Tiger Woods taught us nothing during a busy December of golf. What was presumed to be a bit of foreshadowing for how 2023 could unfold for him turned into nothing more than a continuation of what he looked like in 2022.

Woods first withdrew from the Hero World Challenge with plantar fasciitis before partnering with Rory McIlroy a week later in a loss to Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in The Match VII. It was a performance (by both sides) that Spieth may still be jawing about when they all congregate at the Masters next April. Following that short match at Pelican Golf Club, Woods teamed with his son, Charlie, in the PNC Championship where they finished T8, six strokes behind Vijay and Qass Singh.

Tiger’s performance throughout was almost perfectly emblematic of his 2022. Some great swings, amazing speed for someone of his age and injury history, a lot of rust, and plenty of disappointment from a body that is unable to perform at his desired level.

This is who Tiger is now. The idea that this was perhaps going to be an end-of-year push toward a thriving, healthier 2023 was curtailed immediately with his withdrawal in the Bahamas and then again when he looked mediocre (albeit enjoyably mediocre!) at Pelican with Rory.

Still, there is seemingly a refusal to admit that Woods is in no position to compete at PGA Tour events, much less win major championships. Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington said during the PNC Championship that he thinks Tiger will win another major! While players are extremely disincentivized to say that Woods will not win again, it still came off sounding ridiculous.

Woods himself has admitted that his problem is not hitting the shots but rather walking the golf courses. At The Match and the PNC Championship, he was able to use a golf cart, which will not be permitted if and when he tees it up in 2023. Harrington focused on the speed Woods has been generating, which Thomas noted as well.

“He said that at Hero: He can hit any shot he wants and obviously some days are different than others,” said Thomas. “He said it himself: He has plenty of speed. He 100% hits it farther than I do with the driver right now, and when he’s feeling well and moving well like he was [at the PNC], he can do anything he wants. So, it’s nice that he has a cart and is able to enjoy this week.”

But what about 2023? What about the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship and the Masters when that metaphorical crutch is removed and Woods has to get around for up to 72 holes on a leg that will never be 100% again? Will he even be able to compete without the coveted reps he so often mentions?

Even Tiger doesn’t know.

“No, not yet,” said Woods when he was asked if he could predict what 2023 could look like. “Because if I didn’t have the plantar feeling like this, then yes, I could tell you that and I’d have a better idea. But I’m supposed to be resting this thing and stretching and letting it heal. But I’m not doing that at the moment.”

There are several problems; perhaps the biggest is that Woods turns 47 this week. Yes, he’s fit. Yes, he can still swing it. Yes, he’s Tiger Woods. But 47 is 47, and his age is certainly not helping his leg heal.

Woods is in a better place right now than he was this time a year ago. He recently said that his only goal for 2022 was to play in the Open Championship and that he was surprised that he was able enough to play in the PGA Championship and Masters as well. He will likely attempt to surpass that total this year by playing in all four majors and perhaps one or two other events. Will he finish all those tournaments? Who knows, but he will almost certainly attempt to start them.

What doesn’t really make sense is the pervasive notion that Woods can be competitive at the majors and perhaps even contend to win one. He didn’t come anywhere close to that in 2022 (47th, withdrawal, missed cut), and any incremental improvement in the health of his leg is likely to be offset by his aging body. (Remember, his back isn’t exactly in peak condition, either.)

There is just not a clear path to Woods being healthy enough to put in the necessary work that would make him sharp enough to win a 16th major championship.

Does that mean Tiger is going to be a ceremonial golfer in 2023 and beyond? Probably not. He will have his moments. He will shoot a 66 at some point. He will pop onto a major leaderboard on a Friday or even a weekend. He will provide a thrill or two along the way. However, he lacks the physical consistency necessary to truly contend given the 72 holes of grind required to even have a chance of winning another major.

The tension between his skill (still extraordinarily high) and his physical capability (all over the map) will be the story when it comes to Woods in 2023. It will likely follow him for the rest of his career. The fact that his primary contemporary, Phil Mickelson, won a major at age 50 will only contribute to the hoopla. Winning golf tournaments — especially the ones Woods plays — at age 47 is extremely challenging, bordering on impossible. Doing so with a body as busted as Woods’ exacerbates that difficulty.

So while we will see more of Tiger in 2023, and his presence will be a good thing given the PGA Tour’s ongoing rivalry with LIV Golf, December was not an indicator that we will see more of Woods doing what he’s done throughout his career: contending to win high-level golf tournaments. Those days are almost certainly over, and while we might get a glimpse or two contrary to that over the next 12 months (or beyond), these last few weeks were a reminder of where Woods is at and what lies ahead.

