Officialsportsbetting.com Golf Betting Day victorious at MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins

Day victorious at MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins

Jason Day comes home with a flourish to take out the MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins over Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama. All four players had a chance to take the title on the final hole, but it was the Australian who prevailed with a clutch birdie to take the trophy. Day won three skins with a birdie on the par-3 3rd, then collected four more on the par-4 17th with a clutch 12-foot par putt. The former world No.1 and 12-time PGA TOUR winner then claimed the par-5 18th hole $100,000 super skin with an up-and-down birdie under the lights. Below are the final results and hole-by-hole recap of the action. Related: Leaderboard | Everything you need to know about MGM Resorts The Challenge | PGA TOUR Visual Stories: MGM Resorts The Challenge JASON DAY: Skins: 8 ($210,000) | Fairways: 7 of 13 | Greens 11 of 18 | Putts: 27 TIGER WOODS: Skins: 5 ($60,000) | Fairways: 5 of 13 | Greens: 10 of 18 | Putts: 26 RORY MCILROY: Skins: 4 ($60,000) | Fairways: 5 of 13 | Greens: 13 of 18 | Putts: 28 HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Skins: 1 ($20,000) | Fairways: 3 of 13 | Greens: 10 of 18 | Putts: 25 Hole No. 1 (Par-4) Leading us off is Tiger Woods. He takes driver and it’s headed left. Next up is Jason Day, and his driver is also a little to the left and finds the rough. Rory McIlroy’s driver is headed to the right. We have our first “fore!â€� call! And last but certainly not least – especially in the fans’ eyes – Hideki Matsuyama’s driver also drifts left and finds the rough. First on approach attempt is McIlroy, but from the tree line, he comes up short. Woods changes clubs, takes 9-iron and is not on the dance floor. Day shows them all how to play from the rough and hits it expertly in close. Matsuyama can’t respond and also comes up short. Woods takes a couple of hacks from the left side of the green and is conceded a bogey. McIlroy and Matsuyama can’t chip in and take pars. Day has a 6-footer for birdie and Woods tells him to “lag it up close.” Day makes sure it gets there with pace, but it lips out hard off the right edge. The first chance at cash goes begging. RESULT: $10,000 Skin halved. Hole No. 2 worth $20,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (0 of 1) | Greens: Miss (0 of 1) | Putts: 1 (1) | Skins: 0 RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (0 of 1) | Greens: Miss (0 of 1) | Putts: 1 (1) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Miss (0 of 1) | Greens: Hit (1 of 1) | Putts: 2 (2) | Skins: 0 HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (0 of 1) | Greens: Miss (0 of 1) | Putts: 1 (1) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 2 (Par-4) After all four players missed the fairway on the opening hole with driver, they all pull irons on the second and all find the short grass. But on approach, only Woods and Matsuyama find the green as Day and McIlroy spin their balls back hard off the surface. McIlroy’s opening effort with putter from the fringe is a shocker and has both Day and Woods holding back laughter. Day from the fringe lags up close and makes par. Woods birdie try from 20 feet goes well long. McIlroy lets Woods know – “At least I can blame it on the fringeâ€�. Meanwhile, Matsuyama has a putt to win $20,000, but it stays out to the right and he secures the half to set up a three hole jackpot worth $30,000. RESULT: $20,000 Skin halved (Day, Matsuyama, McIlroy, Woods). Hole No. 3 worth $30,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Hit (1 of 2) | Greens: Hit (1 of 2) | Putts: 2 (3) | Skins: 0 RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Hit (1 of 2) | Greens: Miss (0 of 2) | Putts: 1 (2) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (1 of 2) | Greens: Miss (1 of 2) | Putts: 1 (3) | Skins: 0 HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Hit (1 of 2) | Greens: Hit (1 of 2) | Putts: 2 (3) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 3 (Par-3) It’s just 152 yards here on the third and Woods is up first. He has yanked it hard to the left and it’s bounced hard off the concrete path. It’s bobbling around and won’t end up in a good spot. Day stands up next and stiffs one to inside 10 feet. McIlroy blocks his a little right and finds the green, but faces a monster birdie putt. Matsuyama knows he needs to step up and while he finds the fringe, it is under the hole and in a makeable spot. Woods, in fact, has watched his ball come all the way back down the path and leaves him a wedge back up to the elevated green. He overshoots into a bunker. When he gets there ,McIlroy has to let him know he’s still away. Woods splashes out, but not close enough. He is given a bogey. McIlroy’s long putt is tracking the entire way, but comes up just a foot short. Matsuyama’s putt from the fringe gets caught up and is not even close, leaving Day a chance to get on the board. He makes no mistake and collects the three jackpot skins as his putt falls in from the left side. RESULT: $30,000 Skin won by JASON DAY TIGER WOODS: Fairways: N/A (1 of 2) | Greens: Miss (1 of 3) | Putts: 1 (4) | Skins: 0 RORY MCILROY: Fairways: N/A (1 of 2) | Greens: Hit (1 of 3) | Putts: 2 (4) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: N/A (1 of 2) | Greens: Hit (2 of 3) | Putts: 1 (4) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: N/A (1 of 2) | Greens: Miss (1 of 3) | Putts: 1 (4) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 4 (Par-4) Golf courses in Japan often have two greens, and the fourth here is no exception. On this