Justin Thomas And Jordan Spieth Defeat Tiger Woods And Rory McIlroy At The Match VII

The American duo secured a 3&2 victory over Tiger and Rory in a fun-filled affair

Thomas holes a putt while Spieth, Tiger and Rory look on
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the seventh edition of The Match, it was the American pair of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas who claimed a 3&2 victory, with the duo getting the upper hand on the more experienced duo of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Although there had been some trash-talking beforehand, the match was played in a fantastic spirit with odd jibes being thrown here and there. However, making his return to competitive action, it was also great to see that Tiger hasn't lost any of his distance, as he made an appearance for the first time since an emotional second day at St Andrews back in July.

Despite being out of action for a while, it was like Tiger never left as his opening tee shot registered a 178mph ball speed and was straight as an arrow. A resulting birdie was matched, but Tiger's early momentum couldn't be sustained throughout the evening.

Thanks to some classy play from Thomas, the 12-hole match was eventually completed 10 holes in, with there being a number of instances which caused viewers to chuckle. 

Notable moments during the broadcast included Tiger telling a story how his son, Charlie, has already outdriven him, with the 15-time Major winner stating: "I hate to say it, but I'm gonna admit it. He finally did it. I spun one and he torpedoed one!"

Along with Tiger, there was also the usual trash-talk between Thomas and announcer Charles Barkley, with JT ripping him by saying: "Chuck's looking at that moon like it's an Oreo." 

The former Basketball player did get one back on JT though, with Barkley saying "JT, I don't even know why I like you man. You're such a good dude and good player, but went to Alabama University and it drives me crazy you are successful."

Thomas' response? Well, JT wasn't pleased, with the two-time Major champion saying "Chuck, if you say Alabama University one more time... I know you're not the brightest but you know it's University of Alabama. It's p****d me off no end, so it's worked!"

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.


Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.


Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x