in his play in 2021, though he missed just his first cut on the year in five starts at the Players Championship. Late last year he was in a playoff at the RSM Classic.

He'll be in tough to break through to the Sweet 16, but nobody has been more dominant at this course and tournament in the last two years than +6000 underdog Kisner.