5 big highlights from The Match 2022 featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were the big attractions at The Match 2022. The clash of these stars against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth was widely promoted.

And no wonder. It was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) golfers of all time (Woods) teaming up with the then Wolrd No. 1 (McIlroy). Their names alone were enough to garner excellent TV ratings.

And so it was. As a charity event, The Match was a huge success with the participation of Woods and McIlroy, although quite a few things turned out unexpectedly.

Let's take a look at five highlights from that event:

1 They didn't win!

Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth celebrating their victory at the charity event (Image via Getty).

Golf has proven to be the sport of consistency, but also the sport of ups and downs. And The Match 2022 was no exception. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth defeated the super favorites Woods and McIlroy.

And moreover: they did it rather easily (3-2 in the 10th hole). They certainly stole the show.

2 The Match raised 33 million for charity

The Match is a charity event. Sponsored by the high finance firm Capital One, it is designed to raise as much money as possible for charitable programs.

In the case of the 2022 edition, a whopping $33 million was raised and the proceeds went to those affected by Hurricane Ian.

3 It was played at night

Night tournaments are not common in professional golf. This type of scenario is reserved for unofficial events, as in the case of The Match.

The 2022 edition, with the participation of Woods, McIlroy, Spieth and Thomas, took place at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. The course proved to be an excellent venue, demonstrating adequate preparation to host events with good artificial lighting needs.

4 Tiger Woods was not in shape

The 2022 edition of the event was played on December 10, 2022. By then, Tiger Woods was already afflicted with various injuries and ailments that plague him even today.

In fact, that event was Woods' first televised appearance playing golf for several months. Nonetheless, Woods managed to pull off some impressive shots, which showed the enormous quality he still possesses.

5 A lot of fun

Without a doubt, this was a great outcome for Spieth and Thomas. It's not every day you get to play (and win) against Woods and McIlroy, even in an unofficial event.

No wonder, then, that Spieth and Thomas enjoyed it immensely. Pictures and social media posts proved it. Thomas even joked with his illustrious opponents, asking them "What happened?" in a video posted on the PGA Tour's Twitter account.