Bad weather the day after Thanksgiving seems like the best hope for the latest iteration of “The Match” to pull enough eyeballs not to become a major embarrassment. Even some lame college football TV shows seem to offer a better viewing option.
For those who haven’t heard, and it’s possible many of you haven’t, The Match will meet Bryson DeChambeau versus Brooks Koepka at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas circa 2021. A new twist that was no doubt implemented to keep things from dragging on for too long is that the format only requires 12 holes.
If you’re really interested in watching golf presented with some mostly fake WWE hype, The Match will air on Friday at 3 p.m. on TNT, TBS and HLN. Perhaps the duo of Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley will remain interesting with trash talking.
Mickelson was, of course, the founder of the first match cash grave, where he took on Tiger Woods for $ 9 million in 2018. There were three follow-up games in which Mickelson was involved. Woods also played in Match 2, along with Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning against Mickelson and Bucs QB Tom Brady.
It’s all for fun, amazing golf was played, and charity was a big winner. But DeChambeau, who takes on Koepka in a 12-hole match, mainly resulted in yawns. Yeah, at one time the couple really didn’t seem to like each other, a feud fueled by Koepka, who didn’t use-as-subtle social media shots at his longtime adversary.
In truth, Koepka is probably a bit of an exaggeration. Its barbs inspired drunken fans to cause DeChambeau some serious tournament pain behind the ropes. In a mostly upscale sport, this didn’t go over well with the masses and made Koepka look like a tyrant.
A hug love feast at the Ryder Cup, however, seriously diluted the poison that was there. So a 12-hole shootout in Las Vegas seems pretty tame, even under the guise of entertainment. For many, the only reason to tune in to the numbers is to see DeChambeau crush tea-shots like only he and his long-thong boys can do for a living.
It is very likely that the most remembered and discussed aspect of this event will be the jokes and banter from Mickelson and Barkley. Mickelson will be an undisputed golf star on television when he sets up his golf clubs. Barkley has long been revered for his funny and uncompromising jokes. He spares no one, not even himself.
If that’s enough to spend three hours watching the golf equivalent of The Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan, then have fun.
CHIP SHOTS: The 2021 portion of the PGA Tour schedule ended on a downer for all three players with ties to Southeast Texas who competed at the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Georgia last week. All three missed a cut of four under par of 138.
Chris Stroud, who had done well the previous week in Houston, opened with a 67 and then faded to 76 in gusty winds. Andrew Landry, two weeks away from a T7 in Mayakoba, wrote 68-75. Dawie van der Walt signed in rounds 70-76.
The next tournament opportunity for the trio is the second week of January at the Sony Classic in Hawaii.
The Monday Senior 50 Plus game at Babe Zaharias was played in the best 2-ball format. The team of Ted Freeman, Steve Wisenbaker, Art Turner and Charles Perez won the front with minus 1. The team of Dwayne Morvant, Cap Hollier, Dillard Darbonne and a ghost player in the background were on the same level.
Closest to pin wins were Dwayne Benoit (# 2), Joe Gongora (# 7), Randy Trahan (# 12) and Freeman (# 15).
There was a two-way tie at the front of the Super Saturday 2-Ball. Finished with minus 2 the team of Rusty Hicks, Gongora, Rufus Reyes and Richard Menchaca and the foursome of Bill Hanley, Brian Mirabella, Derrick Wolf and Stewart Ellis and the foursome of James Vercher, John Jessen, Mike Brown and Dan Harrington.
At the ball on Friday 2 in Zaharias, the team of Brian Vincent, Bob Luttrull, Mike Junot and Dan Flood won the front with minus 1. That was also the victory point on the back for the team of Jim Cady, Brian Sweeney, Rick Pritchett and a Ghost player.
The 2nd ball on Thursday ended in a near sweep for the team of Freeman, Hollier, Pritchett and Perez. They won the front straight by minus 3 and eliminated the back by minus 3 with the team of Bob West, Mirabella, Don MacNeil and a ghost player.
The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was played in an all-points-count format. At the top with 27 points, the team of Kenny Robbins, Tommy Bellows, Keith Marshall and Paul Duplantis and the four of Cady, John House, Pritchett and Darrell Mouille won.
Closest to pin wins were Bob West (No. 2, 2 feet, 5 inches), Gongora (No. 7, 1-10), West (No. 12, 21-10), and Robbins (No. 15, 5 – 9).
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