A tiebreak win on Sunday for world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and teammate Dustin Johnson at the Driving Relief two-on-two charity skins match injected some suspense to a Seminole Golf Club course in Juno Beach, Florida, absent of fans and applause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wearing microphones that captured their chat and frustrations, caddie-less competitors McIlroy and Johnson faced off against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff, carrying their own clubs and adhering to social distancing regulations, after undergoing a battery of tests and screenings.
Eager golf fans tuned in for one of the rare few live televised sports events and were treated to a bit of mild trash talk early on, as McIlroy teased his 21-year-old opponent Wolff after sinking a putt for par-four on the second hole.
Photo: AFP
“I think you forget I’ve won two FedEx Cups that totaled at US$25 million,” McIlroy said. “Doesn’t faze me, youngster.”
However, that bravado was eventually tempered as Fowler’s seven birdies put pressure on the world No. 1 and Johnson, the heavily favored pair who boasted five majors titles between them.
The competition came down to a closest-to-the-hole tiebreak, in which McIlroy clinched the victory, despite an admirable wedge shot from Wolff, who let out a whoop and offered his teammate an “air five.”
Photo: AFP
“These Seminole greens, the ball can do funny things when you think it’s in a good place,” said McIlroy, who basked in the “normalcy” of being back in competition. “It’s been awesome and it’s nice to get back on the golf course.”
Raising more than US$5.5 million through sponsors and donations for COVID-19 relief, the competition quickly trended on social media, as golf-starved fans reveled in seeing their favorite players compete in unique circumstances.
“Does DJ [Dustin Johnson] legitimately not know how to carry a golf bag anymore or something?” on fan wrote on Twitter, as images of the 2016 US Open champion’s clubs hanging haphazardly from his shoulder prompted ribbing.
Wolff’s tie-dyed sneakers and handlebar mustache, and Fowler’s pantomime gestures to an imaginary crowd proved that the proceedings were anything but business as usual.
The competitors swapped out PGA Tour-mandated slacks for shorts in the heat, as clouds dotted the otherwise clear blue skies along the Florida coast.
As young Wolff’s nerves settled and Fowler visibly reveled in the return to competition, the scene was enough to make anyone a bit jealous — including world No. 2 Jon Rahm.
“I think we’re all itching to be out there,” said Rahm, dialing in to the broadcast from his Arizona home. “I sure wish I was there.”
The PGA Tour is set to resume without fans next month at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, with players and caddies facing a host of tests and screenings.
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