hole, players have been given the option to go for whichever green they choose and they don’t even have to announce which one it is. It is part of a charity challenge where $100,000 will go to the winner’s charity of choice. Woods, Day and McIlroy split the fairway from the tee, but Matsuyama has tugged his tee shot left and it has found a watery grave. After a drop, he takes a rip for the putting surfaces, but still has work to do. He wedges on to the right green in four shots. Woods refuses to tell Day which green he’s going for and ends up splitting the two. Day’s approach is fat and misses the right green short. McIlroy takes dead aim after his monster drive and has a great look at birdie on the left green. With Matsuyama and Day unable to make par on the right side, McIlroy is in great shape, but his birdie try never looks good. Woods, meanwhile, gets up-and-down for par and now McIlroy has a little 3-foot knee-knocker for a half. He makes it to send this skin to the next. RESULT: $10,000 Skin halved (McIlroy, Woods). Hole No. 5 worth $20,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Hit (2 of 3) | Greens: Miss (1 of 4) | Putts: 1 (5) | Skins: 0 RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Hit (2 of 3) | Greens: Hit (2 of 4) | Putts: 2 (6) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (2 of 3) | Greens: Miss (2 of 4) | Putts: 2 (6) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (1 of 3) | Greens: Miss (1 of 4) | Putts: 1 (5) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 5 (Par-3) At just 177 yards, this should be a snack right? Not quite. Day goes first and finds the water that guards the right side of the hole. Woods goes next and makes sure he doesn’t do the same, but instead goes well left into a bunker. Amazingly, McIlroy follows Day into the water, leaving Matsuyama a free shot at the green. The crowd is excited for what they hope will be the local man’s big chance, but he hits his 8-iron fat and becomes the third participant in the drink. The water boys all chip up inside 10-feet and Day secures a bogey for them all. Woods splashes out of the sand to five feet and has it for the win. He goes mini-Kevin Na and walks it in despite some trash talk from his competitors trying to get in his head. The 81-time PGA TOUR winner gets two skins for his trouble. RESULT: $20,000 Skin won by TIGER WOODS. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: N/A (2 of 3) | Greens: Miss (1 of 5) | Putts: 1 (6) | Skins: 2 ($20,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: N/A (2 of 3) | Greens: Miss (2 of 5) | Putts: 1 (7) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: N/A (2 of 3) | Greens: Miss (2 of 5) | Putts: 1 (7) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: N/A (1 of 3) | Greens: Miss (1 of 5) | Putts: 1 (6) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 6 (Par-5) Time to showcase some power on our first par-5 after everyone finds the fairway, but it’s still a long way home. Despite all four going with muscle, no one finds the putting surface in two. McIlroy is in the sand, but the rest are coming up from the grass. Day’s chip is the best of the bunch as it stops about six inches from the cup and is an easy birdie. Woods is unable to match it from about 18 feet. McIlroy tries to do so from 12 feet and is successful, so we move on. And it’s time to up the ante with skins now worth $15,000 each hole so the next will be worth $25,000. RESULT: $10,000 Skin halved (Day, McIlroy, Matsuyama). Hole No. 7 worth $25,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Hit (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (2 of 6) | Putts: 2 (8) | Skins: 2 ($20,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Hit (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (3 of 6) | Putts: 1 (8) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (3 of 6) | Putts: 1 (8) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Hit (2 of 4) | Greens: Hit (2 of 6) | Putts: 1 (7) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 7 (Par-3) Time for some fun with some supreme athletes outside the realm of golf. It is the rugby challenge hole, given the Rugby World Cup is currently taking place in Japan. We will go with two-person teams in a scramble format. The two-man team that wins gets $100,000 from FedEx Cares donated to the International Youth Foundation in their names. Each golfer gets a former rugby star to join them. First up is Mike Tindall, who was part of England’s 2003 World Cup winning side – he gets to play with Woods. Despite just 144 yards on the par-3 to negotiate, the rugby boys feel a little nervous. Tindall makes a good pass at it, but it misses the green left. Woods bails him out though with a beauty to 10 feet. Next up is Australian Wallaby legend George Gregan. This little guy was famous for chopping down men twice his size in his heyday. His golf shot heads well left, though. His countryman Day steps up, though, and hits it about 10 feet right of the cup. Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll steps up next and takes it right over the pin. Adrenaline has got the better of him just a little and it’s onto the back fringe. McIlroy gives the team 20 feet with his effort. Brian Habana from South Africa is next… boy he was lightning fast in his day… he has airmailed the green despite a great strike. Matsuyama finds the surface but it will be a lengthy putt for his team from some 35 feet. Habana comes up a little short but then boooooom! Matsuyama drains it and Habana leaps onto his teammate… can’t imagine Hideki was ready to lift a huge rugby guy today! Not to be outdone, O’Driscoll takes aim from 20 feet and drills it home! This rugby star can putt! Tindall and Woods fail in their attempts and Gregan misses on the right side. Day cleans up the hole with a birdie of his own. RESULT: $25,000 Skin halved (Day, McIlroy, Matsuyama). Hole No. 8 worth $40,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: N/A (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (3 of 7) | Putts: 2 (10) | Skins: 2 ($20,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: N/A (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (4 of 7) | Putts: 1 (9) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: N/A (3 of 4) | Greens: Hit (4 of 7) | Putts: 1 (9) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: N/A (2 of 4) | Greens: Hit (3 of 7) | Putts: 1 (8) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 8 (Par-4) Back to regular programming for the par-4 8th. McIlroy is the only player to find the fairway as Woods hits right rough, Day hits left rough and Matsuyama goes deep in the woods. Japan’s favorite son is unable to escape on his second shot and takes himself out of the hole, but the three other approach shots set up what looks like an ‘around the world’ putting challenge. They have the hole surrounded from around 12 feet or so. Day misses, McIlroy slides his right, but Woods makes no mistake. “How about that? It’s all about timing,â€� Woods grins as he cleans up $40,000 with a birdie. RESULT: $40,000 Skin won by TIGER WOODS. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (3 of 5) | Greens: Hit (4 of 8) | Putts: 2 (10) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Hit (4 of 5) | Greens: Hit (5 of 8) | Putts: 2 (11) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Miss (3 of 5) | Greens: Hit (5 of 8) | Putts: 2 (11) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (2 of 5) | Greens: Miss (3 of 8) | Putts: 0 (8) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 9 (Par-4) The boys are laughing on the tee here after reading the yardage book. It simply says of the right side – “It gets dicey over there.â€� Matsuyama and McIlroy are going to find out after missing wide. Woods is also right, but just in the first cut while Day finds the fairway. From the trees, Matsuyama threads the needle to escape, but has found the crowd on the left side of the green. McIlroy is blocked out from the green, but carves a shot nicely onto the surface, albeit some distance from home. Woods – the new leader – gets it aboard nicely. Day takes advantage of his position off the tee and goes over the flag to set up a nice look at birdie. McIlroy and Woods nerding out on golf altitude talk on the way to the green about the World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship and how they adjust their numbers. Matsuyama chips up and on to give himself a look at par. From almost downtown Tokyo, McIlroy almost nails his birdie try as it skirts by the edge. Woods hammers his uphill birdie try and it jumps over the cup… maybe he should have left the pin in. Day has a chance to win $15,000 with his birdie try from 20 feet but it is low all the way and he’s pretty annoyed at himself. Matsuyama misses his par try, but is given bogey. Woods and Day clean up pars to send us towards a $30,000 10th hole. RESULT: $15,000 Skin halved by Woods, Day, McIlroy. Hole No. 10 worth $30,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (3 of 6) | Greens: Hit (5 of 9) | Putts: 2 (12) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (4 of 6) | Greens: Hit (6 of 9) | Putts: 2 (13) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (4 of 6) | Greens: Hit (6 of 9) | Putts: 2 (13) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (2 of 6) | Greens: Miss (3 of 9) | Putts: 2 (10) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 10 (Par-4) Woods, Day and McIlroy go with less than driver to find the fairway here, but Matsuyama is ready to get aggressive as he tries to get on the board. He bombs his drive over the top of the others and while it rolls into the first cut, it is in great shape. They are playing to an elevated green here and Woods goes deep into the green. McIlroy throws a dart though and is in near-concession range. Day comes up a little short onto the fringe, but Matsuyama gives himself a great look to match McIlroy. Day is unable to make birdie but secures a par. Woods does the same. Hideki drains his short birdie putt, but McIlroy stops his chance at cash by making his tap-in also. The two players without a dollar send this to a $45,000 11th hole. RESULT: $30,000 Skin halved (Matsuyama, McIlroy). Hole No. 11 worth $45,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Hit (4 of 7) | Greens: Hit (6 of 10) | Putts: 2 (14) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Hit (5 of 7) | Greens: Hit (7 of 10) | Putts: 1 (14) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (5 of 7) | Greens: Miss (6 of 10) | Putts: 2 (15) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (2 of 7) | Greens: Hit (4 of 10) | Putts: 1 (11) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 11 (Par-4) Day splits the fairway, but no such luck for the other three. Woods and Matsuyama miss on the left side, while McIlroy loses his way right into the crowd where it cannons further right. “I hope that was the cart path and not someone’s head,â€� McIlroy says with concern. Woods is giggling a little as he’s left himself way back, leaving him to debate with caddie Joe LaCava on their strategy. Having to hit 3-wood into a par-4 green, Woods misses into the right bunkers on approach. Day also finds the right bunkers. McIlroy, playing from the wrong hole, finds the green as does Matsuyama from the left rough. They might have another chance to get started here. Woods’ ball is buried in the sand and he’s lucky to muscle it out. Day