McIlroy’s final shot in playoff caps big day at Seminole

Golf returned Sunday for the first time in more than two months with the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity skins match and from the start, everything was different.

Four players in shorts. All carrying their own bags. Wide-open unobstructed views of plush fairways, sand dunes, palm trees and the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. No spectators. No caddies. Players spying the hole through rangefinders. No handling of the flagsticks. No one shouting, “Get in the hole.” And, some trash talk.

“I think you forget I’ve won two FedEx Cups that totaled $25 million,” said McIlroy, ranked No. 1 in the world, schooling the 21year-old Wolff after paring the second hole.

The first live golf in 66 days, or since the first round of The Players Championship in March, took place Sunday in Juno Beach and all for a good cause. More than $5.5 million was raised to help COVID-19 relief efforts as the match came down to a closest-tothe-pin playoff on a shortened 17th hole.

With six skins and $1.1 million on the line, the teams halved the 18th hole. They moved to No. 17 and set up 120 yards from the pin.

Wolff was the only one on the green when Jupiter’s McIlroy, hitting last, addressed his ball. As the ball was in flight, McIlroy wasn’t quite sure where it was headed, saying he didn’t know whether to tell it to “get going, stay long, stay short.

“I wouldn’t be known for my wedge play. Still a little pressure there. It’s only 120 yards but it’s a tough shot. Just to see it land on the green and stay there. These Seminole greens, the ball can do funny things when you think it’s in a good spot.”

Even when the ball settled, McIlroy wasn’t sure who was closer. He raised his arms. Then brought them down. He looked around and said, “you think?” Finally, getting the final word, he pumped his fist and let out a shriek.

In the end, the big winners were the charities. But bragging rights went to McIlroy and Johnson, representing the American Nurses Foundation and winning 11 skins worth $1.85 million, compared to the seven skins for $1.15 million that went to Jupiter residents Fowler and Wolff of the CDC Foundation Team.

“It was very nice to be a part of something so cool,” Johnson, the Palm Beach Gardens resident, said. “Just to get back out and play golf again, a little bit competitive. It was a

lot of fun.”

While Fowler clearly had the best day with seven birdies, Wolff, who said before the match he had the most to prove, impressed, too.

The 21-year-old and defending NCAA champion won both long drive holes. His tee shots on No. 2 sailed 356 yards and on No. 14 traveled 368 yards.

“I care so much and I’m trying to raise so much

money,” said Wolff, who joined the PGA Tour last June after his career at Oklahoma State. “I felt like maybe I was a little nervous to start the day, but I definitely settled down. I’m happy to raise a lot of money with the long drive.”

The match, played on the 7,265-yard, Donald Ross designed course, gave us a bit of a sneak peak to the new guidelines that will be implemented to help fight the coronavirus pandemic when the Tour re-starts

June 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. All participants and officials were subject to testing and asked to practice social distancing, all facilities were disinfected, there were no bunker rakes and players were asked not to touch the flag sticks. When the Tour returns, players will pull their clubs from their bags.

At one point, McIlroy thanked Wolff for doing his part to social distance when Wolff hit a tee shot into the sand dunes.

McIlroy and Johnson

won the first three skins when Johnson birdied the Par 5 third hole after two carryovers.

After Fowler drained a short birdie putt on No. 4 for his team’s first skin, McIlroy reminded him, “You can’t get shut out, now.”

After McIlroy and Johnson won the next two skins, giving them a 5-1 lead, Fowler took over ... winning the next six.

Fowler birdied No. 9, which was worth three skins, No. 11 worth two skins and No. 12.