There have been 1-on-1 matchups featuring a pair of professional golfers. There have been 2-on-2 exhibitions with golfers teaming up with former/current...
Capital One's 'The Match 7': Explaining Rules for Woods, McIlroy vs. Thomas, Spieth
Dec 8, 2022
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth
Capital One's The Match is back for its seventh iteration. While casual fans may not be as excited about this edition as past ones—it doesn't feature non-PGA athletes like Peyton Manning or Stephen Curry—golf purists should be thrilled.
PGA legend Tiger Woods is back for his third appearance in The Match, and he'll be paired with
the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy. They'll face off against the team of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
While The Match VII doesn't carry the novelty of an NFL quarterback duel—the last edition pitted Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen—it should still be a ton of fun.
Woods is notorious for being one of the top competitors in the sport, and he's very familiar with McIlroy. The two co-founded TMRW Sports. Thomas and Spieth, meanwhile, are longtime friends.
All four participants have faced off on the PGA tour.
Fans can expect a lot of quality golf, some tight competition and, likely, a fair bit of trash talk. Here's what you need to know.
One interesting aspect of The Match VII is that it will be played at night. Pelican Golf Course features an open environment, which is perfect for temporary lighting and a prime-time event.
"The way the golf course is laid out, I would call it a parkland,
especially the back nine,” said Justin Sheehan, Pelican's director of golf, per Jeff Eisenband of PGATour.com. “It's pretty open. We have
minimal rough, so it's got a really nice big open feel, which is why
it's so good for a tournament. It's easier than most golf courses would
be to put light trucks in place. We're not going through woods and
marshes and tons of water.”
The Match will also feature custom golf carts, which should help Woods, who withdrew from last month's Hero World Challenge with plantar fasciitis.
As for, you know, the match itself, it will be a 12-hole competition of match play. Each team will receive a point when it wins a hole, with the most points after 12 deciding the winner.
Theoretically, though, the event could end well before all 12 holes are played.
If, for example, one team has a 4-1 lead and five holes have been tied, the other team cannot draw even over the final two holes.
The Match will also feature a best-ball format, which means that only the lowest score from each team will count on a given hole. This means that, hypothetically, Wood could triple-bogey a hole and still win if McIlroy's score beats those of Thomas and Spieth.
This is perhaps one reason why the odds are fairly close to even. Spieth and Thomas may be the more complete team—Woods is banged up and no longer in his prime—but one of them still has to outplay McIlroy.
And as with all iterations of The Match, this is first and foremost a charity event. The Match VII will serve as a platform to benefit Hurricane Ian relief efforts.
It's going to be an entertaining experience and for a good cause, so fans should be sure to tune in this Saturday.
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Tiger Woods Talks Foot Injury, Capital One's 'The Match 7' with Rory, Spieth, Thomas
Dec 7, 2022
Tiger Woods of the United States, center, shakes hands with Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, left, as Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, right, stands during the Challenge: Japan Skins event ahead of the Zozo Championship PGA Tour at Accordia Golf Narashino C.C. in Inzai, east of Tokyo, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Tiger Woods is ready for his return to golf Saturday in Capital One’s The Match as he and Rory McIlroy take on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Woods hasn't played competitively since the Open Championship in July, withdrawing from the Hero World Challenge after dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but using the cart in this event will allow him to compete.
"I can hit golf balls, it's just getting from point A to point B," Woods said in Wednesday's press conference.
The 46-year-old has practiced regularly in recent months, although the foot injury has prevented him from entering an official tournament.
"The walking part was the challenge," Woods added.
The 12-hole exhibition at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida gives the superstar a chance to play competitively once again, though he might lean on McIlroy in the best ball format.
"I've got the No. 1 player in the world on my team so I'm good," Woods said of McIlroy, joking that he could end up being a "cheerleader" for the event.
Rory returned the compliment, saying Woods is "probably the best golfer that ever lived."