also has plenty of work left to make a par after his sand shot. Woods comes up short on his fourth shot and is given bogey. Day does the same. Matsuyama’s birdie putt is a curling downhill effort that he tries to baby in, but has to settle for par. McIlroy has a shot at $45,000 but it slides by and once again the two guys without a skin halve the hole and make the next worth $60,000. RESULT: $45,000 Skin halved (Matsuyama, McIlroy). Hole No. 12 worth $60,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (4 of 8) | Greens: Miss (6 of 11) | Putts: 1 (15) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 8) | Greens: Hit (8 of 11) | Putts: 2 (16) | Skins: 0 JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (6 of 8) | Greens: Miss (6 of 11) | Putts: 2 (17) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (2 of 8) | Greens: Hit (5 of 11) | Putts: 2 (13) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 12 (Par-4) Another hole with an elevated green awaits. Three guys bomb away to reach a steep downhill section hoping to get to the bottom of the slope. They all roll into the first cut on the right. Day goes left and is in the trees up on top of the hill. No worries, though, as he finds the green on approach. McIlroy, however, almost slam dunks his approach into the hole and Matsuyama goes over the pin to also get a good look. Woods appears to stick his shot also, but he’s spun it back just enough to catch a ridge and feed well back from the hole. McIlroy is now talking about Brooks Koepka’s comments last week when he dismissed a rivalry between the pair by saying, “I’ve been out here for what, five years. Rory hasn’t won a major since I’ve been on the PGA TOUR… so I don’t view it as a rivalry.â€� McIlroy says “What Brooks said wasn’t wrong. He’s been the best player in the world the last couple of years, four majors… don’t think he had to remind me that I hadn’t won one in a while but I love Brooks, he’s a great guy, obviously super competitive like we all are. If you take what Brooks said out of context then obviously it can become this big thing it has become but Brooks and I are good, we are good friends and I’ve been really happy for him to see how good he has played over the last couple of years.â€� Day is first to putt for birdie, but it goes well past. Woods also can’t convert from the wrong tier. Matsuyama has a little collar to work around and can’t make birdie, but makes par, leaving McIlroy with a chance for the big cash. Day secures par for himself and Woods in the process. McIlroy then steps up and drains the birdie to clean up four skins and $60,000 to join Woods with the most cash so far. RESULT: $60,000 Skin won by RORY McILROY TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (4 of 9) | Greens: Hit (7 of 12) | Putts:2 (17) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 9) | Greens: Hit (9 of 12) | Putts: 1 (17) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (6 of 9) | Greens: Hit (7 of 12) | Putts: 2 (19) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (2 of 9) | Greens: Hit (6 of 12) | Putts: 2 (15) | Skins: 0 Hole No. 13 (Par-3) We’ve now hit the section of the course where each skin is worth $20,000. This 143-yard par-3 isn’t offering much defense, and all four take dead aim and surround the flag. Day is away first from some 20 feet, leaks it a little right and settles for par. Woods, from around 16 feet, loses it on the low side. Matsuyama has eight feet straight up the hill and makes no mistake. He pockets $20,000 after McIlroy’s six-footer takes a hard lip out. All players are now on the board. RESULT: $20,000 Skin won by HIDEKI MATSUYAMA TIGER WOODS: Fairways: N/A (4 of 9) | Greens: Hit (8 of 13) | Putts: 2 (19) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: N/A (5 of 9) | Greens: Hit (10 of 13) | Putts: 2 (19) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: N/A (6 of 9) | Greens: Hit (8 of 13) | Putts: 2 (21) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: N/A (2 of 9) | Greens: Hit (7 of 13) | Putts: 1 (16) | Skins: 1 ($20,000) Hole No. 14 (Par-5) It’s one-club challenge time! FedEx Cares is donating $100,000 to International Medical Corp in the name of the winner on this par-5. McIlroy considers going 5-wood, but backs it off to a 5-iron. It looks like all four players have decided to use mid irons and all but McIlroy find the fairway. Day and Matsuyama choose 6-iron. Woods has a 4-iron. Woods talks about his junior years where “Dad would give me a 7-iron and say ‘figure it out.’â€� Day’s hitting his third from the left rough and is short. Matsuyama is also hitting his third from the left rough and has found the green. Woods comes in from the fairway, just hits the left fringe and hangs up. McIlroy, from the short grass, finds the right side of the green. Day, using a 6-iron from the greenside bunker, hits a ridiculous shot to close range. Woods bumps his 4-iron down to close range also. McIlroy, putting from long range with his 5-iron, lags it up nicely and makes par. Matsuyama has a putt to win, but leaves it short and then misses a short one to halve, but Day cleans up behind him to jackpot the hole. RESULT: $20,000 Skin halved (McIlroy, Day, Woods). Hole No. 15 worth $40,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Hit (5 of 10) | Greens: Miss (8 of 14) | Putts: 1 (20) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 10) | Greens: Hit (11 of 14) | Putts: 2 (21) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: Hit (7 of 10) | Greens: Miss (8 of 14) | Putts: 1 (22) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Hit (3 of 10) | Greens: Hit (8 of 14) | Putts: 2 (18) | Skins: 1 ($20,000) Hole No. 15 (Par-4) A drivable par-4 has the players