Rory McIlroy –

It’s hard to look past McIlroy here.

The world No. 2 looked excellent when tying for fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend, and he would have finished second had he not played aggressively on the 18th in search of a birdie.

That was his sixth consecutive top-10, and his second since he returned from his rib injury.

Having won this tournament in 2015 and reached the semi-finals last year, McIlroy tends to do well in this format.

His 67 per cent career winning percentage in match-play events is the fourth-highest of anyone in the field.

He has a relatively straightforward route to the knock-out rounds – Emiliano Grillo, Gary Woodland and Soren Kjeldsen are in his group – and in current form no one will want to play him in the later stages.

Tyrrell Hatton –

Hatton’s stunning recent form means he has to be backed.

The 25-year-old has placed inside the top five in five of his last six starts, and he finished alongside McIlroy in fourth at Bay Hill last weekend.

His 75 per cent match-play winning percentage is also the highest in the field – albeit from only four matches.

Of the last 14 winners of this event, 10 have been seeded inside the top 10, so Hatton – ranked 10th this week – fits the bill.

He should see off Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Wang Jeung-Hun and Charles Howell III in the group stage, and has proven that he has the mettle to compete with the top players in the knock-outs.

Paul Casey –

Lee Westwood is the only player in this field to have won more match-play matches than Casey.

The world No. 16 has 30 victories in this format, and he triumphed at the World Match Play Championship on the European Tour back in 2006.

He has twice finished runner-up in this event since then and has an excellent overall record, with 20 wins, 12 defeats and a single draw.

The 39-year-old has also been handed a relatively kind draw in the groups, with Charl Schwartzel his closest competition in the first round.

Having finished 16th or better in two of his last three starts, he is playing well enough to go far here.

Patrick Reed –

Despite his indifferent form, Reed is poised for a successful week in his home state.

The Texan – seeded ninth – has plenty of course experience at Austin and seems to come alive in one-on-one situations.

The American was a formidable match-play player in college, and boasts a record of 10 wins, five defeats and one draw as a professional.

And while his record in this event itself is not stellar – he’s never gone beyond the last 16 – his seven Ryder Cup points in two appearances prove he loves the big shoot-outs.

McIlroy learned how dangerous the 26-year-old can be when the game has an extra competitive edge, and if he makes it through the groups – which he should – he has a real chance.

Louis Oosthuizen –

If you fancy an outsider this week, Oosthuizen is a great shout.

The South African was beaten by Jason Day in last year’s final, and has won 13 of his last 16 matches in this competition.

He has a difficult group and could struggle to get past Hideki Matsuyama, who has already won two PGA Tour events this season.

The Japanese 25-year-old has finished no higher than 25th in his last three starts, however, while Oosthuizen reached the quarter-finals or better in the past three years at the WGC Match Play.

Should he sneak through again, he is capable of beating the top players, as he did last year in seeing off Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson on the way to the final.