The Match Is Back Minus Its Founders

The sixth version of The Match is back featuring four of the NFL’s very best but minus Phil Mickelson or Fivesport as tournament partners.

Mickelson played the first four editions then served as a broadcaster in 2021. Fivesport was a co-partner in the event with Excel.

Mickelson famously complained about the PGA Tour’s obnoxious greed and insinuated that he personally paid $1 million each time he played in The Match.

For Immediate Release:

Turner Sports Assembles Iconic NFL Foursome for Capital One’s The Match – Tom Brady & Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Mahomes & Josh Allen – Held at Wynn Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 1

TNT to Televise Premier Live Golf Event Featuring Four of Past Five NFL MVPs with Coverage Beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET

Top-Ranked Wynn Las Vegas to Serve as Host of the 12-Hole Challenge for Second Time

Turner Sports’ next installment of Capital One’s The Match, the Sports Emmy-nominated premier live golf event series, will feature a foursome of legendary NFL quarterbacks – Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers teaming up to face Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen – with four of the past five NFL MVPs taking the course together for the first time. TNT will exclusively televise the epic 12-hole event, to be held Wednesday, June 1, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, from Wynn Las Vegas, the only golf course on the Las Vegas strip.

The competition will feature both previous Capital One’s The Match participants paired together – seven-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time NFL MVP Brady teamed with four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV MVP Rodgers. Rodgers is coming off a win last summer alongside Bryson DeChambeau, while Brady seeks to get redemption in his third appearance in Capital One’s The Match.

A pair of young superstars will be making their debut in the premier golf series: Super Bowl LIV MVP and 2018 NFL MVP Mahomes will be joined by fellow AFC signal caller and 2020 Pro Bowler Allen. Together the four elite gridiron stars have amassed an astounding 30 Pro Bowl, 86 NFL Playoff appearances and nine Super Bowl titles.

Live coverage of the match play event from the Wynn Las Vegas golf course will once again feature unprecedented access with players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with their competitors and the broadcast commentators. More information on the live production, including the commentator team, and additional details will be shared leading up to the event.

Capital One’s The Match at Wynn Las Vegas will be held at the Wynn Golf Club, which also hosted Brooks Koepka’s 5-and-3 win over DeChambeau in Capital One’s The Match last November. Wynn Golf Club is a 6,722-yard, par-70 championship length golf course and is considered one of the best courses in Las Vegas. Located on the site of the legendary Desert Inn Golf Club, the golf course, designed by Tom Fazio and recently updated by his son, Logan, offers elevation changes and uncharacteristic water hazards on 12 of the Las Vegas course’s 18 picturesque holes. The golf amenities at Wynn Las Vegas, a Forbes Travel Guide five-star luxury hotel, are regarded as second to none.

Turner Sports has televised five editions of Capital One’s The Match, with the series serving as a platform to support various philanthropical organizations. To date, Capital One’s The Match has raised nearly $33 million for various organizations and has donated nearly 17 million meals to Feeding America.

A partner since the event’s inception, Capital One will return as title sponsor of Capital One’s The Match. Further details about social, digital and broadcast brand integrations throughout the event will be shared in the coming weeks.

Partners also include Excel Sports Management as the tournament organizer, along with 199 Productions, Tom Brady’s global multi-platform content and production company.

The Match Goes To Big Sky, Montana With Mickelson, DeChambeau, Brady And Rodgers

Set for July 6th, they’re taking The Match to a place called The Reserve at Moonlight Basin where they have a 777-yard par-5 and property to move.

And by then Aaron Rodgers might even know where he’s playing next year! If not, well that’ll be awkward.

For Immediate Release:

Turner Sports to Exclusively Present Capital One’s The Match Featuring

Phil Mickelson & Tom Brady vs. Bryson DeChambeau & Aaron Rodgers 
TNT to Televise Premier Live Golf Event – Tuesday, July 6 – from The Reserve at Moonlight Basin, the Breathtaking Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in Big Sky, Montana 

Turner Sports will present the next edition of Capital One’s The Match, the Sports Emmy-nominated premier live golf event series, which will feature World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson – following his historic 2021 PGA Championship win – and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady teeing off against 2020 U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau and reigning NFL league MVP Aaron Rodgers.