Projecting Tiger Woods’ 2023 schedule

• Feb. 16-19: The Genesis Invitational
• March 9-12: The Players Championship
• April 6-9: The Masters
• May 18-21: PGA Championship
• June 15-18: U.S. Open
• July 20-23: The Open Championship

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Don’t look now, but Tiger Woods is back in action this weekend as he and his son, Charlie, will headline the action at the 2022 PNC Championship. Playing in this two-person scramble for the third consecutive year, the Woods duo is joined by previous winners in Justin Thomas and his father, John Daly and his son, John Daly Jr. Also competing are Hall of Famers, including Annika Sorenstam, Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Bernhard Langer, alongside their respective family members.

LPGA superstar and former world No. 1 Nelly Korda is set to compete for the second straight year with her father, and making his PNC Championship debut is another former world No. 1 in Jordan Spieth. Playing for the first time with his father, Spieth will look to carry the momentum from his victory with Thomas at The Match 7 into a successful showing at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. 

Major champions Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Padraig Harrington and many more round out the action in what should be a fun-filled weekend in Florida. While a laidback family outing at its very core, the PNC Championship is still an opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world — past, present and possibly future — hone in on their craft before the calendar flips to the new year.

Here’s how you can watch this weekend.

All times are Eastern

Round 2 — Sunday

Round starts: 10:05 a.m.

Early coverage: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Peacock

Early TV coverage: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. on Golf Channel & Peacock

Live TV coverage: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. on NBC & Peacock

Event information

Event: PNC Championship | Dates: Dec. 17-18
Location: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club — Orlando, Florida
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,106 | Purse: $1.09 million
Format: Two-person scramble

What is this event?

Formerly known as the Father/Son Challenge, this tournament has since rebranded to the PNC Championship. Having been played for nearly three decades, it has often been a way for major championship and Players Championship winners to team up with a family member of his choosing.

Only recently expanding on the field criteria, it has been a solid modification as Sorenstam and Korda have since joined in on the fun. With the influx of young talent like Daly Jr., who plays on the Arkansas men’s golf team, and Charlie Woods, who impresses in each appearance, the quality of golf, laughs and overall competition has ramped up.

What is the format?

Only 36 holes will be played as teams join forces in the scramble format. Like the format played in charity tournaments, each member of the team will tee off — from varying tees based on age — and select the best drive. This process is repeated with every shot until the ball is holed. There has been a story circulating of a team shooting 46 (!!!) at a scramble event, but I wouldn’t expect scores to be that low; instead, they should be in the neighborhood of low 60s of high 50s.

Has Tiger won this tournament before?

In short, no. However, last year he and Charlie came awfully close to chasing down the Dalys on the final day. At one point, the pair rattled off 11 straight birdies. Signing for rounds of 62-57, the Woods family came up two strokes short of claiming victory at 25 under. That will surely be on Charlie’s mind. Now 13, he is beginning to hit his growth spurt and will serve as a key component for Team Woods.

Who is in the field?

• Stewart Cink and Connor Cink
• John Daly and John Daly II
• David Duval and Brady Duval
• Nick Faldo and Matthew Faldo
• Jim Furyk and Tanner Furyk
• Padraig Harrington and Patrick Harrington
• Nelly Korda and Petr Korda
• Matt Kuchar and Carson Kuchar
• Bernhard Langer and Jason Langer
• Tom Lehman and Sean Lehman
• Justin Leonard and Luke Leonard
• Mark O’Meara and Shaun O’Meara
• Gary Player and Jordan Player
• Nick Price and Greg Price
• Vijay Singh and Qass Singh
• Annika Sorenstam and Will McGee
• Jordan Spieth and Shawn Spieth
• Justin Thomas and Mike Thomas
• Lee Trevino and Daniel Trevino
• Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods

What should we expect from Tiger?

This very well could be the last time we see Tiger in competition until February — if not April — for the 2023 Masters. With 36 holes guaranteed and utilizing a golf cart due to his leg and plantar fasciitis in his right foot, I expect to see some moments of vintage Tiger. Carving irons and hitting delicate pitches and chips — those are the moments to soak in as gone are the days of lashing at the driver and running in putts.

He showed some rust last week in The Match 7, but also signs that his game is close with a few filthy iron shots. Still, it remains a family-oriented event and Tiger will be insistent on using most of Charlie’s shots from tee to green while he looks on and takes in the sights and the sounds of a couple rounds with his son.

