Another “The Match” is in the books as the young guns Jordan Spieth / Justin Thomas outdueled the veterans Tiger Woods / Rory McIlroy, winning 3&2 under the lights Saturday night at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.
This was the best pure golf foursome for this charity event that has seen the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen compete over the years.
The 12 holes seemed like the perfect length for Saturday night television (although Spieth / Thomas won it in 10), and being under the lights was a nice added touch.
Don’t Go Against Spieth and Thomas as a Team
Looking back, Spieth and Thomas at just -120 as the betting favorites was a steal because when these two pair up, they absolutely dominate. Look back to the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow when this duo was 4-0-0, the first time Americans have put up that mark in over a decade (Woods/Steve Stricker in 2009).
It was obvious that both Spieth and Thomas were in their top form, especially considering they had both just played in the Woods hosted Hero World Challenge the weekend prior in the Bahamas.
Thomas was handy with the putter to win holes 2, 4, and 8 while they both chipped out of the pine straw to within six feet of the hole on the 10th to seal the victory.
Woods and McIlroy Fought Hard
McIlroy is the world’s #1, and Tiger is Tiger, but it was a tough ask for this team to pull out a win even at -110. That’s mostly because Woods hasn’t played competitively since the Open Championship at St. Andrews and had to withdraw from his own Hero World Challenge two weeks ago with plantar fasciitis. Even so, there was some hope that this event being just 12 holes, and with the ability to use a cart, Woods would have some moments.
While Spieth and Thomas never trailed, things did get interesting around the 7th hole when Woods and McIlroy pulled to within two. That was short-lived, though, with Thomas hitting a birdie putt on 8 to win the hole and go three up with four to play.
Fun and Interesting Betting Event
While there were very few markets prior to The Match 7 just because it was a two-teamer, this event was made for live betting. You could wager on the winners (or draw) of each hole just like in every golf tournament, but this one was more interesting with tweaks like the “one club challenge” on the 4th hole, which Thomas made par using just his 5-wood.
Finally, this made-for-TV event was a great way to learn more about the personalities of Thomas and Spieth and, to a lesser extent, McIlroy. True golf aficionados have heard countless interviews and media clips with all of these players, but it was nice to see them in a more relaxed setting.
The Auburn / Alabama back and forth between alumni Charles Barkley (announcer) and Thomas was a great bit for most of the night, as was the constant trash talk between the two teams. This was a nice way to wind down the 2022 golf calendar year.
