The Match is back! And they’ve pulled out the big guns
Finally, some exhibition golf worth watching! The next edition of The Match will feature Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas.
As confirmed by the PGA Tour, the seventh iteration of what has become a charity-benefitting hit-and-giggle will take place on December 10 at Pelican Golf Club, near Tampa, Florida, and will be a night game under floodlights.
So how will they team it up? Well, as expected, it will be TaylorMade stablemates and TMRW Sports business partners Woods and McIlroy who will take on BFFs Spieth and Thomas.
Serving as a platform to raise money for Hurricane Ian victims, The Match will be played over 12-holes and will take place under the lights at the night golf venue in Florida.
A brief history of The Match
The Match: Tiger vs Phil: It all started in November 2018 when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson faced off at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas for a $9 million purse. Lefty took the W after 22 holes.
Champions for Charity: The rematch took place in May 2020 at Medalist in Florida. It was a pro-am format, with Woods and Mickelson partnered by NFL legends Peyton Manning and Tom Brady respectively. Woods and Manning won by a single hole.
Champions for Change: The third edition took place in November 2020 at Stone Canyon, Arizona. Played using a foursomes format, Mickelson partnered NBA hall-of-famer Charles Barkley to defeat Manning and NBA star Steph Curry, 4&3.
The Match IV: A fourth edition of The Match took place in July 2021 and was another golf-NFL mash-up. Mickelson and Brady took on Bryson DeChambeau and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers at The Reserve, Montana. DeChambeau and Rodgers won the match 3&2.
Bryson vs Brooks: A fifth edition took place between DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in November 2021 at Wynn, Las Vegas. The two players were, at the time, part of an ongoing “feud”. It was a 12-hole match, which Koepka won on the ninth.
The Match VI: The sixth edition of The Match was played in June 2022 and was an all-NFL affair, with Brady and Rodgers defeating Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes by a single hole.
Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