Picks and prediction

Team Thomas is the favorite at +275 and rightfully so. Justin looked terrific in The Match 7, carrying his team to victory, and his father Mike has been a PGA Professional for nearly 40 years. They won this event two years ago and came close to defending despite Mike experiencing some health issues at the time.

They are followed by Team Spieth at +450 and Team Woods at +500. In an event that could go a number of ways, I am unsure if I am comfortable backing Spieth and his father — whose game I have the faintest clue about — but Team Woods is intriguing. Their price is half of what it was a year ago and Charlie looks to have only gotten better. 

I’ll go with the homer pick at the top of the odds board with the Woods and Team Harrington a bit lower at +3300 as a sleeper. Padraig has been playing some fantastic golf on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and signed for a 10-under 62 alongside his son in the final round last year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in the mix.

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Don’t look now, but Tiger Woods is back in action this weekend as he and his son, Charlie, will headline the action at the 2022 PNC Championship. Playing in this two-person scramble for the third consecutive year, the Woods duo is joined by previous winners in Justin Thomas and his father, John Daly and his son, John Daly Jr. Also competing are Hall of Famers, including Annika Sorenstam, Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Bernhard Langer, alongside their respective family members.

LPGA superstar and former world No. 1 Nelly Korda is set to compete for the second straight year with her father, and making his PNC Championship debut is another former world No. 1 in Jordan Spieth. Playing for the first time with his father, Spieth will look to carry the momentum from his victory with Thomas at The Match 7 into a successful showing at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. 

Major champions Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Padraig Harrington and many more round out the action in what should be a fun-filled weekend in Florida. While a laidback family outing at its very core, the PNC Championship is still an opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world — past, present and possibly future — hone in on their craft before the calendar flips to the new year.

Here’s how you can watch this weekend.

All times are Eastern

Round 1 — Saturday

Round starts: 10:05 a.m.

Early coverage: 1-2 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage: 2-6 p.m. on NBC & Peacock

Round 2 — Sunday

Round starts: 10:05 a.m.

Early coverage: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Peacock

Early TV coverage: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. on Golf Channel & Peacock

Live TV coverage: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. on NBC & Peacock

Event information

Event: PNC Championship | Dates: Dec. 17-18
Location: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club — Orlando, Florida
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,106 | Purse: $1.09 million
Format: Two-person scramble

What is this event?

Formerly known as the Father/Son Challenge, this tournament has since rebranded to the PNC Championship. Having been played for nearly three decades, it has often been a way for major championship and Players Championship winners to team up with a family member of his choosing.

Only recently expanding on the field criteria, it has been a solid modification as Sorenstam and Korda have since joined in on the fun. With the influx of young talent like Daly Jr., who plays on the Arkansas men’s golf team, and Charlie Woods, who impresses in each appearance, the quality of golf, laughs and overall competition has ramped up.

What is the format?

Only 36 holes will be played as teams join forces in the scramble format. Like the format played in charity tournaments, each member of the team will tee off — from varying tees based on age — and select the best drive. This process is repeated with every shot until the ball is holed. There has been a story circulating of a team shooting 46 (!!!) at a scramble event, but I wouldn’t expect scores to be that low; instead, they should be in the neighborhood of low 60s of high 50s.

Has Tiger won this tournament before?

In short, no. However, last year he and Charlie came awfully close to chasing down the Dalys on the final day. At one point, the pair rattled off 11 straight birdies. Signing for rounds of 62-57, the Woods family came up two strokes short of claiming victory at 25 under. That will surely be on Charlie’s mind. Now 13, he is beginning to hit his growth spurt and will serve as a key component for Team Woods.

Who is in the field?

• Stewart Cink and Connor Cink
• John Daly and John Daly II
• David Duval and Brady Duval
• Nick Faldo and Matthew Faldo
• Jim Furyk and Tanner Furyk
• Padraig Harrington and Patrick Harrington
• Nelly Korda and Petr Korda
• Matt Kuchar and Carson Kuchar
• Bernhard Langer and Jason Langer
• Tom Lehman and Sean Lehman
• Justin Leonard and Luke Leonard
• Mark O’Meara and Shaun O’Meara
• Gary Player and Jordan Player
• Nick Price and Greg Price
• Vijay Singh and Qass Singh
• Annika Sorenstam and Will McGee
• Jordan Spieth and Shawn Spieth
• Justin Thomas and Mike Thomas
• Lee Trevino and Daniel Trevino
• Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods

What should we expect from Tiger?

This very well could be the last time we see Tiger in competition until February — if not April — for the 2023 Masters. With 36 holes guaranteed and utilizing a golf cart due to his leg and plantar fasciitis in his right foot, I expect to see some moments of vintage Tiger. Carving irons and hitting delicate pitches and chips — those are the moments to soak in as gone are the days of lashing at the driver and running in putts.

He showed some rust last week in The Match 7, but also signs that his game is close with a few filthy iron shots. Still, it remains a family-oriented event and Tiger will be insistent on using most of Charlie’s shots from tee to green while he looks on and takes in the sights and the sounds of a couple rounds with his son.

Picks and prediction

Team Thomas is the favorite at +275 and rightfully so. Justin looked terrific in The Match 7, carrying his team to victory, and his father Mike has been a PGA Professional for nearly 40 years. They won this event two years ago and came close to defending despite Mike experiencing some health issues at the time.

They are followed by Team Spieth at +450 and Team Woods at +500. In an event that could go a number of ways, I am unsure if I am comfortable backing Spieth and his father — whose game I have the faintest clue about — but Team Woods is intriguing. Their price is half of what it was a year ago and Charlie looks to have only gotten better. 

I’ll go with the homer pick at the top of the odds board with the Woods and Team Harrington a bit lower at +3300 as a sleeper. Padraig has been playing some fantastic golf on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and signed for a 10-under 62 alongside his son in the final round last year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in the mix.

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A fun, family-filled weekend kicks off at the 2022 PNC Championship with Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, capturing most of the headlines. While younger Woods’ swing has taken social media by storm, it is the status and health of the elder one — the one who has taken social media by storm since its inception — that remains on the minds of most.

“I can practice. I just can’t walk,” Woods said, echoing his comments from the Hero World Challenge. “So when you’re dealing with the plantar [fasciitis] like this, it’s one of these things where I need rest, and I haven’t exactly been doing that.”

Developing plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Woods was forced to withdraw from the Hero World Challenge — the event he hosts annually — at the beginning of December. Despite this foot injury accompanying a recovering leg and five prior back surgeries, the 82-time winner competed in The Match 7 with Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, and will hit the course again at this week’s PNC Championship. 

“It’s been a lot harder than people probably imagine,” Woods said of his road to recovery. “There’s some of the players who are very close to me know what I’ve kind of gone through, and they’re the ones that keep encouraging me to back off a little bit. But that’s not really in my nature. My nature is trying to get better. And I have. And through work ethic, I was able to, as I said, play and compete in three major championships this year. 

“And this offseason hasn’t really been an off season. I’ve kind of ramped things up. But after this, come Monday, we shut it all down and take care of this foot so that I can ramp up properly. As you’ve seen, I can hit golf balls. I can do all that. I can practice at home. I can hit shots around the green. I can do all that. I just can’t get from point A to point B.”

With plans to get off his feet following the conclusion of the PNC Championship, one can’t help but wonder what Woods’ future playing schedule may look like. Playing only nine competitive rounds during the 2021-22 PGA Tour season — four at The Masters, three at the PGA Championship and two at The Open — the 15-time major champion was rarely seen, an oddity golf fans will have to get used to.

Conventional wisdom suggests Woods potentially teeing it up in February at the Genesis Invitational, and maybe even The Players Championship in early March if the body is up for it. If not, all sights remain on Augusta National for The Masters in April in what would be the first of four major championship appearances in 2023. 

Perhaps that’ll be it for Woods and five tournaments will be the max. Perhaps not. There are other events, including The Memorial, squarely between the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, which make sense but only time will tell as more information about his health, stamina and endurance come to light.

What is for certain is the recently developed plantar fasciitis is doing Woods no favors. Stripping him of an opportunity to play alongside 19 of the best players in the world in The Bahamas, it has also brought a sense of precariousness to his recovery timeline.

“No, not yet,” Woods said of knowing his future schedule. “Because if I didn’t have the plantar feeling like this, then, yes, I could tell you that and I’d have a better idea. But I’m supposed to be resting this thing and stretching and letting it heal. But I’m not doing that at the moment.”

Instead, Woods is playing alongside his son as the two attempt to improve on their runner-up performance from a year ago. With the potential for new injuries or aggravation of old ones lingering, the soon-to-be 47-year-old Woods sees the bigger picture, and if some additional soreness is the price he has to pay for a couple rounds with his son, then so be it.

“I don’t really care about that [a potential setback],” said Woods. “I think being there with and alongside my son is far more important, and get to have a chance to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky.”

