Tiger Woods is coming back and he’ll actually play some competitive golf in the month of December and he’s actually announced that he’ll be part of the next episode of “The Match” when he teams with Rory McIlroy to take on his pal Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
The posh Pelican Golf Club in Belleair (Florida) will be the host club and this version of “The Match” will be a Saturday night special — a 12-hole match under the lights.
Turner Sports will broadcast the contest. Last go-round was a bunch of NFL quarterbacks. This time, there will be big-name star players.
The Pelican hosts the next-to-last even of the LPGA Tour’s season next week. This will be the seventh variation of The Match. It will also be Tiger’s third appearance in the series.
It could be one of three events for Woods in the month of December. He hosts his Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas December 1-4. Tiger hasn’t committed to that field yet but we’ll go ahead and make the early call that he’s going to play in his own event.
Then there the PNC Championship in Orlando, December 17-18, the off-shoot of the former father-son event that now includes daughters, grandchildren and other offspring of major champions in the world of golf. John and John Daly II are the defending champions. With the progress of son Charlie in junior golf, the Woods team should challenge for the title there this go-round.
Japan LPGA Players Dominate Toto Classic:
Unless you’re a big follower of the Japan LPGA, the names at the top of the leader-board at the Toto Classic of Japan are probably not familiar.
Momoko Ueda has the 36-hole leader after a Friday round of 69 took her to 10-under par, good for the lead by herself.
She has a one-shot lead over her countrywomen and JLPGA competitors Miyu Yamashita and co-sanctioned defending champion Ai Suzuki. This is her fourth 36-hole lead on the LPGA Tour, with her first three recorded at the 2006, 2007 and 2011 TOTO Japan Classic, the last two leading to her only Tour victories of her career. New world No. 1, teenager Atthaya Thitikul from Thailand, put herself in contention with two rounds to play. She followed her opening 71 with a five-under par 67 on day two.
Ueda, whose 134 is her lowest 36-hole score on the LPGA Tour since her win at the 2011 TOTO Japan Classic (131), started with five-straight pars in the final grouping of the day. She notched her first birdie at Seta Golf Course on No. 6, but went bogey-birdie-bogey on holes nine, 10 and 11. Ueda carded three more birdies in her final six holes.
“I was not in a good mood in the first five holes. During that time, Ai and Sakura made good putts and played well. So, I tried to catch up with them and not to think conservatively,” said Ueda. “My tee shots and putts were not so good compared with yesterday and I was thinking during the round that it is going to be a tough day. In such a situation, I played well enough today.”
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
Glad to see 4 superstars of golf back at this. I wish it was 18 simply because it’s gonna be fun especially under the lights.
And I really hope firmer brings Phil in as a commentator. That would be such a good move if tiger and Rory and Chick and and Turner sports reached out to Lefty.
Tom Edrington
No way in hell Mickelson would be involved in anything with PGA Tour players so forget that. 12 holes because they want it over sooner…