McIlroy, Johnson triumph as charity
match offers 'normalcy'
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[May 18, 2020]
By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A tie-break win
for world number one Rory McIlroy and teammate Dustin Johnson at the
Driving Relief two-on-two charity skins match Sunday injected
suspense to a course absent of fans and applause in the COVID-19
era.
Wearing microphones that captured their smack talk 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 procedures after undergoing a battery of tests and
screenings.
Eager golf fans tuned in for one of the rare few live televised
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.
"I think you forget I've won two FedEx Cups that totaled at $25
million," said McIlroy. "Doesn’t faze me, youngster."
That bravado was eventually tempered, however, as Fowler's seven
birdies put pressure on the world number one and Johnson, the
heavily favoured pair who boast 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 120-yard
wedge shot from Wolff, letting out a whoop and offering his teammate
an "air-five."
"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 $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 favourite players compete
in unique circumstances.
"Does DJ (Dustin Johnson) legitimately not know how to carry a golf
bag anymore or something?" tweeted @14Thaddeus14, as images of the
2016 U.S. Open champ's clubs hanging haphazardly from his shoulder
prompted good-natured ribbing on Twitter.
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, with comedic actor Bill Murray
showing off his quarantine snacks during a Skype dial-in to the
telecast.
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McIlroy of the American Nurses Foundation team and Dustin Johnson of
the American Nurses Foundation team react on the 17th tee after
winning the closest to the pin playoff against Rickie Fowler of the
CDC Foundation team and Matthew Wolff of the CDC Foundation team
during the TaylorMade Driving Relieve Supported By UnitedHealth
Group on May 17, 2020 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.
Mandatory credit: Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
The competitors swapped out the PGA Tour-mandated slacks for shorts
in the 87-degree Fahrenheit 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 number two 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."
GOLF'S RETURN
With professional sports slowly lurching back to life in empty
stadiums, arenas and venues across the world, the event marked yet
another incremental move forward into a new normal.
The PGA Tour is set to resume next month in a fanless setting for
the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, with players and
caddies facing a host of tests and screenings.
NASCAR also resumed Sunday at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway,
and Major League Baseball is currently proposing ways in which it
could salvage its 2020 season.
U.S. President Donald Trump dialed in to the golf broadcast to
applaud the event, saying that live sports are good for the
collective "psyche."
"We want to get it back to where it was - we want big, big stadiums
loaded with people," Trump said.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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