2015 WGC Cadillac Match Play: Tee times, TV schedule and matches for Friday

The overhauled format at the WGC Cadillac Match Play has drawn largely positive reviews, but Friday will put both the biggest advantages and drawbacks in full view. There are a number of winner-take-all head-to-head matchups, which should be some of the most hyped in this event’s history. But there are also several matches that mean absolutely nothing and it could be fascinating to see how some of these world-class players approach those.

The word from the TPC Harding Park grounds on Thursday night was that some players who are in a hopeless 0-2 hole may show up, hit one shot, concede and then get the hell out of town. Ron Green of Global Golf Post tweeted about some of the discussion around these meaningless matches, which could end up provoking consternation and controversy:

So, while the new round-robin pool play format guarantees every player three matches, many of these top ranked players were done early on Thursday but now have to show up for another loop at Harding Park.

But enough about the bad stuff. The top two players in the world, the headliners this week and for many years to come, both rolled through their first two matches but have yet to lock up a spot in the single elimination bracket. Both Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth draw undefeated opponents and will have to win in order to advance to Saturday. Spieth tees off against Lee Westwood at 2:50 p.m. ET and should be deep into his match when Golf Channel goes live at 5 p.m.

McIlroy will face reigning FedExCup champ Billy Horschel and they won’t go off until 5:30 p.m., so their entire match will fall in the Golf Channel coverage window. Unless it becomes a total blowout on the back nine, this one will have every shot shown late in the prime time Friday broadcast. Horschel and McIlroy have a bit of match play history. The two went up against each other as amateurs in the Walker Cup, and Rory came away with a strong public critique of Horschel’s enthusiasm and antics on the course. The two have since patched things up and are pretty friendly, so there shouldn’t be any of that other drama, but it’s still a tasty match at this point in the week.

Golf Channel will have a prime time broadcast again on Friday, carrying coverage from 5 to 10 p.m. ET. That late night coverage back east never happens this time of year on the PGA Tour. The rota never goes to the West Coast after the first two months of the year. There’s an occasional U.S. Open on the coast but that’s not a tour event, so this is definitely a rarity. In addition to the TV coverage, there will also be the usual simulcast stream up and running via Golf Channel’s Live Extra service.

Here’s the full match schedule for Friday: