Justin Thomas wore Kobe Bryant’s high school jersey. Others walked to the 16th tee at TPC Scottsdale in purple and gold.
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TNT to Televise Live Golf Competition, Friday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m. ET, with Exclusive Live Content Available on Bleacher Report Event to Benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Among Additional Initiatives to be Announced Turner Sports will present Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change, a premier golf event with the World Golf Hall of Famer and crossover legends competing - Phil Mickelson, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning. TNT will exclusively televise the event, to be held Friday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m. ET at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Ariz. Bleacher Report will also provide exclusive live content leading up to and during the event on the B/R app. Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change will uniquely contribute toward and highlight diversity, equality and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports. All four players have previously supported diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout their careers, which has led to them teaming up for this event. Additional information on these elements, among others, will be announced at a later date. "Capital One's The Match has become a franchise featuring some of the best in sports and entertainment, and we're looking forward to this next iteration and the meaningful awareness it will raise for social change," said Lenny Daniels, President, Turner Sports. "With Phil, Charles, Stephen and Peyton on the course, there's sure to be no shortage of must-see moments, in addition to the important causes driving each athlete's participation." The competition format will be modified alternate shot match play with five-time Major Champion Mickelson teaming with Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, as they take on three-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry - a near scratch golfer - and two-time Super Bowl Champion Peyton Manning, who played a key role in his team winning the last edition of Capital One's The Match. "I'm excited to return for the third edition of Capital One's The Match and get out on the course with these three legendary athletes," said Mickelson. "While we may need a handicap for Chuck, I'm looking forward to playing with Peyton and Stephen and to help raise money for another important cause. It's also going to give fans and viewers an up-close look at Stone Canyon Golf Club, a place that I'm extremely proud of and excited to show how special it is." Barkley, Mickelson's teammate, added: "Capital One's The Match has been a lot of fun to be a part of over the past few years and I'm excited to finally show off my skills on the course. Phil and I got this, I GUARR-AAAN-TEEEE!!!" "Last year I had the incredible opportunity to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University through the game of golf," said Curry. "I truly believe an investment in HBCUs is an investment in our future and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to support these great institutions alongside some of my favorite players...and Chuck." Manning, Curry's teammate, added: "Capital One's The Match in May was such a memorable experience for me - not just competing against rivals and friends but, more importantly, contributing to COVID-19 and food insecurity relief efforts. I'm proud of the work the PeyBack Foundation has done to support HBCU students in both Louisiana and Tennessee, and I'm looking forward to helping raise additional funding and awareness for HBCUs through Capital One's The Match." Live event coverage airing on TNT will once again feature unprecedented access with all players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with other golfers and the broadcast commentators. "Cart Cam" will also once again be featured throughout the competition. The event will be closed to the public and tournament organizers are working with public health officials on competition and production logistics to ensure the event follows safety and health protocols. More information on the live production, including the commentator team, will be announced leading up to the event. The Stone Canyon Golf Club, owned by Mickelson Golf Properties, is considered one of golf's preeminent desert settings and regularly ranks among the best courses in the country. Stone Canyon's 18 uniquely designed golf holes are situated at the base of the picturesque Tortolita Mountains, offering views