Phil Mickelson, one of the leading hands in the original conception of The Matchis no longer affiliated with the franchise, per The Match‘s creator and producer Bryan Zuriff.
“Phil was a phenomenal partner and he helped build this thing,” Zuriff said Sports Illustrated. “He was really good in this show. But he chose an opportunity and has taken a different path. Our show lives on because people like it.”
“Look, we’re in business with the PGA Tour,” Zuriff continued. “We’re basically a PGA Tour event. Maybe one day, LIV will figure out their stuff. Then I’ll work with whoever is appropriate.”
Zuriff, a longtime Hollywood producer, kick-started The Match after he developed a relationship with Mickelson at The Madison Club in Palm Springs, Calif. The inspiration came from The Skins Game, an unofficial money event that the PGA Tour held from 1983 to 2008, which Zuriff’s parents took him to when he was a child.
Mickelson took part in the first iteration of the made-for-TV series in 2018, when he faced Tiger Woods head-to-head.
“I had this idea to do Tiger Woods versus Phil, head-to-head, something everyone wanted to see at the time,” says Zuriff. “Tiger was just back on tour, Phil had just won in Mexico, so there was some momentum to their relationship.”
Mickelson not only played in The Match‘s inaugural event, but the next three iterations. In The Match IV, Mickelson’s most recent appearance, he teamed up with Tom Brady, while fellow future-LIV Golf member Bryson DeChambeau partnered with Aaron Rodgers. Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, officially joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf in June, captaining the Hy Flyers GC team.
The latest installation of The Match is coming up on December 10, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy facing Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The four golf superstars will tee it up at 6 pm ET at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla. Woods, McIlroy, Thomas, and Spieth will play 12 holes, under the lights on prime-time TV.
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