It was heralded as a match for the ages—Tiger Woods would take on his longtime rival Phil Mickelson in a match in Las Vegas, complete with trash talk and side bets, all televised with the golfers’ dialogue captured throughout.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, even though the match was decided over multiple playoff holes as the sun dipped low. Now we’re hearing there’s going to be a new version—one involving Woods, McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Jason Day and taking place on Oct. 21 in Japan. Called Japan Skins, the golfers will play for $350,000, which some see as an insignificant amount, especially compared to the $9-million involved in The Match. The new skins game will be broadcast on GOLFTV.
Pro
The Match was fun—and golf could use more events like it
There was certainly a lot of excitement about The Match and the possibility of seeing Woods battle Mickelson, all the while getting the inside perspective on how the event played out. While neither Woods nor Mickelson had their best games during The Match, it was a glimpse at what televised golf could be. And surely, if given the chance to do it again, the formula would be refined and the second time around would be an improvement, maybe even must-see TV.
Cons
The Match wasn’t spontaneous or interesting. We don’t need a repeat.
Critics were unhappy with the forced nature of The Match, with neither Mickelson or Woods being particularly comfortable on TV or with each other. It didn’t help that neither golfer played particularly well—did anyone hole a single putt that mattered?—making it low on drama. With the price of watching the event, which was offered as a pay-per-view, many thought it wasn’t great golf or great TV—just costly.
Your call
What’s your take? Would you like to see a new and improved version of The Match—or is it an idea whose time has come and gone already?
Lots of options to consider. What about a North American 2 person Team Event …. 3 formats using 6, 6, 6 holes. Make it a three day event starting with 8 pairs, then 4 pairs and 2 pairs on the final day? The Key is the rite 16 players to start with and this must be hosted in USA.
The match was amazing. So glad they did it. To those who were disappointed – IT’S GOLF – Good days and not so good days. To see the two most celebrated golfers go head to head is a privilege. Please do it again.