Spieth and Thomas represent a formidable challenge, especially considering their experience playing together. The duo went 4-0 as a team to lead the United States to a win at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
It still might be difficult to trash talk their more accomplished opponents.
"Ok, you have more majors than us," Thomas said of Woods and McIlroy. "You both have an airplane and we don't."
Fans could get a new perspective on the four players with each having an open mic during the competition. Spieth planned to provide some insight into his decision-making before shots while chatting with his teammate.
Woods, on the other hand, said the banter will be different than usual because he "can't use certain words."
This is the seventh iteration of The Match, with Woods the only one of the four with experience in the event. He faced Phil Mickelson in the 2018 debut and teamed with Peyton Manning against Mickelson and Tom Brady in 2020.
McIlroy showed his excitement to finally take part in the unique exhibition.
"I think it just brings a different audience to the game of golf, which I think is important," he said. "Golf can be perceived as just stuck in its ways. This appeals to a different audience."
Saturday's competition will benefit those affected by Hurricane Ian, with the previous six versions raising nearly $33 million in charitable efforts.
Rory McIlroy Says He Believes He Gave Tiger Woods COVID-19 Ahead of 2022 British Open
Nov 28, 2022
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 11: Tiger Woods of The United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland interact on the 17th during the Celebration of Champions Challenge during a practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 11, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy said he gave Tiger Woods COVID-19 ahead of The Open at St. Andrews this past season.
McIlroy and Woods played together at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland over a week before the British major in July. McIlroy first felt some symptoms during the round, but he said things got much worse two days later, as he explained to Paul Kimmage of the Independent (h/t ESPN):
I slept for maybe two hours and the sweat was just pouring off me, then [his wife] Erica took my temperature and it was sky high. I rang Tiger: 'I'm not feeling so good here.' And he goes, 'Oh, I feel OK.' But he texted me at 10 o'clock that night, chills, fever, and I'm like, 'F---ing hell, I've just given Tiger COVID! This is horrendous!' So we both had COVID going into The Open.
McIlroy said he never actually tested positive for COVID-19 before The Open, although he said he lost the sense of taste during the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night ahead of the tournament.
"The whole week of The Open I didn't have any taste, and everything smelled like vinegar to me," McIlroy said. "Everything. It was really strange."
The 33-year-old still played in the tournament and fared well, finishing in third place at 18 strokes under par. McIlroy led the field going into the final round before getting passed by Cameron Smith on the back nine.
It was still his first top-10 finish at The Open since winning it in 2014.
Woods didn't have as good of a performance in his final turn at the historic St. Andrews golf course. The 46-year-old was recovering from a leg injury suffered in a 2021 car crash, and he struggled to a plus-nine finish while missing the cut.
It's unknown whether the illness passed from McIlroy had any effect on the round, although it likely didn't help.
Tiger Woods Withdraws from 2022 Hero World Challenge with Foot Injury
Nov 28, 2022
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - JULY 15: Tiger Woods prepares a shot during Day Two of The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 15, 2022 in St Andrews, United Kingdom. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
Tiger Woods announced Monday he won't be competing in the Hero World Challenge, the annual event he hosts to benefit his charitable foundation.
Woods said he developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot and decided to withdraw on the advice of his doctors and trainers:
The Hero World Challenge, which tees off Thursday in Albany, Bahamas, would've been Woods' first tournament since the Open Championship in July.
The 46-year-old has battled a series of injuries that accumulated over his legendary career and steadily limited his availability on the PGA Tour. His February 2021 car crash raised new concerns about whether he'd ever golf competitively again.
Woods made his return at the 2022 Masters, opening with a one-under 71 in the first round before falling off and finishing 47th at 13 over. He entered the PGA Championship in May but withdrew after the third round. Then came his missed cut at St. Andrews.