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Don’t look now, but Tiger Woods is back in action this weekend as he and his son, Charlie, will headline the action at the 2022 PNC Championship. Playing in this two-person scramble for the third consecutive year, the Woods duo is joined by previous winners in Justin Thomas and his father, John Daly and his son, John Daly Jr. Also competing are Hall of Famers, including Annika Sorenstam, Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Bernhard Langer, alongside their respective family members.

LPGA superstar and former world No. 1 Nelly Korda is set to compete for the second straight year with her father, and making his PNC Championship debut is another former world No. 1 in Jordan Spieth. Playing for the first time with his father, Spieth will look to carry the momentum from his victory with Thomas at The Match 7 into a successful showing at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club. 

Major champions Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Padraig Harrington and many more round out the action in what should be a fun-filled weekend in Florida. While a laidback family outing at its very core, the PNC Championship is still an opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world — past, present and possibly future — hone in on their craft before the calendar flips to the new year.

Event information

Event: PNC Championship | Dates: Dec. 17-18
Location: Ritz-Carlton Golf Club — Orlando, Florida
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,106 | Purse: $1.09 million
Format: Two-person scramble

What is this event?

Formerly known as the Father/Son Challenge, this tournament has since rebranded to the PNC Championship. Having been played for nearly three decades, it has often been a way for major championship and Players Championship winners to team up with a family member of his choosing.

Only recently expanding on the field criteria, it has been a solid modification as Sorenstam and Korda have since joined in on the fun. With the influx of young talent like Daly Jr., who plays on the Arkansas men’s golf team, and Charlie Woods, who impresses in each appearance, the quality of golf, laughs and overall competition has ramped up.

What is the format?

Only 36 holes will be played as teams join forces in the scramble format. Like the format played in charity tournaments, each member of the team will tee off — from varying tees based on age — and select the best drive. This process is repeated with every shot until the ball is holed. There has been a story circulating of a team shooting 46 (!!!) at a scramble event, but I wouldn’t expect scores to be that low; instead, they should be in the neighborhood of low 60s of high 50s.

Has Tiger won this tournament before?

In short, no. However, last year he and Charlie came awfully close to chasing down the Dalys on the final day. At one point, the pair rattled off 11 straight birdies. Signing for rounds of 62-57, the Woods family came up two strokes short of claiming victory at 25 under. That will surely be on Charlie’s mind. Now 13, he is beginning to hit his growth spurt and will serve as a key component for Team Woods.

Who is in the field?

• Stewart Cink and Connor Cink
• John Daly and John Daly II
• David Duval and Brady Duval
• Nick Faldo and Matthew Faldo
• Jim Furyk and Tanner Furyk
• Padraig Harrington and Patrick Harrington
• Nelly Korda and Petr Korda
• Matt Kuchar and Carson Kuchar
• Bernhard Langer and Jason Langer
• Tom Lehman and Sean Lehman
• Justin Leonard and Luke Leonard
• Mark O’Meara and Shaun O’Meara
• Gary Player and Jordan Player
• Nick Price and Greg Price
• Vijay Singh and Qass Singh
• Annika Sorenstam and Will McGee
• Jordan Spieth and Shawn Spieth
• Justin Thomas and Mike Thomas
• Lee Trevino and Daniel Trevino
• Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods

What should we expect from Tiger?

This very well could be the last time we see Tiger in competition until February — if not April — for the 2023 Masters. With 36 holes guaranteed and utilizing a golf cart due to his leg and plantar fasciitis in his right foot, I expect to see some moments of vintage Tiger. Carving irons and hitting delicate pitches and chips — those are the moments to soak in as gone are the days of lashing at the driver and running in putts.

He showed some rust last week in The Match 7, but also signs that his game is close with a few filthy iron shots. Still, it remains a family-oriented event and Tiger will be insistent on using most of Charlie’s shots from tee to green while he looks on and takes in the sights and the sounds of a couple rounds with his son.

Picks and prediction

Team Thomas is the favorite at +275 and rightfully so. Justin looked terrific in The Match 7, carrying his team to victory, and his father Mike has been a PGA Professional for nearly 40 years. They won this event two years ago and came close to defending despite Mike experiencing some health issues at the time.

They are followed by Team Spieth at +450 and Team Woods at +500. In an event that could go a number of ways, I am unsure if I am comfortable backing Spieth and his father — whose game I have the faintest clue about — but Team Woods is intriguing. Their price is half of what it was a year ago and Charlie looks to have only gotten better. 

I’ll go with the homer pick at the top of the odds board with the Woods and Team Harrington a bit lower at +3300 as a sleeper. Padraig has been playing some fantastic golf on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and signed for a 10-under 62 alongside his son in the final round last year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they find themselves in the mix.