TNT will exclusively televise the event, to be held Tuesday, July 6, with live coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET from picturesque Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana. In addition to live televised coverage, interactive social and digital content will be available on Bleacher Report and House of Highlights leading up to and during the event.

With a focus on the importance of supporting community, Capital One’s The Match will include donations made to Feeding America, among additional charitable beneficiaries.

Live event coverage airing on TNT will once again feature unprecedented access with all players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with other golfers and the broadcast commentators. More information on the live production, including the commentator team, will be shared leading up to the event. 

The competition format will be modified alternate shot match play with six-time Major Champion Mickelson reuniting with seven-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time NFL MVP Brady against first-time participants in DeChambeau, the PGA TOUR’s current FedEx Cup leader, and Rodgers, a three-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl Champion. 

Mickelson, a two-time winner of The Match, paired with Brady for last May’s Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity event. Most recently, Mickelson teamed with Charles Barkley to pull off one of golf’s biggest upsets, besting Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning in Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change in November.  

A Jack Nicklaus signature course, The Reserve at Moonlight Basin is set on the northwest side of Montana’s iconic Lone Park and is considered one of the most breathtaking settings in golf. The Reserve’s 8,000-yard private course – with a 7,500-foot elevation – is surrounded by some of the most picturesque scenery in Montana, and at the centerpiece is a 777-yard, Par 5, 17th hole. 

The media agreement with WarnerMedia and Turner Sports was completed in partnership with global sports business agency SPORTFIVE, which represents Mickelson and is the tournament co-organizer with Excel Sports Management. Live event coverage will be produced by Turner Sports, in partnership with 199 Productions, Brady’s global multi-platform content and production company.

Turner Sports is proud to continue its partnership with Capital One as the title sponsor of Capital One’s The Match, which is a sanctioned PGA TOUR event. Capital One will collaborate on a number of social, digital and broadcast integrations leading up to and during the live event. To learn more about the company and its commitments to change banking for good, visit https://www.capitalone.com/about/our-commitments/. 

Autotrader will be the presenting sponsor of Capital One’s The Match’s pre-show coverage. Progressive Insurance will return as a presenting sponsor, and DraftKings is back as content integration partner for Capital One’s The Match. Additional partners will be shared prior to the event.

Ratings: .21 For The Match 3; Averages A Million Viewers

I have no idea if the organizers find the .21 (18-49) for last week’s The Match 3 a success or not given the bizarre sports ratings of 2020. As Mitch Salem’s roundup of last Friday’s cable numbers highlights, The Match was just edged out by WETV’s Love After Lockup with the coveted demo and landed 8th on the list of November 27, 2020’s most watched cable telecasts.

After the streaming debacle that was The Match 1, the absolute ratings stunner that was The Match 2—a higher rating than the final round of the rescheduled U.S. Open—the average of a million viewers is probably about right for a celebrity golf match.

For the historians who fled the spectacle—and there were many—Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley defeated Peyton Manning and Steph Curry 4&3.

**The final numbers: a .60, but how about those dog show numbers:

The Match 3 Loses Tiger, Expected To Pick Up Charles Barkley And Steph Curry

With Phil Mickelson the lone professional and Peyton Manning expected to return, it sounds like the pro will take on the amateurs this day-after-Thanksgiving. Charles Barkley and Steph Curry step in to The Match 3, report Anthony Crupi and Scott Soshnick for Sportico.

The event is again expected to be played the day after Thanksgiving. The Match 2, one of the first post-pandemic live sports events, was the most watched golf telecast in cable history.

I don’t believe that will happen this time around. Just saying. Only the boldest predictions can be found here.

The Match Founder, Phil Talk How It Came Together, Possibilities For Future Playings

The LA Times’ Arash Markazi talks to producer Brian Zuriff, founder of The Match, as well as Phil Mickelson about this year’s hit event.

Zuriff explains how Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the choices to play with Tiger and Phil, and says he’d like to keep aiming for future editions on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Mickelson said he’s gotten plenty of outreach from big names about future playings with more charity in mind.

“I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes, who are all good golfers, elite talents and have great personalities. Those personalities are going to come out with this event. Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray. I think that could shine.”

As the tweet above notes, Curry is already raising his hand and seems a natural fit depending on his schedule.