licking their chops but Matsuyama, McIlroy and Woods all lose their tee shots to the right. Day, playing last, plays smart out to the left and just short of the putting surface. Woods recovers from the forest to the fringe of the green. Matsuyama goes full Phil Mickelson and throws up a huge flop shot over the trees to find the green. Day’s ball runs through the fairway and his chip comes out hot, but leaves a birdie chance. McIlroy finds the bunker near the lip and hacks it out, leaving the closest chance of all four. Woods hits his putt brilliantly and it tries its best to trickle in before stopping short. Matsuyama’s does likewise. Day is above the hole and misses on the right, leaving McIlroy a chance for the win. It is so fast and he barely touches the ball. It catches the left edge and lips out. Moving on to the 16th where $60,000 is on offer. RESULT: $40,000 Skin halved (McIlroy, Day, Woods, Matsuyama). Hole No. 15 worth $60,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (5 of 11) | Greens: Miss (8 of 15) | Putts: 1 (21) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 11) | Greens: Hit (12 of 15) | Putts: 2 (23) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: Miss (7 of 11) | Greens: Hit (9 of 15) | Putts: 2 (24) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (3 of 11) | Greens: Hit (9 of 15) | Putts: 2 (20) | Skins: 1 ($20,000) Hole No. 16 (Par-3) A par-3 of 184 yards. We are starting to lose light. Matsuyama finds the middle of the green, McIlroy sticks it to 10-feet, Woods follows up by getting inside him at about eight feet and Day matches Woods to set up a putting contest. Woods talks Olympic golf and says he’d love to make the U.S team for 2020 in Toyko. Matsuyama is unable to convert birdie from long range and McIlroy sees his effort dive under the hole. Woods makes no mistake with his right-to-left curler, leaving Day with the chance to halve the hole. He gets it to go and it will be $80,000 on the 17th. RESULT: $60,000 Skin halved (Day, Woods). Hole No. 17 worth $80,000. TIGER WOODS: Fairways: N/A (5 of 11) | Greens: Hit (9 of 16) | Putts: 1 (22) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: N/A (5 of 11) | Greens: Hit (13 of 16) | Putts: 2 (25) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: N/A (7 of 11) | Greens: Hit (10 of 16) | Putts: 1 (25) | Skins: 3 ($30,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: N/A (3 of 11) | Greens: Hit (10 of 16) | Putts: 2 (22) | Skins: 1 ($20,000) Hole No. 17 (Par-4) Now we are playing under lights! Matsuyama, Woods and McIlroy miss left off the tee and Day loses his to the right. Matsuyama’s approach finds the right bunker. McIlroy and Woods have tree issues. It forces them to play low. McIlroy skips through the green to the grandstand behind the hole, while Woods airmails the putting surface and cannons into the wall of the stands, almost getting a rebound. Day misses long also. Who can scramble the best for $80,000? Matsuyama gives himself a par-saving chance from about 14 feet. Day chips down to about 12 feet. McIlroy flops it brilliantly to six feet or so. Woods’ flop goes long and leaves a lengthy par attempt, which he fails to make. Matsuyama watches his try slide under the hole. Day nails his putt, leaving it up to Rory to send these skins to the last, but it hangs up on the high side and Day cleans up a cool $80,000. He takes the lead now at $110,000, but with No. 18 worth $100,000, anyone can still win the day. RESULT: $80,000 Skin won by JASON DAY TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (5 of 12) | Greens: Miss (9 of 17) | Putts: 2 (24) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 12) | Greens: Miss (13 of 17) | Putts: 2 (27) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY: Fairways: Miss (7 of 12) | Greens: Miss (10 of 17) | Putts: 1 (26) | Skins: 7 ($110,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (3 of 12) | Greens: Miss (10 of 17) | Putts: 2 (24) | Skins: 1 ($20,000) Hole No. 18 (Par-5) The par-5 finishing hole is at 562 yards and under the lights. McIlroy is right off the tee and under a truck holding the lights. Woods is left in the trees. Matsuyama is in the right first cut and Day, fresh off his big win on No. 17, is in the middle of the fairway. Woods plays a beautiful, hooking stinger out of the trees and back into play. Matsuyama heads into the right trees with his approach. Day wants his shot to go hard… but it comes up short in the bunker. McIlroy tries to shape a miracle shot, but fails to pull it off. It’s scramble time for $100,000. Woods, now in the best shape, wedges his third to about 20 feet, but it is above the hole on these slick greens. Matsuyama is buried deep in the woods but spots a gap… he can only advance it to the sand. Day, from the bunker, hits his third superbly to tap-in range and secures birdie. Matsuyama almost holes out from the bunker to halve, McIlroy almost chips in to do the same, but ultimately, Woods is left with a putt to force a playoff hole. He left it well short, and just like that, Jason Day cleans up $180,000 over the last two holes for a total of $210,000.â€�It was fun. It’s nice to be able to beat the caliber of player I did today,â€� Day says after accepting the trophy. RESULT: $100,000 Skin won by JASON DAY TIGER WOODS: Fairways: Miss (5 of 13) | Greens: Hit (10 of 18) | Putts: 2 (26) | Skins: 5 ($60,000) RORY MCILROY: Fairways: Miss (5 of 13) | Greens: Miss (13 of 18) | Putts: 1 (28) | Skins: 4 ($60,000) JASON DAY (WINNER): Fairways: Hit (7 of 13) | Greens: Hit (11 of 18) | Putts: 1 (27) | Skins: 8 ($210,000) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA: Fairways: Miss (3 of 13) | Greens: Miss (10 of 18) | Putts: 1 (25) | Skins: 1 ($20,000)