of the Santa Catalina Mountains in all directions. The media agreement with WarnerMedia and Turner Sports was completed in partnership with SPORTFIVE, which represents Mickelson and is the tournament organizer. The event will also be co-operated with Excel Sports Management. Turner Sports is proud to be working with a number of marketing partners to host Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change, which is a sanctioned PGA TOUR event. Capital One has been the title sponsor of The Match series since it began, and the company is returning to collaborate on a number of social, digital and broadcast integrations leading up to and during the live event. To learn more about the company and its commitments to change banking for good, visit https://www.capitalone.com/about/our-commitments/. "HBCUs are testaments to the ongoing achievements of the Black community in this country. As part of our work to advocate for equity and justice, we are honored to use the funds raised from Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change to help strengthen HBCUs and create pathways to greater opportunity for the graduates of these vital institutions," said Andy Navarrete, Head of External Affairs at Capital One. Michelob ULTRA will serve as a presenting sponsor of Capital One's The Match. DraftKings will serve as a content integration partner, with AT&T, Callaway Golf, E-Z-Go, Stephen Curry's OXIGEN Water and Wheels Up as associate sponsors of the event. Autotrader will be the presenting sponsor of pre-show coverage. Additional partners will be shared prior to the event.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The U.S. Team has won the 14th Presidents Cup, clinching the title by reaching 15.5 points on Sunday at Quail Hollow Club. PRESIDENTS CUP: Scoring The U.S. improves to 12-1-1 all-time in the biennial competition, remaining undefeated on American soil at 8-0-0. The U.S. Team entered Sunday Singles with an 11-7 advantage over the International Team, and the United States weathered an early opposing surge with consistent play across the lineup. Here’s a match-by-match breakdown of Sunday’s 12 Singles matches at Quail Hollow Club. SUNDAY SINGLES MATCH 19 Si Woo Kim (Intl.) def. Justin Thomas (U.S.), 1-up This first match got tense on the back nine, with the normally stoic Kim showing some fire as he won the 14th (par) and 16th (birdie) holes and “shushed” the partisan crowd with a nice par putt at 15. Thomas, who led most of the match, hit his approach close for birdie at 17 to tie; both players had good birdie looks at 18. Kim putted first and made from 10 feet. Thomas, just inside, missed his putt left. Thomas had a strong week (4-1-0) but fell to 0-3 in Presidents Cup Singles. QUOTES: “I’ve never (felt) like pressure, even when I won THE PLAYERS Championship. It was a really hard match. … My goal was playing 18 holes. I kept the pressure on him.” – Si Woo Kim Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 12, International Team 8 Player records this week: Thomas (4-1-0), Si Woo Kim (3-1-0) MATCH 20 Jordan Spieth (U.S.) def. Cameron Davis (Intl.), 4 and 3 Spieth, the most seasoned U.S. player, came into Sunday having never won in Presidents Cup/Ryder Cup Singles play, holding a record of 0-6-1. He lost his first two holes, but he got going with the putter, birdied Nos. 4 and 5 and was tied after nine. Spieth would run away by winning six of the last seven holes. Not only did he get his Singles victory, but Spieth became only the sixth player in Presidents Cup history to finish 5-0-0. QUOTES: “I had a great back nine … I rattled off three straight birdies (starting at 11) and then just kept trying to hit greens. It feels really good. I was more nervous than I probably should have been today, just because I wanted to get that monkey off my back.” – Jordan Spieth Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 12, International Team 7 Player records this week: Spieth (5-0-0), Davis (2-3-0). MATCH 21 Sam Burns (U.S.) tied Hideki Matsuyama (Intl.) Another close match near the top of the lineup, with Burns, a rookie on the U.S. Team, and Matsuyama, an International Team veteran, heading to the 18th hole tied. Matsuyama hit a drive down the left side that struck a marshal and caromed left into the rough, a terrible break. From 182 yards, he hit his approach just over the green. Burns piped a drive, and hit his approach to 24 feet. Matsuyama’s long curling chip hit the flagstick and stayed out. Burns, playing the 18th hole for the fourth time, watched his birdie putt to win drift off right. Burns played much better on the week than his record would show. QUOTES: “He just blew the lid off this