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McIlroy-Johnson team win golf match
By: Mike Stiles - Monday, May 18, 2020

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy celebrate their win in a playoff hole at the TaylorMade Driving Relief Exhibition (photo courtesy of Golf.com)

(JUNO BEACH, FL) – Rory McIlroy delivered the winning shot Sunday as live golf returned to television for a skins game that revealed plenty of rust and raised more than $5 million for COVID-19 relief funds. McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, who had not won a skin since the sixth hole, had a chance to win the final six skins worth $1.1 million on the final hole at Seminole in the TaylorMade Driving Relief exhibition. Both missed, and they returned to the par-3 17th for a closest-to-the-pin contest. From a forward tee at 120 yards, Matthew Wolff was 18 feet below the hole. His partner, Rickie Fowler, missed the green. Johnson found a bunker. Down to the last shot, McIlroy barely stayed on the shelf left of the pin, measured at 13 feet. The final carryover gave McIlroy and Johnson $1.85 million for the American Nurses Foundation. Fowler, who made seven birdies, and Wolff made $1.15 million for the CDC Foundation. Wolff, a 21 year old Californian with big game and plenty of swagger, earned $450,000 for relief funds by having the longest drives on two par-5s: 356 yards on No. 2 and 368 yards on No. 14. Fowler's seven birdies were worth $270,000 in a separate fund from Farmers Insurance, while McIlroy made four birdies in regulation worth $175,000 and Wolff had three birdies for $135,000. Johnson, who showed the most rust, had two birdies for $75,000. PGA Tour Charities allowed for online donations during the telecast and raised more than $1 million. The donations will continue until Tuesday. When the exhibition ended, more than $5.5 million had been pledged, starting with the $3 million guarantee from UnitedHealth Group. Players carried their own bags. Television had a skeleton crew on the grounds. The play-by-play and analysts were 200 miles away in St. Augustine, Florida, and host Mike Tirico was at his home office in Michigan. The match went more than four hours, primarily because players were at times held in place to give the six TV cameras time to get in position on the next hole. Next up is another exhibition match on May 24 down the road at Medalist, where Tiger Woods plays when home. Woods and Peyton Manning will face Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in a match billed as "Champions for Charity" that will raise $10 million for COVID-19 relief efforts. The real golf show is to return on June 11, with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. The tour has said it will not allow fans for at least a month, perhaps longer depending on how it goes. Players will have access to charter flights and a designated hotel.

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