Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Riley Hamel

The Match VII: Hole-by-hole recaps, best tweets and reactions from Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth’s win over Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy Tiger Woods Jordan Spieth Justin Thomas Match (Event) JT Phil Mickelson Golf

The young guns got it done.

Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth took down the pairing of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy 3 and 2 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, thanks to a hot putter from JT.

Woods opened the match with a birdie at the short par 4, but couldn’t get going throughout the night. Rory made some birdies, but it wasn’t enough to keep up.

The trash talk was great and the camaraderie was awesome.

Find hole-by-hole recaps, best tweets and reactions below.

The Match: Best photos from the made-for-TV event

Lynch: The Match proves golf can be a fun product, without trading virtues for vulgarity

Pre-event happenings

Phil Mickelson sends his love

Lefty took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to wish Tiger, Rory, JT and Spieth good luck. Oh, he’ll be watching, too.

Golf cart gang

Let the trash talk commence

Rory’s show tonight?

Tiger’s warmup is underway

Twitter gems

Hole 1 — Par 4, 310 yards

First up, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy. Right rough, but green high and just fine.

GOAT time. Stripe show from Tiger. Just in front on the fairway.

Spieth now. Hits the front of the green and rolls back. Just short.

JT’s last. Another one just short. And we’re off.

Rory blades his chip shot past the pin and will have a long bid for birdie. Jordan’s chip was better but not great. 10-footer for a three. JT’s effort is perfect, a tap-in for bird. Tiger comes up short, but should make it.

Rory’s birdie putt runs by the hole, needs Tiger to pick him up. Bang.

Score: Even thru 1

Hole 2 — Par 4, 455 yards

Rory’s drive finds the first cut, but it’s a bomb. Tiger next. Way right. Way right. Spieth pump fakes then goes. His is right, too. JT with a low cut and he walks it off — perfect.

Tiger first up. Sticks the club in the group and it comes up short left. Spieth next. Hated right away. Bunker short right. Rory’s is a bit deep, but it’s a look for three. JT last. One hand off the club, chunk flyer. Pin high for birdie.

Tiger’s pitch came up short, will have over 10 feet for par. Spieth’s bunker shot is great. Shorty for par coming up. World No. 1 first to go on the green. Just misses. Par. JT to win. BANG.

Score: Young guns 1 up

Hole 3 — Par 3, 200 yards

Spieth with the honor. It’s real nice. Just left of the pin. Makeable looking coming up. JT next. It’s nice, not as nice as Jordan’s. Still a look for two. Rory’s is outside both, but a chance. Tiger last. In the bunker short. Was short the whole way. Foot slipped.

Rory’s birdie putt was low the whole way. JT misses his birdie putt, too. Spieth to win the hole … BANG.

Putters are hot.

Score: JT, Spieth 2 up

Hole 4 — Par 4, 447 yards

One club challenge time. Spieth: 4-iron. Thomas: 5-wood. Rory: 3-iron. Tiger: Undisclosed.

Jordan’s iron shot is waaaay right. JT’s 5-wood is perfect, but he’s gonna have to hit a creative shot for his second. Rory with 3-iron. Rope draw, perfect. Tiger with his mystery club. HOLY S***. 100-yard stinger draw.

Tiger’s second is ANOTHER ROPE DRAW. Short left, but in good shape. Spieth now. High cut around a tree. Short right. Rory from a divot. He’s in the woods. Not great. JT last. Way long, but it could have been worse. It hit a cart.

Jordan’s bump and run from the front races by the hole. Lengthy par putt coming. Rory from the pine needles (with a 3-iron). Short, but doable for a five. Tiger’s next. Long. Gonna be tough from there. JT (with Spieth holding a rope for him). Really nice. Little over five feet for par.

Tiger’s fourth is just okay. Putt for a five. Rory now. It’s great. But not conceded. Spieth’s putt is short. Tiger for five … nope. JT to win the hole … yessir.

Score: JT, Spieth 3 up

Hole 5 — Par 3, 160 yards

Spieth’s tee shot is deep. Never cut. JT now. Right over the flag, but a bit deep. Birdie bid coming up. Rory next. Dart. Little over 10 feet for birdie. Tiger’s last. Right next to JT. A little deep, a little left.

Jordan’s chip from over the green is nice. Gimme three. Tiger now. Just missed on the high side. Gimme three. JT for birdie. High-side miss. Rory with a chance to win the hole. Lip out. Tie.