Despite all of the setbacks, the 15-time major champion remains the most popular golfer in the world. For the second year in a row, he sat atop the leaderboard for the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program, which broadly rewards the stars who bring the most attention to the tour.
While Woods ruled himself out for the Hero World Challenge, he remains committed to playing in the PNC Championship, a two-day tournament in which golfers team up with their sons.
Tiger and Charlie Woods were runners-up to John Daly and John Daly II in last year's event.
Tiger Woods to Play at 2022 Hero World Challenge; 1st Event Since 2022 British Open
Nov 9, 2022
Tiger Woods of the US gestures to the crowd at the end of his second round of the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Friday July 15, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Tiger Woods is loading up his schedule for the end of the year.
The legendary golfer announced on Wednesday he will take part in the Hero World Challenge, marking his first official tournament since the 2022 Open Championship in July.
I am excited to announce that I will be in the field for this year’s #HeroWorldChallenge. A big welcome to @K_Kisner and @TommyFleetwood1 for joining us as well. See you soon at Albany!
Woods only played nine rounds on the PGA Tour during the 2022 season. The Masters marked his first tournament since the single-car crash in February 2021 that saw him face the possible amputation of his right leg.
"I’m lucky to be alive and to still have the limb," Woods told reporters in November 2021. "I’m very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me … (amputation) was on the table."
Woods made the cut at Augusta and finished 47th. He also played the PGA Championship in May and Open Championship. The 46-year-old posted a season-low score of 69 in the second round of the PGA Championship but withdrew before the final round after shooting a 79 on Saturday.
In what may have been his final appearance at St Andrews, Woods missed the cut after finishing nine-over par in 36 holes at the Open Championship.
Woods has taken an active role in helping PGA Tour players and commissioner Jay Monahan find ways to combat the rise of LIV Golf. He helped lead a meeting of several top players, including Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, in August to solidify everyone on the Tour's next steps.
"I think it's pretty apparent that whenever we all get in the room, there's an alpha in there, and it's not me," McIlroy told reporters after the meeting.
While it's unclear what Woods' schedule for 2023 will look like, his caddie did offer some insight during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show over the summer.
Joe LaCava told Dan Patrick (starts at 13:30 mark) in July he hopes Woods plays in the Hero World Challenge, followed by the PNC Championship in a pair with his son, Charlie, and at least one other tournament before the Masters in April.
Woods was recently announced as one of the participants in the latest iteration of Capital One's The Match. He will team with McIlroy to take on Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth on Dec. 10.
The Hero World Challenge, which debuted in 2000, is hosted by Woods and benefits his charity organization. He has won the event five times but hasn't played the tournament since December 2019.
This year's Hero World Challenge will be held at Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas from Dec. 1 to 4.
Woods, McIlroy vs. Thomas, Spieth to Headline Capital One's The Match in December
Nov 7, 2022
Tiger Woods of the US gestures to the crowd at the end of his second round of the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Friday July 15, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will take on Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the latest edition of Capital One's The Match, set to take place Saturday, Dec. 10, on the Warner Bros. Discovery family of networks.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. ET on TNT, with simulcasts available on TBS, truTV and HLN. Bleacher Report’s platforms will also provide expansive coverage leading up to the event and during the competition.
The seventh edition of the Sports Emmy-nominated event will take place at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, and feature four of golf's brightest stars going head-to-head in a 12-hole competition.
This will mark just the third time Capital One's The Match has not featured a non-golf celebrity. The previous two instances saw head-to-head matchups between great golf rivals when Woods took on Phil Mickelson in the inaugural event and Bryson DeChambeau took on Brooks Koepka last November.
The most recent edition—Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers vs. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in June—did not feature any professional golfers.
Woods will make his third appearance in the series, which puts him one behind Phil Mickelson for the most all-time. The 15-time major winner has not played competitive golf since missing the cut at the Open Championship in July as he recovers from injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash.
