McIlroy delivers at end of charity skins match
Rory McIlroy delivered the money 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 hadn’t 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-tothe-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 just stayed on the shelf left of the pin, measured at 13 feet.
“Air five,” McIlroy said, alluding to the social distancing in place at Juno Beach, Florida.
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.
“I’m proud to be part of an event to entertain people at home ... and to raise money for people who need it,” McIlroy said as he played the 18th hole.
Wolff, the 21-year-old Californian with big game and plenty of swagger, earned $450,000 toward 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 worth $150,000 and Wolff had three birdies for $135,000. Johnson had one birdie for $25,000.
PGA Tour Charities allowed for online donations during the telecast, raising 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 UnitedHeath Group. Players carried their own bags. Television had a skeleton crew on the grounds — the play-by-play and analysts were 200 miles away , while host Mike Tirico was at his home in Michigan.