Score: JT/Spieth 3 up

Hole 6 — Par 4, 526 yards

Spieth’s tee box. Perfect. JT next. Right in the middle. Rory now. Long, but not sure where it ended up. Tiger’s is perfect.

Tiger’s first for the approach shots. High cut. Just long. Beautiful swing. JT next. Little long, but comes back. Just a few feet left. Pretty. Rory up. Not his best. Long. Not great. Jordan last to play. Left it out to the right. On the green, but a long way from the hole.

Rory’s tricky shot from over the green is okay. 10 feet for par. Jordan’s birdie bid doesn’t break enough. It’s a four. Tiger from off the green. Lip out. Rory for par … it’s given to him while he’s over the ball. JT to win. Nope. Yikes.

Score: JT/Spieth 3 up

Hole 7 — Par 5, 615 yards

Bombs away, folks.

Spieth’s first again. Down the right, but in the fairway. JT now. Perfect, again.  Rory time. Not great, down the left in the rough. Tiger’s last. Another good swing from the GOAT. Fairway found.

Rory has wood in hand for his second. Needs to get through a group of trees and a flood light. That was sick. Wicked good. Back in a good spot for his third. Tiger finds the pine straw with his second. Jordan up next. Short left, good spot. JT last. It’s nice and down the right, great spot.

Rory’s third is solid. Nice look for a four. Tiger from the straw. Deep. Not great. Jordan now. He’s deep, too. Thinned it. JT to save his partner. Nice. 12 feet left of the pin.

Jordan’s chip from over the green just makes it on top of the green. Long birdie putt. Tiger’s chip is nice, runs out to eight feet or so. Rory’s turn to make birdie. Bang. JT needs to make to tie. Nope.

Score: JT/Spieth 2 up

Hole 8 — Par 3, 157 yards

Rory’s up first. One yard too far. Just over the back. Tiger now. That was pretty. Just passed the pin, makeable putt coming up. Spieth’s tee shot is deeper than Rory’s. It flew the green. JT last. Really good, just inside Tiger’s ball.

Jordan’s birdie bid comes up just short. Two inches. Rory now from a similar spot. Nope, too high. Tiger for birdie …  not close. JT to win the hole and go up three … lipped in. Yessir.

Score: JT/Spieth 3 up

Hole 9 — Par 3, 223 yards

Spieth’s tee shot finishes on the green but plenty right of the flag. Forty footer for birdie coming up. JT now. 5-iron. Bunker short. Rory’s up. Pure. Uphill 15-footer for birdie. Lastly, Tiger. High cut. Another great shot. Pin-high right of the flag.

JT’s bunker shot is decent, comes up a bit short. Spieth’s long birdie putt is a bit low. Gimme three. Rory to win … nope. Not great. Tiger to win … lip out, again.

Score: JT/Spieth 3 up with three to play

Hole 10 — Par 4, 427 yards

Jordan first to play. Maybe in the pine straw done the right. JT now. That’s huge and perfect. Rory time. Pumped. Just by JT. Tiger last. Another gem.

Jordan first up from the straw. Stuffed to inside 10 feet. Tiger needs a good one. Not great. Long putt coming up. JT now. Hook-draw spinner. That was gross. Might be closer than Jordan. Rory to save the team. Bang. Might be the closest.

Rory goes first and buries it for birdie. Jordan to win the match … bang.

Result: JT/Spieth 3 & 2 Tiger/Rory

Reactions

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Keira Knightley Revisits "Trauma" of Being Accused of Having an Eating Disorder
"I'll suddenly have a very bodily memory of it because, ultimately, it's public shaming."
Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Keira Knightley recalls ‘public shaming’ she felt amid claims she had an eating disorder
‘It’s obviously part of my psyche, given how young I was,’ she recalls about the eating disorder claims
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
The Simpsons: Hit & Run dev says they could've made 3 sequels without paying a penny for the license: "Some crazy person at the publisher - we never found out who - said no"
"We never imagined it would still be bringing some people happiness 20 years later!"
GamesRadar
GamesRadar
Wrestler, film star – and future president? Why we should all take Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson seriously
The WWE icon, already one of Hollywood’s highest-paid film stars, has shown himself to be ‘focus group-proof’
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Eating this fruit before bed can help you sleep better – but expert opinions are divided
TikTok strikes again with its avocado sleep hack – but does it actually work?
T3
T3
Cher was ‘shocked’ to discover her legal name after birth certificate mix-up
Pop icon had gone for years without knowing what was written on her birth certificate
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play