|
But after McIlroy won three skins for a
combined $800,000 for charity, no player emerged to win any of
the final four holes.
At the par-5 12th hole, McIlroy announced that an unidentified
friend of his was donating $500,000 to bring the total remaining
stakes to $1.6 million. After McIlroy missed an eagle putt and
was given the birdie, Homa drained a longer birdie putt to match
him.
So the four players returned to the fairway from approximately
100 yards out for a tiebreaker. McIlroy went first and stuck his
wedge shot to 4 feet, 2 1/2 inches, and none of his counterparts
came close to beating him.
The only other player to win a skin was Thompson at the second
hole, when she sank a lengthy eagle putt to net $200,000. Homa
and Zhang did not get on the board.
At No. 4, players had to select just one club to use for the
entire hole. McIlroy used a 5-wood from tee to green --
including his putts -- to make par and win his first skin.
It was just McIlroy's second time participating in The Match
series and his first win. He and Tiger Woods lost to Jordan
Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match 7.
"I just think (I will remember) how much fun it was, being out
here with Max and Rose and Lexi and playing at such a great
facility," McIlroy said. "All these people out here, the
atmosphere, it was a really cool night."
This was the first edition to feature female competitors. Zhang,
still just 20 and a student at Stanford, burst onto the national
scene last June when she won her LPGA debut at the Mizuho
Americas Open.
"Just from being in this kind of environment, it's kind of my
first time and definitely outside of my comfort zone," Zhang
said. "It just makes me so excited to see what's to come."
--Field Level Media
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