place.” NBC’s Paul Azinger after Burns made birdie from 48 feet at the 10th hole Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 13.5, International Team 8.5 Player records this week: Burns (0-3-2), Matsuyama (1-3-1) MATCH 22 Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) def. Adam Scott (Intl.), 3 and 2 Cantlay came out a determined man after he and partner Xander Schauffele lost their afternoon Four-ball match on Saturday. He birdied the second, third and won the fourth with a par when Scott putted off the green. There was some beautiful golf in this match at times. Scott, the oldest man of the match at 42, stiffed his approach at the ninth with Cantlay’s ball sitting just 2 feet from the hole. Cantlay simply left Scott with few openings in a tactical victory. Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 13, International Team 8 Player records this week: Cantlay (3-1-0), Scott (2-3-0) MATCH 23 Sebastian Munoz (Intl.) def. Scottie Scheffler (U.S.) 2 and 1 Scheffler, the world No. 1, came in fired up after going winless (0-2-1) in three team matches, but he faced a formidable foe. Munoz, from Colombia, was 2-down through seven, but kept punching. He won holes 8-10, then holed a bunker shot for eagle at the short 11th. Scheffler would answer, holing a curling downhill putt from 62 feet to keep from going 2-down. Munoz had a 1-up lead when the players traded birdies at 15 and 16. A poor tee shot by Scheffler at 17 cost him, his bogey clinching the match for Munoz. QUOTES: “It was tough. I really had to focus. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever achieved in my life, playing this week, holding him off two times this week. I threw everything at him, and luckily we got the win.” – Sebastian Munoz Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 13.5, International Team 9.5 Player records this week: Scheffler 0-3-1, Munoz 2-0-1 MATCH 24 Tony Finau (U.S.) def. Taylor Pendrith (Intl.), 3 and 1 Finau clinched at least a half-point for the U.S. side when he birdied the 16th hole against the long-hitting Canadian rookie, then secured a full point at the par-4 17th when he made his seventh birdie of the round. Pendrith, winless on the week, led from the sixth hole through the 11th, but did not win a hole after 11. Finau won five of the final nine holes of the match. QUOTE: “I fought as hard as I think I’ve ever fought in a match. We know what’s on the line here this week, and it just adds that little intensity. I needed every bit of it. I played really nicely. I had to if I was going to beat Taylor today.” – Tony Finau Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 14.5, International Team 9.5 Player records this week: Finau (3-1-0), Pendrith (0-4-0). MATCH 25 Xander Schauffele (U.S.) def. Corey Conners (Intl.), 1-up The man who won gold at the 2020 Olympics now owns a clinching point at the Presidents Cup, too. Schauffele was struggling mightily on the back nine, tugging his tee shot into the water at the par-3 14th and then driving his ball into the left-side creek at 15, but he showed lots of fight. He hit an incredible third shot from 218 yards after his drop and saved his 4 at 15 to regain a 1-up lead. Schauffele was 1-up with two to play and cold-shanked his approach at the par-4 17th with Conners sitting on the green in two. Conners, who had a rough week, three-putted to allow Schauffele to tie the hole with bogey. A scrambling par at 18 sealed his 1-up victory and the cup for the U.S.. QUOTES: “This is a really strange feeling. Man, we were struggling out there, and I’m really happy there are no pictures on the scorecard. I had all the boys pulling for me. I knew it was going to be close. Corey just let me in, and I was able to take advantage of it.” – Xander Schauffele Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 15.5, International Team 9.5 Player records this week: Schauffele (3-1-0), Conners (0-4-0) MATCH 26 Sungjae Im (Intl.) def. Cameron Young (U.S.), 1-up Young had a nightmare start. Im came out with three pars and was 3-up on the fourth tee. But Young, one of six U.S. rookies, can go on some incredible stretches of golf, and he worked his way back into the match. When he birdied the par-4 15th, Young owned the lead. Im, an incredible ballstriker, was tough all week, and he would birdie the last two holes – making from 22 feet at 18 – to turn around the deficit and pull out a hard-earned point. Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 15.5, International Team 11.5 Player records this week: Young (1-2-1), Im (2-2-1) MATCH 27 K.H. Lee (Intl.) def. Billy Horschel (U.S.), 3 and 1 In a battle of two Presidents Cup first-timers, the South Korean Lee steadily built a 3-up advantage through 11 holes, and he held off the fiery Florida Gator with just one hole surrendered the rest of the way – Horschel’s birdie at No. 13. Lee two-putted for birdie at the par-5 16th to match Horschel’s up-and-down from a greenside bunker, and the reigning back-to-back AT&T Byron Nelson champion was conceded the match while facing a 21-foot birdie try on No. 17, as Horschel faced 43 feet for par. Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 15.5, International Team 10.5 Player records this week: Lee (2-1-0), Horschel (1-2-0) MATCH 29 Collin Morikawa (U.S.) def. Mito Pereira (Intl.), 3 and 2 Score at match’s conclusion: U.S. Team 16.5, International Team 11.5
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Don’t tell Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm the fight for a Green Jacket is a two-horse race. While Patrick Reed (-14) and Rory McIlroy (-11) are certainly in command of the tournament, Fowler (-9) and Rahm (-8) are not about to wave the white flag just yet. As we have seen many times at Augusta National – anything can happen on Sunday at the Masters. Ask Greg Norman. Ask Jordan Spieth. No lead is safe. Norman led by six in 1996 and lost by five. Spieth hit the par-3 12th hole still in control of a second win in 2016 and dumped two balls into Rae’s creek. Anything can happen. And so while the two rivals in the final group can take all the attention – those behind can go under the proverbial radar and try to make their Sunday charge. “I can’t control anyone else, other than putting birdies up on the board,â€� Fowler said. “We’re definitely in the golf tournament. I’m going to need to play the front nine well tomorrow and put myself really in the mix for when this golf tournament starts, which is the final nine holes. “They are fierce competitors, and we’ll see, maybe we can put a few numbers up there and sneak up on them.â€� The record for biggest comeback belongs to Jack Burke (1956) and Gary Player (1978) – they came from eight back to win. More recently, Nick Faldo was six back of Norman in 1996, and Danny Willett was five shots back with six holes to play in 2016 against Spieth. “The big thing is I’ll need to make some key putts, whether they are for birdie or pars, not to fall further behind, and to really put ourselves in a position to go win this tournament,â€� the 2015 PLAYERS champion added. “We’re ready to do that. Tomorrow’s a chance for us go do something pretty cool.â€� Fowler has recent history of getting it done from behind. While an 18-man unofficial event like the Hero World Challenge might not be a major, it was still against some of the best players on the planet last December. He started seven shots back. And he won by four. When he won at TPC Sawgrass in 2015, he started Sunday three back and shot 6 under over the last six holes to push into a playoff he would eventually win. Fowler says he will need to make little or no mistakes to replicate those famous wins. Saturday was a great test case, as he posted a scintillating 7-under 65 without a bogey. He will also draw on the experience of a year ago, when he started just one back of the leaders but shot 76 to fade to 11th. “Last year I may have gotten maybe too defensive or too aggressive and you learn from that and move on,â€� he said. “It wasn’t the finish that I wanted last year; it would have been nice to take advantage of the position we were in, making the turn and only being a few back, but we didn’t. “But I’m definitely playing this golf course the best I have, ever, as far as how comfortable I am on each and every hole, playing all the holes well. Definitely I’m hitting a lot more greens than I’ve ever hit here, and probably driving it the best I have here. “So looking forward to keeping that going. Fairways and greens will be big tomorrow. Just keep me on the putting surface and hopefully in the right spot, and we’ll go make some putts.â€� Rahm matched Fowlers bogey-free 65 and figures he might as well try to do the same Sunday. The Spaniard feels he has nothing to lose. Always an aggressive player, Rahm will try to get hot early and place the seeds of doubt in those behind him. “If you can get a really good start on that front nine and post a good score again, that back nine can be extremely long for the leaders,â€� Rahm said. “We know what can happen on that back nine on Sunday. It’s happened many times where a big lead disappears or even get cut down. Hopefully I’m one of those who plays good tomorrow and has a chance.â€� Henrik Stenson (-7), Tommy Fleetwood (-6), Bubba Watson (-6) and Marc Leishman (-6) are the only other players within the record eight shot margin.