Here’s how you can watch this weekend.

All times are Eastern

Round 1 — Saturday

Round starts: 10:05 a.m.

Early coverage: 1-2 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage: 2-6 p.m. on NBC & Peacock

Round 2 — Sunday

Round starts: 10:05 a.m.

Early coverage: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Peacock

Early TV coverage: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. on Golf Channel & Peacock

Live TV coverage: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. on NBC & Peacock

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Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas fired seven birdies in 10 holes en route to beating Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy 3&2 in the latest instalment of The Match, a charity exhibition held at Pelican Golf Club in Florida.

Woods and McIlroy were outgunned in all departments of the match, which was due to be played over 12 holes, but only went as far as the 10^th due to the one-sided nature of the contest.

All four players were mic’d up and using custom carts for the floodlit match, which was Woods’ first televised appearance since missing the cut at The Open in July after sitting out last week’s Hero World Challenge due to injury.

“Tiger and Rory, what happened?” Thomas and Spieth said on Twitter after the win. “How do you lose to us two? It’s alright, everybody does!”

Woods admitted he had not hit a golf ball for over two weeks ahead of the contest due to plantar fasciitis, although he got up and down from just short of the green at the driveable par-four first to tie the hole with a birdie.

Thomas drained a long-range birdie at the second and Spieth rolled in from 15 feet at the par-three next, while Thomas two-putted from off the green using a five-wood for a winning par in the one-club challenge hole.

McIlroy missed a 12-foot birdie try to win the next and the teams claimed a share of the sixth with pars, before the world No 1 drained a 20-footer at the seventh to win the only hole of the contest for him and Woods. Thomas restored their advantage on the very next hole, rolling in from 12 feet for birdie, with Spieth then matching Woods and McIlroy’s birdie on the 10th to seal the victory.

The contest was the seventh edition of The Match and third appearance for Woods, having been beaten by Phil Mickelson in the inaugural event in 2018 and partnering Peyton Manning to victory in the 2020 contest.

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Bromance will be strong in the seventh edition of The Match. Featuring 15-time major champion Tiger Woods alongside his business partner and good friend Rory McIlroy squaring off with the all-American duo of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, the charity golf exhibition welcomes four major champions to Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Saturday. 

Woods and McIlroy possess 19 major championships between the two, while Spieth and Thomas lag behind with a measly five. While both pairs are experienced, only Woods has previously participated in The Match. Playing in the inaugural competition, Woods fell to Phil Mickelson in extra holes before exacting revenge over Mickelson and Tom Brady alongside Peyton Manning in the second edition of the event.

The 46-year-old may know what to expect from the competition, but perhaps not from his own game. Not seen in competition since The 150th Open, Woods was expected to play in the 2022 Hero World Challenge before being forced to withdraw due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. 

“I like playing, I like competing, but unfortunately, I can hit the golf ball and hit whatever shot you want, I just can’t walk,” said Woods at the onset of his event in The Bahamas.

Fortunately for Woods, all competitors will use golf carts, and he happens to be paired with the best player in the game in world No. 1 McIlroy. The Northern Irishman is fresh off winning the DP World Tour Championship, capturing the European crown in conjunction with his FedEx Cup title from this past summer. McIlroy may be in the best form of the four players, but doubting Spieth and Thomas in a team competition has proven to be unwise in the past.

Garnering a 4-0-0 record with each other at the 2022 Presidents Cup, Spieth and Thomas were unstoppable at Quail Hollow Club in September. They are 16-7-1 when paired together between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, and should give Woods and McIlroy all they can handle over the course of a 12-hole best ball match.

LIVE updates: Follow along with all the action from The Match at this link here. 

The Match 7

Viewing information

Date: Saturday, Dec 10 | Time 7 p.m. ET 
Location: Pelican Golf Club — Belleair, Florida
Broadcast: TNT | Simulcast: TBS, truTV, HLN

Format

The Match will be contested under 12 holes of match play and best-ball format. Each player will play his own ball, and the best individual score from each team will count for the hole. 

Teams

Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy: They played in an exhibition at Big Cedar Lodge following the 2020 U.S. Open, but outside of that and practice rounds, the two do not have any experience alongside each other in the team setting. Woods is the major question mark among the four players, but any concerns may be squashed given his playing partner. McIlroy is playing some of the best golf of his career, and Woods has alway been known as someone to underdeliver to the media and overdeliver on the golf course. Perhaps this will be one of those instances as well.

Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas: Thomas finished the Hero World Challenge on a high note to grab a solo fifth-place result, while Spieth nearly brought up the rear for the second straight year. These two can ham-and-egg it with the best of them and know each other’s game maybe better than their own. With a history of performing at their peak alongside each other, it is no surprise they are listed as the favorites in this one. However, if Tiger and Rory are smart (which they are), they won’t be giving these two too many gimmes — much to the dismay of Thomas — as short putts have been a thorn in both of their sides.

Rick Gehman, Kyle Porter and Patrick McDonald preview The Match featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy vs Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.  Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Picks, odds

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spieth/Thomas: -125 | Woods/McIlroy: +105

There has been significant movement in this line since opening. Woods and McIlroy were actually -120 favorites at one point, but have since drifted to plus money as the underdogs. Spieth and Thomas should hypothetically roll, however, these charity events have seen some surprises with the best putters tending to win. That isn’t the strength of Thomas, and surely not Spieth, which makes me believe the current form of McIlroy combined with a sprinkle of Woods magic will be enough to see them come out on top. Pick: Woods/McIlroy +105

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Saturday’s seventh edition of The Match — this one featuring Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas — should be as entertaining as golf gets at this time of the year. That quartet hasn’t been playing a ton, but these exhibition events are more about the interaction than the golf anyway, and the interaction should be phenomenal.

Woods and McIlroy will take on Spieth and Thomas at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at Pelican Golf Club (more details here). The latter pair is favored, which led Thomas to joke Wednesday in a conference call that the sharps totally know what they’re doing when it comes to setting the lines.

There is plenty to be excited about when it comes to this particular event — perhaps Woods’ return to golf for the first time since July’s Open Championship most of all — and even though this best-ball match will only last 12 holes, it should be terrifically entertaining. Here are four things I’ll be looking for when the festivities get underway on Saturday.

1. Tiger’s health: There are a lot of very not serious items to tick off on Saturday night at Pelican, but Tiger’s health is not one of them. He withdrew from last week’s Hero World Challenge with plantar fasciitis and casually mentioned that he’d had other procedures earlier this year. He has insisted that he’ll be fine as long as he has a golf cart (he will Saturday), but I’m mildly dubious about his overall mobility.

There should not be (although there undoubtedly will be) any extrapolations made about next year’s major championships based on the 50 or so shots Woods hits at this event, but it’s been five months since we’ve seen him swing a golf club competitively. That’s not nothing, and the best swing of all time — whether it is affected by the myriad ailments Tiger feels in the rest of his body — will be under a microscope over the next 10 days (here and at the PNC Championship where he will tee it up with his son, Charlie).

2. Who is the best trash talker? Back to the more insouciant topics. There was debate on Wednesday about this. Tiger said he was limited in terms of the vocabulary he could use. Rory said he knows J.T. thinks he’s the best talker. J.T. and Spieth said they were so outclassed when it comes to wins and majors that they might have to take the nice guy route instead of going right at two guys with a combined 19 major championships. (Spieth and J.T. have five.) Banter at events like these is normally neutered, but hopefully the fellas get a little loose, and we get some top-notch one-liners.

3. Night golf: Spieth spoke about how he’s never played night golf before and how much he was looking forward to doing so. I am equally excited about some primetime East Coast golf in the winter. Normally, when golf is televised at these times, it’s on the West Coast, but this event should feel a little bigger than normal because it’s under the lights. I don’t know that this will affect the outcome (unless the lights on the carts malfunction for some reason), but it does add to the festivities a bit.

4. Best match ever: Up to this point, the most collective majors at a match like this one was 21 (Tiger and Phil Mickelson, multiple times). This group has 24 combined, and it represents the most collective talent at any of the seven official matches to date. Granted, 15 of those came from the guy who hasn’t played in five months, but three of the other players are among the 15 best in the world right now. If this thing is close late — and it likely will be — the battle for a meaningless victory certainly won’t feel like just another exhibition.

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Bromance will be strong in the seventh edition of The Match. Featuring 15-time major champion Tiger Woods alongside his business partner and good friend Rory McIlroy squaring off with the all-American duo of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, the charity golf exhibition welcomes four major champions to Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, on Saturday. 

Woods and McIlroy possess 19 major championships between the two, while Spieth and Thomas lag behind with a measly five. While both pairs are experienced, only Woods has previously participated in The Match. Playing in the inaugural competition, Woods fell to Phil Mickelson in extra holes before exacting revenge over Mickelson and Tom Brady alongside Peyton Manning in the second edition of the event.