Click here to read the full article

Winners always benefit from gambling bonuses. Check this guide on how to select the best casino bonuses to win!

KLM Open
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Joakim Lagergren+400
Ricardo Gouveia+600
Connor Syme+800
Francesco Laporta+1100
Andy Sullivan+1200
Richie Ramsay+1200
Oliver Lindell+1400
Jorge Campillo+2200
Jayden Schaper+2500
David Ravetto+3500
Click here for more...
Major Specials 2025
Type: To Win A Major 2025 - Status: OPEN
Bryson DeChambeau+500
Jon Rahm+750
Collin Morikawa+900
Xander Schauffele+900
Ludvig Aberg+1000
Justin Thomas+1100
Joaquin Niemann+1400
Shane Lowry+1600
Tommy Fleetwood+1800
Tyrrell Hatton+1800
Click here for more...
US Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+275
Rory McIlroy+650
Bryson DeChambeau+700
Jon Rahm+1200
Xander Schauffele+2000
Ludvig Aberg+2200
Collin Morikawa+2500
Justin Thomas+3000
Joaquin Niemann+3500
Shane Lowry+3500
Click here for more...
The Open 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
Scottie Scheffler+400
Rory McIlroy+500
Xander Schauffele+1200
Ludvig Aberg+1400
Collin Morikawa+1600
Jon Rahm+1600
Bryson DeChambeau+2000
Shane Lowry+2500
Tommy Fleetwood+2500
Tyrrell Hatton+2500
Click here for more...
Ryder Cup 2025
Type: Winner - Status: OPEN
USA-150
Europe+140
Tie+1200

Related Post

Collin Morikawa’s shot heard ’round the worldCollin Morikawa’s shot heard ’round the world