In other Phil/Match news, Mickelson confirmed on Dan Patrick’s show that he’d be open to wearing a microphone in competition based on the positive reaction to last Sunday. From Will Gray’s GolfChannel.com story on that interview:

"I would be open to the idea because of how it's being received, and some of the insight and so forth," Mickelson said. "But you don't have the play between individuals. I had a partner, and Tom and I could talk back and forth. And maybe you could get some of that with the caddie, but having a partner is much more intimate and you have much better conversation."

The full chat:

More On The Match Ratings: A Younger Audience For The Old Guys

Media and tour executives insist golfers must get younger to attract the demographic coveted by advertisers. That means hyping young players, encouraging them to turn pro earlier and overall, declaring anyone under 30 to be capable of curing cancer while breaking 70 on a daily basis and delivering young eyeballs.

So as more numbers roll in from The Match: Champions For Charity, it’s noteworthy that four guys in their forties—and one about to turn 50—attracted a record rating on cable, robust sales, and even a younger audience than the previous week’s younger foursome for TaylorMade Driving Relief.

First, a recap on the participants, starting with The Match:

Tom Brady 42

Tiger Woods 44

Peyton Manning 44

Phil Mickelson 49

And the TaylorMade Driving Relief foursome:

Matthew Wolff 21

Rickie Fowler 31

Rory McIlroy 31

Dustin Johnson 35

According to Showbuzzdaily.com, almost 1/3 of The Match 2’s audience was in the coveted 18-49 demo and the number was even better on on TruTV, also meaning there are people of any age group who know how to find TruTV:

About 30% of The Match’s audience landed in the 18-49 demo despite the 44.5 average age of the participants.

The numbers for TaylorMade Driving Relief with a foursome averaging 29.5 years:

That’s 25% of the almighty buyers for a younger, supposedly more millennial-friendly group of golfers. And a grand total of (at least) 860,000 fewer viewers 18-49. While not a huge difference in the percentage department, The Match did rout Driving Relief in overall audience and even took chipped away at NASCAR’s ratings.

Given the sometimes blatant ageism in golf and view that young participants translate to a young audience, The Match’s overall dominating win should be noted. But probably won’t.

In other ratings news, Sunday night’s Tiger Slam documentary debut following completion of The Match on Golf Channel failed to land in cable’s top 150 shows.

I discussed what made The Match a success with myself on the latest Shack Show:

The Match Shows Golf Can Be Played Without Fans And Still Captivate

I remain bullish on the idea of the Ryder Cup going forward this year as a tonic of sorts without huge galleries and instead focusing on a stripped-down competition. After The Match and those record-setting ratings, I’m even more confident that a fan-free (or very limited gathering) would be the right thing this year for the biennial matches.

The Match 2, Champions For Charity, confirmed that people will watch something with no fans. In record-setting numbers, actually.

Big caveat: this is as long as the lack of cheering is made up for with production values and other differentiating elements that take us inside the ropes. A day later, it’s clear this sense of tagging along with the group was why The Match worked despite the dreary day at a largely forgettable course free of fans: it felt like we were there, glitches and all.

Sally Jenkins wrote for the Washington Post about the fan-free element in a column headlined: “No crowds meant you could hear the players at the Match II, and some of it was revealing.”

She writes:

Still, it was tremendously entertaining — and informative — to listen to the one-upping asides and to watch the interplay among four men who have been famously buttoned-up competitors. And who normally show their personalities only in marketing campaigns.

Interestingly, you learned that even in a goofy golf situation and unshaven, Woods remains a fairly laconic and methodical sort. Whereas Mickelson, on the other hand, was a real surprise. You never knew he had quite this much effusiveness in him, with his almost epicurean love of a “tasty” contest on every hole. Mickelson’s willingness to explain and instruct the game — and his clear enthusiasm for doing so — was the highlight of the event. And it was something the PGA and networks should consider giving the audience a lot more of.

Uh, we can’t even get them to do a short interview so instruction out of players is unlikely, but certainly Sky has shown with its on-range instruction elements at majors, that there are ways to re-think the show. And with ratings like The Match delivered, it’s very easy to imagine how this might be a significant wake-up call in reconsidering how golf is broadcast.