McIlroy, Thomas and Spieth will all make their first appearances in the event. Woods and McIlroy were in the news in August when their TMRW Sports company announced TGL, a tech-based golf league that will debut in January 2024.
Capital One's The Match has raised $33 million for charitable organizations since its launch in 2018.
Tiger Woods 'Fairly Certain' to Play 2022 PNC Championship, Friend Notah Begay Says
Oct 6, 2022
US professional golfer Tiger Woods attends the 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles second round match between USA's Serena Williams and Estonia's Anett Kontaveit at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on August 31, 2022. (Photo by COREY SIPKIN / AFP) (Photo by COREY SIPKIN/AFP via Getty Images)
Tiger Woods and his son Charlie put on a show at the 2021 PNC Championship, and it appears as if the all-time great will be back at the tournament this year.
His longtime friend Notah Begay discussed the 15-time major champion during an appearance on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (h/t Riley Hamel of Golfweek) and said he is "fairly certain" the Woods duo will play in December.
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) October 4, 2022
Begay also said Woods may even "surprise everybody" and play in an event during the fall.
Woods suffered serious leg injuries that required surgery and intensive rehab in a February 2021 car crash.
Since then, he played all four rounds in April's Masters and impressed with a one-under 71 in the first round before fading as the tournament progressed. He withdrew during May's PGA Championship and missed the cut in July's Open Championship.
Yet it was the 2021 PNC Championship in December when Woods made his return to golf after the crash.
Not only that, but he and his son Charlie also finished in second place behind John Daly and John Daly II and caught absolute fire in the second round by posting a tournament-record 11 birdies in a row on holes No. 7 through No. 17.
It is always appointment viewing when Woods hits the course, and it will surely be no different at the PNC Championship this year as he and his son look to put on an encore performance after last year's brilliance.
And he will surely be eyeing the title this time after coming up just short in 2021.
Charlie Woods Shoots His Best Round Ever as Tiger Caddies at Junior Golf Championship
Sep 26, 2022
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 19: Tiger Woods walks with his son, Charlie Woods, along the 18th fairway during the final round of the PGA TOUR Champions PNC Championship at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 19, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
Charlie Woods continues to improve his golf game, especially with the help of superstar father Tiger Woods as a caddy.
The younger Woods shot a career-best 68 in the final round of the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship on Sunday, helping him tie for fourth place in the Boys 12-13 division, via Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek.
Charlie finished Sunday's round with two birdies and an eagle on the back-nine after a slow start.
— Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship (@nb3jgnc) September 25, 2022
Charlie Woods turned heads playing alongside his father in the PNC Championship, displaying similar mannerisms to Tiger. The 13-year-old proved at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, that he has a promising career on his own.
Of course, it also helps to have a 15-time major champion on the bag to provide guidance.
Tiger Woods Heralds Serena Williams as 'Literally the Greatest' After Final Match
Sep 3, 2022
USA's Serena Williams waves to the audience after losing against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic during their 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles third round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 2, 2022. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Golf legend Tiger Woods gave Serena Williams the ultimate respect and reverence for her sensational career after the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion's tennis journey came to an end Friday following a third-round defeat to Ajla Tomljanović on Friday at the U.S. Open.
.@serenawilliams you’re literally the greatest on and off the court. Thank you for inspiring all of us to pursue our dreams. I love you little sis!!!!!!
Williams had previously credited Woods as the reason why she continued to play tennis professionally.
"He's one of the reasons I'm here, one of the main reasons I'm still playing," she told reporters (h/t George Ramsay of CNN).
"We talked a lot. He was really trying to get me motivated. There are a few people, but we were like: 'OK, we can do this together, you know?'"
The 40-year-old Williams fought hard to the finish before falling to a tough opponent in Tomljanovic 5-7, 7-6(4), 1-6 in a match that lasted over three hours.
With that, a 27-year career is now over, and Williams leaves the game after writing one of the most remarkable stories in sports history.