Toptracer gave us the juicy details: 165 mph ball speed, 274 yards carry, 74 feet of curvature, left to right. The ball peeled around a stand of cypress trees down the right side, all but winking as it flew by; landed just shy of the green; and bounded up toward the pin, stopping 7 feet short. What happened at the drivable 16th hole at TPC Harding Park changed everything: Collin Morikawa, in just his second major start, had seized control of a PGA Championship in which seven players were at one point tied for the lead. Watching from the tee, Cameron Champ, Morikawa’s playing partner, would liken it to a video-game shot – so flawless as to seem almost unreal. It was late afternoon, and with no on-site fans, walking scorers and laser operators whooped and hollered in the damp, cool air. Morikawa flashed a quick smile at his caddie. The real-time odds swung dramatically in his favor. Paul Casey, playing in the group just ahead, looked back from the 17th tee and realized his chances had just taken a massive setback. Here’s how it happened, according to those who were there. All week, the 16th hole, the last good place to attack at TPC Harding Park, loomed as the potential turning point. And the fact that it was drivable – Justin Thomas hit it to 18 feet in Friday’s second round but missed the eagle putt – added intrigue. Collin Morikawa: I wasn’t planning on going for it at the beginning of the week, so I actually never even tried it. Paul Casey (66, T2): It was wind dependent, flag dependent, tee dependent. It was always going to be a pivotal hole, one you feel like you should birdie, but there was also the possibility of screwing it up because of the penalty area on the left and the tree canopy on the right. There was plenty of danger on the last three holes, but 16 was your last real birdie opportunity. Sue Epstein, walking scorer and former Stanford golfer: I had scored for Haotong Li when he shot 65 on Friday, and he hadn’t gone for it and made par. But Collin was hitting the driver so straight. (He would hit 39 of 56 fairways to finish No. 1 in driving accuracy.) Kerry Haigh, PGA Chief Championships Officer: We had planned to make the 16th drivable for two of the four rounds and felt Sunday would be one of those if weather conditions allowed. It was obviously dependent upon the wind strength and direction. We reviewed the actual hole location for Sunday for a long time on both Friday and Saturday afternoons after play with the hope being to make it extremely appealing for players to attempt going for the green. The new yardage presented a conundrum for big hitters like Dustin Johnson and Casey, playing up ahead of Morikawa. Nonetheless, each found a way to birdie the hole. Casey: Driver was too much; it was a 3-wood hole for me. Left bunker, splashed it out to 4 feet with a really awkward putt with a really awkward hog’s back. Couldn’t tell which way it was going to go, called Johnny (McLaren, his caddie) in. I made it. Dustin Johnson: I think I did hit driver Sunday, and just pulled it left. I couldn’t get there with 3-wood, and driver was probably too much, so I was trying to kind of chip it and just pulled it. Carl Woodland, volunteer laser operator on 16: The day was cold, it was chilly, and this was toward the end of the day, so it was starting to get even cooler. We were 60 yards down the fairway, down the left side, and DJ went right over our heads and into the penalty area. But then he pitched in for birdie. We were still talking about that when Collin got to the tee. Morikawa had game-planned for the hole playing more or less to its scorecard yardage (332). But with the tees moved up so far (it was now 294) the hole had changed drastically. Morikawa: It was just something that — everything fit, the circumstance, and made sense, wind and everything was perfect, and obviously it worked out. Jakovac: He never hit driver there, not even in practice. We didn’t think the tee would be up as far as it was. They had it like 20 yards up from the back of the box, which made it 275-ish to the front. We thought it would be more like 290 front, but we got up there on Sunday and the tee was way up, and it was really a no-brainer because it was a perfect distance for him. The wind was in off the left so he could hit his normal cut off there to the left and let it feed to the right. Epstein: When he pulled the driver, I was like, Wow, he’s going for it. I remember the contrast with Li two days earlier, and thinking it was absolutely the right call. Earlier that summer, Morikawa had faced a similar shot at the par-4 14th hole at the Workday Championship at Muirfield Village. The shot called for his stock cut, and he drove the green, hitting it 12 feet. He missed the eagle putt, but went on to win the tournament in a playoff. Now at the PGA at Harding, having holed his pitch shot for birdie on 14, he was set up for even greater drama on 16. Epstein: There wasn’t much discussion with his caddie. You could tell they were in agreement. Champ (70, T10): That pin on 16, if you missed it, obviously you can miss it slightly left, but there’s not much room right and if you miss there you’re completely screwed. Jakovac: It was just a matter of not having it fade too much and kick in that bunker. Morikawa: When you look at what kind of driver or driver hole that is for me on 16 at Harding, like it was literally perfect, and it was just like made for me to hit a good shot there. The shot came off like a thunderbolt that reverberated across the course. Frank Nobillo, on CBS, called it, “the shot of his life!” Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan, in a story after the PGA, sought to answer the question, “Was Collin Morikawa’s drive on 16 the greatest shot in PGA history?” Champ: When it came off, my caddie, his caddie, we just looked at each other like, this is going to be pretty damned good, and of course it landed 3 feet short of the green, bounced perfectly straight right up there. Jakovac: It just needed one straight first bounce, and it went up there perfect. Casey: I turned around and saw his shot and where it finished. I was on the 17th tee. Hadn’t hit my tee shot yet. Two thoughts: Brilliant shot, and dammit. (Laughs) I always tip my cap to great golf, and of course there’s going to be a sense of thinking there’s still a chance, but that was one of the nails in the coffin right there, wasn’t it? The PGA Championship returns to its May date at Kiawah Island this week, but over the last 10 months Morikawa’s epic shot has barely faded from memory. Webb Simpson (72, T37): Could be the shot of the decade for the PGA Championship. Epstein: My son is a huge golf fan, and he said, ‘Mom, were you there?’ ‘Yes, I was right there when he pulled driver!’ There was no roar, but you could hear people gasping. Woodland: We had no depth perception, so it looked like it was going in the hole and had got to within six inches. We were sort of screaming at each other, like, ‘Whoa, he put it on the green!’ Champ: He pulled off the shot when he needed to the most, and I give him mad, mad props. Jakovac: Under the circumstances it’s the best shot I’ve ever seen. Morikawa: The actual club, it’s just sitting in my house. Definitely haven’t framed it. Just sitting in a bag with a bunch of other clubs. I know which one it is. … I’m sure down the road I’ll kind of look at it and be like, That’s kind of the shot that changed everything, that kind of changed my career at that point at 23.

