It may not be as exciting as some had hoped, but at least golf fans watched tiger forest on the golf course — under the lights on a Saturday night, nothing more, nothing less.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas Defeat Woods and become number 1 in the world Rory McIlroy 3 and 2 of 10 holes of the seventh edition of The Match at Pelican Golf Club outside Tampa, Florida.
Woods, who competed for the first time since missed opportunities at the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews in July, there were a few good moments but the competition belonged to Spieth and JT. The winning duo teamed up to make seven birdies to knock out their opponents. Woods and McIlroy add up to just one.
Still, it was a good night and a fun event that raised millions of dollars for relief efforts in Florida following the devastation of Hurricane Ian.
“The fact that we’ve been able to do something in the light has never happened in our sport, to be able to develop it in a different way,” Woods told TNT when asked what makes it so. he remembers the most. “Also, the people devastated by Hurricane Ian. We were able to create more funds, more opportunities for people to reincarnate here, and that’s important. We’re Floridians. I know from the east what kind of people the devastation it can cause.These people have no homes and no lives, and I’m glad we were all able to do this together. something about that.”
Woods, 46, has competed in two previous editions of The Match, but that was the debut of McIlroy, Spieth and Thomas. Here’s how the Match plays out:
It’s a wrap
And that’s it. JT and Spieth took out Rory and Tiger. “Second place isn’t bad, guys,” Thomas told McIlroy and Woods after Spieth’s winning putt.
Hey Tiger and Rory…
WHAT HAPPENED?!?! pic.twitter.com/twrgI3C6pP
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2022
About the University of Alabama
It always goes back to the Iron Bowl. Charles Barkley, the former Auburn basketball star, made JT grieve about the “University of Alabama”.
JT-Chuck’s rivalry is a highlight 😂#CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/AT2IcwcBh9
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2022
Turn on trash talk
Rory and Tiger take a hole back and sprinkle in some trash talk#CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/Rth3EfHQuS
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2022
A look to the future?
Year 2055. The match is being played at a new country club on Mars. Charles Barkley said something funny. I followed up with a stupid tweet out of jealousy. Tiger beat Spieth’s son 1-up
– max (@maxhoma23) December 11, 2022
JT and Spieth lead the way
These people are good. Using only a 5-wood in the 455-yard fourth-hole challenge, par-4, JT somehow got par. JT and Spieth tied for 3rd after four holes. Tiger and Rory have a lot of work to do.
455 yards par 4. Use nothing but wood 5.
JT is equal. pic.twitter.com/1LM1Ud3o7Z
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2022
Charlie is here
Woods said his 13-year-old son, Charlie, has yet to beat him but has recently surpassed him.
“I hate to say it, but I’ll admit it. He finally did it a few weeks ago,” Woods said. And Tiger said the day Charlie beat him “is coming.” They will play together in the PNC Championship next week in Orlando.
“I’ll admit it. In the end he did.”
13-year-old boy Charlie Woods has surpassed his father 😮pic.twitter.com/ZwCNZgIprH
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 11, 2022
Early check-in with Tiger
Charles Barkley with a serious press question for Woods: “How’s your leg?” Tiger replied, “It’s still attached. It’s good.”
Stay hydrated
Now it’s real golf — and John Daly isn’t even there.
Justin Thomas had an unopened Coors Light in his stroller, in case you doubted the seriousness of tonight’s festival. pic.twitter.com/ECaoqlwvXC
– Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) December 10, 2022
Under the lights
We’re just minutes away from the start of the seventh edition of The Match, and as Woods has pointed out, this is the first time it will be played entirely under the lights.
A special red Saturday for Tiger. pic.twitter.com/ogQYtzQgChildren
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 10, 2022
Lefty said hello
Raise your hand if you’re expecting an olive branch from Mickelson today.
I am proud to have been a part of the creation of The Match. Today is going to be a fun, funny and poignant release and I wish Tiger, Rory, JT and Jordan all the best. I’ll be watching it on TNT and I hope you will too.
– Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) December 10, 2022
Set the context
Jordan. Justin. Rory. Tiger.
Range awaits ️♂️ pic.twitter.com/UXawRJxrhX
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 10, 2022
The trolley is lit and ready💡#CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/ONiAFqtxpF
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 10, 2022
Match preview
Woods, the 15-time major champion, plans to compete even as he struggles to recover from plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He was forced to withdraw from last week’s World of Heroes Challenge in the Bahamas, which benefits his foundation, and told reporters there that doctors advised him that the painful condition to be related to trauma He was in a car accident outside Los Angeles in February 2021.
Woods said can use golf cart would help him a lot, and that “it’s hard to get from point A to point B.” He competed only nine rounds in three majors last year. His last start was a miss at the 150th Open Championship in St. Andrews in July.
Golf fans are sure to be delighted to see Woods swing once again. He also plans to play with his son, Charlie, in the PNC Championship next week in Orlando, Florida. Woods will be able to use the cart again in that 36-hole event.
With former NBA great Charles Barkley once again making comments during the Game, there’s plenty of humor. And it’s hard to imagine that there won’t be a few pokes at LIV Golf and its CEO and commissioner, the two-time Open champion. Greg Norman, which in time could be an advertisement for the PGA Tour. Last week, McIlroy said The London Independent, which he intends to “make my business now extremely difficult in [Norman’s] butt the better.”
While the golfers are friendly competitors, McIlroy says none of them want to lose.
McIlroy said: “I played against them in the Ryder Cup before I tried to get revenge on them. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner. The partner I’ve played against them before is not quite comparable to the one I’ll have on Saturday night.”
The 12-hole match will begin at 6 p.m. ET and be played under the lights. This is the best ball format in which each player hits his own ball into the hole and the two players’ lowest score counts as the team’s score.
“I can tell you one thing: I have the world No. 1 on my team, so I’m fine,” Woods said. “He’s going to have the best cheerleader he’s ever had.”
McIlroy is expecting more from his teammate.
Thomas and Spieth are slightly more popular (-130) than McIlroy and Woods (+110), according to bettors at Caesars Sportsbook.
“[Tiger is] probably the best ironman who ever lived,” McIlroy said. “Probably the best golfer who ever lived, period. I think if he can get it out of the fairway and get some looks from the fairway, I think we’ll have a very good chance.”
There’s a lot of friendly trash talk that starts with the first tee shots.
“It’s hard to bad-mouth them,” Thomas said. “I felt like on the first tee, Jordan and I just had to say it bluntly, OK, you’ve got more majors than us, you’ve got more FedEx Cups than us, you both have machines. fly and we don’t. , let’s make it public in such a way that we don’t use it against us in our match.”
“They were both quick and witty,” Spieth said. “I told Justin we might have to go the good guy’s way, which is not normal for us in these kind of games.”
“Either way, it’s not going to work,” Woods added.