The 46-year-old may know what to expect from the competition, but perhaps not from his own game. Not seen in competition since The 150th Open, Woods was expected to play in the 2022 Hero World Challenge before being forced to withdraw due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. 

“I like playing, I like competing, but unfortunately, I can hit the golf ball and hit whatever shot you want, I just can’t walk,” said Woods at the onset of his event in The Bahamas.

Fortunately for Woods, all competitors will use golf carts, and he happens to be paired with the best player in the game in world No. 1 McIlroy. The Northern Irishman is fresh off winning the DP World Tour Championship, capturing the European crown in conjunction with his FedEx Cup title from this past summer. McIlroy may be in the best form of the four players, but doubting Spieth and Thomas in a team competition has proven to be unwise in the past.

Garnering a 4-0-0 record with each other at the 2022 Presidents Cup, Spieth and Thomas were unstoppable at Quail Hollow Club in September. They are 16-7-1 when paired together between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, and should give Woods and McIlroy all they can handle over the course of a 12-hole best ball match.

The Match 7

Viewing information

Date: Saturday, Dec 10 | Time 7 p.m. ET 
Location: Pelican Golf Club — Belleair, Florida
Broadcast: TNT | Simulcast: TBS, truTV, HLN

Format

The Match will be contested under 12 holes of match play and best-ball format. Each player will play his own ball, and the best individual score from each team will count for the hole. 

Teams

Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy: They played in an exhibition at Big Cedar Lodge following the 2020 U.S. Open, but outside of that and practice rounds, the two do not have any experience alongside each other in the team setting. Woods is the major question mark among the four players, but any concerns may be squashed given his playing partner. McIlroy is playing some of the best golf of his career, and Woods has alway been known as someone to underdeliver to the media and overdeliver on the golf course. Perhaps this will be one of those instances as well.

Jordan Spieth & Justin Thomas: Thomas finished the Hero World Challenge on a high note to grab a solo fifth-place result, while Spieth nearly brought up the rear for the second straight year. These two can ham-and-egg it with the best of them and know each other’s game maybe better than their own. With a history of performing at their peak alongside each other, it is no surprise they are listed as the favorites in this one. However, if Tiger and Rory are smart (which they are), they won’t be giving these two too many gimmes — much to the dismay of Thomas — as short putts have been a thorn in both of their sides.

Rick Gehman, Kyle Porter and Patrick McDonald preview The Match featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy vs Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.  Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Picks, odds

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spieth/Thomas: -125 | Woods/McIlroy: +105

There has been significant movement in this line since opening. Woods and McIlroy were actually -120 favorites at one point, but have since drifted to plus money as the underdogs. Spieth and Thomas should hypothetically roll, however, these charity events have seen some surprises with the best putters tending to win. That isn’t the strength of Thomas, and surely not Spieth, which makes me believe the current form of McIlroy combined with a sprinkle of Woods magic will be enough to see them come out on top. Pick: Woods/McIlroy +105

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NBA players have flocked to the golf course during their down time for ages. Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Steph Curry … the list of legends who enjoy the occasional round goes on, and Lebron James could be the next to join them. J.R. Smith, James’ former teammate and current member of the North Carolina A&T men’s golf team, discussed the possibility of the four-time MVP taking his talents to the golf course on Golf Channel’s Golf Today

“I would love to get him on the course,” Smith said. “For him, I think it would be amazing. Being in nature, being outdoors and being away from everybody, you get to throw your phone in the bag, have a drink, smoke a cigar, just enjoy the time. I think that would be such an amazing part of his life and give him time to himself, that peace of mind.”

Unlike some of the biggest stars in the world of sports, little video evidence of James’ swing existed —  until early October when footage of the 37-year-old at TopGolf surfaced on the internet. The swing needs … work, to put it lightly, and while longer clubs may help, Smith already has a potential coach in mind for James: 15-time major champion Tiger Woods.

“I don’t know if he [LeBron] has the fluidity, I’m just gonna say, to perfect that swing – or not perfect it, but to be one of those guys who can move it around early. I think it’s going take him a while, he’s going to have to get some lessons. I’m open to teaching him, but obviously I’m not the best either. He has access. I mean he and Tiger [Woods] are Nike [ambassadors], so they can figure that out.”

Woods has played golf with NBA superstars in the past, including Dwayne Wade, one of Lebron’s closest friends, and Jordan. With Woods confirming at the 2022 Hero World Challenge that his playing schedule will look much more relaxed moving forward due to his lengthy list of injuries, perhaps it will open a 6-foot-9 door to teaching. 

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