How much money did The Match raise for charity?
Capital One's The Match has become a very popular event in golf. It's not an official PGA Tour event or an LIV Golf event, either. It's simply a fun golf match between celebrities or star golfers (sometimes both) that pits small teams against each other, sometimes even in a one-on-one.
This year saw Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy form one of the most iconic duos the tournament has seen. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas took on them.
McIlroy is the world's top-ranked golfer, and Thomas is eighth. Spieth came in at 12, and Woods is unranked, but he is a legend walking amongst them.
It made for some incredible golf, but something more incredible happened off the green. The event is designed to raise money for charity. That's a goal this year's version of The Match easily hit.
According to TMZ Sports, Bryan Zuriff, the event's creator, said:
"What I'm really most proud of is the money we've raised. So far we've raised $33 million in our event, and we're gonna do great on this one. We're already north of $2 million for hurricane relief before we tee off. The fact that we're able to help so many people with these events, and also make it profitable for the network, it's a testament to what we do."
The event raised over $33 million and $2 million for specific hurricane relief. That was before the event even began, so those numbers undoubtedly went up after it happened.
Florida has been wrecked by hurricanes, an unfortunate truth for many years. The more than $2 million raised will significantly impact the area.
The Match has long been a source of charity. In previous years, the funds raised went to COVID-19 relief, support for HBCUs, and more. This event brings the world together every year in support of golf and a good cause.
This year is no different, with more than $30 million raised in an impressive effort by everyone involved.
Who won Capital One's The Match?
The matchup was of the world's top-ranked golfer and a legend who is arguably the greatest ever to swing a club and two of the world's top 12 golfers. It figured to be a good match, but talent ultimately won out.
The duo of McIlroy and Woods were outmatched. Thomas and Spieth played well from the start, putting pressure on Woods and McIlroy. They couldn't match the pressure and ended up losing by a score of 3&2.
It was a 12-hole match; otherwise, the gap might have been larger by the end of it. Woods is an icon in golf, but he couldn't keep up with the younger golfers this time.
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About the match, Spieth said, according to CBS Sports:
"I think Rory described it right when he said that it was the ham and the egg white, not quite the egg. It was awesome. What a cool experience. I was super anxious to get going and just not knowing what it would be like. Obviously have my partner alongside makes it a lot easier to get comfortable out there and made some birdies."
The Match will likely resume next year with new players involved.