Click here to read the full article

Expert Picks: Fortinet ChampionshipExpert Picks: Fortinet Championship

How it works: Each week, our experts from PGATOUR.COM will make their selections in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf. Each lineup consists of four starters and two bench players that can be rotated after each round. Adding to the challenge is that every golfer can be used only three times per each of four Segments. The first fantasy golf game to utilize live ShotLink data, PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf allows you to see scores update live during competition. Aside from the experts below, Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton breaks down the field at this year’s Fortinet Championship in this week’s edition of the Power Rankings. For more fantasy, check out Rookie Watch, Qualifiers and Reshuffle. THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN OUR EXPERTS? The PGA TOUR Experts league is once again open to the public. You can play our free fantasy game and see how you measure up against our experts below. Joining the league is simple. Just click here to sign up or log in. Once you create your team, click the “Leagues” tab and search for “PGA TOUR Experts.” After that? Pick your players and start talking smack. Want to represent the fans against our experts? 2021 FINAL SEASON RESULTS 2021 FINAL SEGMENT RESULTS

Click here to read the full article

Inside Gary Woodland's switch to Cobra clubsInside Gary Woodland's switch to Cobra clubs

Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is one of the bigger names to switch equipment companies in the new year after signing with Cobra Golf. While a full bag of Cobra equipment may seem like a new world for the 38-year-old Woodland, it's actually a long-awaited return. "My first set of clubs I ever got as a kid was a Cobra set," Woodland said Wednesday at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "My first couple of clubs were cut-downs from my mom, but my first junior set of clubs was a Cobra set, so it's kind of a dream to actually play them out on TOUR. It's pretty cool." Signing the new deal with Cobra wasn't merely a nostalgic move, however. In the past few months, Woodland tested a new Cobra Aerojet driver that caught his attention, and it ultimately set the stage for an equipment overhaul. Woodland had been a Wilson Golf equipment staffer since the start of 2019 but his deal allowed for him to play metalwoods made by other manufacturers. As such, Woodland - who was 23rd in Driving Distance last season- has used drivers and fairway woods made by the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, Titleist and Cobra over the last several years. Since Woodland often switches the brand of his metalwoods, his recent change into a new Cobra Aerojet LS driver and Aerojet fairway wood at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina didn't set off the alarm bells that he'd be signing a full bag deal with the company. Especially since he still was still carrying a Wilson staff bag at the time, and he was still playing a full set of Wilson Staff Model blade irons. Come January, however, Cobra officially announced that Woodland had joined its TOUR staff. Ben Schomin, Cobra's TOUR operations manager, told GolfWRX.com that Woodland was sold on the new Cobra Aerojet LS driver when he immediately saw an increase in launch angle without increasing backspin. By keeping his ball speed similar to his previous driver but increasing the launch angle, Woodland was able to add both overall distance and forgiveness to his drives. Schomin recalls Woodland outdriving Rory McIlroy during a practice round at Congaree on his first drive with the new Aerojet LS driver, and it hasn't left the bag since. According to Woodland himself, the new driver actually played a major role in sealing the deal with Cobra "To be honest, it was the new Aerojet driver," Woodland said, when asked what had the biggest influence on his decision to sign with Cobra. "I've had flexibility in the past with the driver, which is a good thing, but I absolutely fell in love with the driver. To me, the irons, we're switching from a blade to a blade, so there's not a lot going on. I have a little less offset. But, for me, the driver is what sold me on the deal. I was very excited to put that in play, and I'm excited about it going forward." Schomin, who has worked with Woodland on his equipment over the past several years - even prior to signing with Cobra - is also providing Woodland some built-in familiarity with the company. "Looking forward obviously, the contract going forward, I'll be with them for a long time," Woodland said. "I love Ben Schomin, who's been with Cobra. He's helped me the last couple years with my equipment anyway. I'm excited to work with him and on other stuff going forward." Woodland has been using Cobra's new Aerojet metalwoods since October, but after signing with the company, he's also expecting to add Cobra irons to his bag for his 2023 debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "I'm switching to the Cobra muscleback (irons)," Woodland said. "I liked where I was at (using Wilson irons), and I'm equally excited about where I'm going. There's a little less offset, which I like looking down at. It's a very traditional blade, but the interaction with the turf has been amazing. I literally had no changes made to them; literally right off the rack and I put them in play." Woodland has also added a Cobra LTDx LS 5-wood to his club rotation at the top-end of the bag, which is cut down to 40.5 inches, and two Cobra wedges (56 and 60 degrees). Below, check out Woodland's expected club specifications this week as he makes his debut as a full-time Cobra staffer. Driver: Cobra Aerojet LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black TR 8 X (or UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 8F5) 3-wood: Cobra Aerojet LS (14.5 degrees) Shaft: UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 9F5 5-wood: Cobra LTDx LS (19 degrees) Shaft: UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 10F5 Irons: Cobra King MB (3-PW) Shafts: KBS C-Taper 130X Black Wedges: Cobra King V-Grind Raw (52 and 56 degrees), Titleist Vokey 60T WedgeWorks Prototype Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper 130X Putter: Scotty Cameron Timeless+ Tourtype SSS Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord Midsize

Click here to read the full article