Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland emerged victorious in a tie-breaker for closest to the pin, securing £1.26 million for various charities during the ninth edition of The Match, a skins game held in the United States.
Competing under the evening lights at The Park golf course, McIlroy faced off against Max Homa and women's golf standouts Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang over 12 holes.
McIlroy's impressive performance led to him winning three skins, totaling £630,000. His decisive shot on the extra hole clinched his victory.
Reflecting on the event, the 34-year-old McIlroy shared, "It was an incredibly fun evening. The opportunity to play alongside Max, Rose, and Lexi at this amazing venue was something I'll always cherish."
In skins golf, players vie for a monetary prize on each hole, with the pot rolling over to the next hole if there's no clear winner.
Before the final hole, McIlroy revealed that a generous donation of $500,000 (£394,000) from a friend had boosted the total prize fund to £1.26 million.
The competition intensified when McIlroy and Homa both made birdie putts, leading to a tie. The showdown moved to a 100-yard tie-breaker on the fairway.
McIlroy, going first, placed his shot just over four feet from the pin, a challenge his competitors couldn't match.
Thompson was the only other player to claim a skin, earning £157,000 with an impressive eagle putt at the second hole.
An interesting twist at the fourth hole required players to choose a single club for the entire hole. McIlroy adeptly used a five-wood to par and secure his initial skin.
This event marked McIlroy's second appearance in The Match series, following a team-up with Tiger Woods against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in its seventh iteration.
This edition of The Match was notable for including female golfers, with Thompson and the 20-year-old Zhang, who claimed her first LPGA victory last June at the Mizuho Americas Open, making their debuts.
Next: Jake Knapp: Ex-Bouncer Clinches Inaugural PGA Tour Victory