**Charles Barkley discussed microphones on players during an appearance on Dan Patrick’s show Tuesday.

I think more players will do this , and if they are happy with we analysts talking direct to them, this could be huge! @PGATOUR https://t.co/tW3oea6FHD

— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) May 26, 2020

Overnight? Champions For Charity Scores Golf's Largest Cable Rating...Ever

John Ourand reports that second most important number from The Match: Champions for Charity: 5.8 million average viewers, making it the most watched golf broadcast in cable history. (The $20 million raised the most important number.)

While still an overnight, it easily bests the previous week’s relief fund match that drew a 1.5 and total of 2.3 million viewers across three channels, including a 1.5 rating on NBC and a .24 on Golf Channel).

More incredibly, this means The Match 2 out-rated any major championship round on cable.

Given a so-so promotional run-up, a slow start to the show (caused in part by a slight weather delay) a dreary day to watch, and a long telecast, the rating is a stunning statement about the remaining star power of the contestants.

Huge TV numbers for “The Match:” Champions for Charity:

* 5.8 million viewers; most-watched golf event in cable TV history, TNT says.

* Peak of 6.3 million viewers (5:45-6p ET).

— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 25, 2020

Paulsen at SportsMediaWatch.com also added several thoughts, including this on the staggering numbers.

Since the majority of sporting events were called off on March 11-12, it ranks at best seventh among sportscasts — behind the first two nights of the NFL Draft, at least three episodes of the ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” and the previous weekend’s NASCAR race at Darlington (6.32M).

Viewership more-than-doubled the previous weekend’s “Driving Relief” charity event on the NBC family of networks, which saw Rory McIlroy compete against Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff (2.35M).

“The Match” ranks as easily the most-watched golf telecast on any network this year, with the caveat that the season’s first two majors — the Masters and PGA Championship — were postponed. Notably, it averaged more viewers than the final rounds of last year’s PGA Championship (5.0M) and British Open (3.7M).

Remember, The Match did not benefit from the reach of a broadcast network in garnering that rating.

Winners And Losers From The Match 2: Champions For Charity

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods returned for a second edition of The Match. The weather was awful, the course a tricky one to maneuver for crews and two legendary quarterbacks were thrown onto national TV with golf clubs. What could go right?

Yet…

Winners

Phil Mickelson – When he’s on and invested, he’s a master entertainer. He dropped only one early groaner followed by high energy and fun. The 11th hole drive and commentary falls into the first team all-legendary TV category. It should be a Callaway commercial. Now interrupting this post for an embed:

Phil goes over the tree line and drives the green on the par-4 11th. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Knib2gL8lx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2020

Tiger – There will be plenty of wondering what might have been at the Masters, PGA and U.S. Open given his ballstriking performance. Then again, the break may have been Either way, good to see him looking and playing well. He wasn’t excessively chatty but did deliver one especially fun zinger.

The legendary quarterbacks – They played incredibly well given the circumstances and in particular, Tom Brady’s painful struggle to find his swing. Peyton Manning delivered strong energy, one extra-special zinger and charmingly dated Top Gun references, while Brady delivered the shot that’ll be seen on every national highlight show. The Brady hole-out, also worthy of interrupting this blog post:

Hole-out from the fairway ...

Just Tom being Tom. pic.twitter.com/ITxotmL3rr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2020

Justin Thomas, Charles Barkley, Brian Anderson—Three guys who either never or rarely do golf were the stars mostly because they knew when to chime in and when to let the players shine.  Thomas’s knowledge of the course and quick adoption of the medium was impressive, particularly confidently and succinctly he delivered his points.  

Turner – They clearly learned from The Match 1 and improved under brutal working conditions. Pile on awful weather, physical distancing requirements, an untested format and losing the Goodyear blimp to rain, and Champions for Charity should have been an unmitigated television disaster. Early on, things appeared headed that way but the energy and pace issues were a result of a 45-minute rain delay and the dreaded energy sapping format known as best ball golf. Strong graphics and tracer work was also turned in by producer Jeff Neubarth and director Steve Beim’s crew.

Sound – Of course there were a ton of issues, but even those turned slightly comical when players were zooming off the tee and unable to hear questions posed to them. The unintentional icing-out effect was cute. But given the crappy conditions and difficulties posed by trying to have players wear both a microphone and IFB for sound, the overall performance was beyond admirable. A nod to the announcers for laying out well for player dialogue after maybe overdoing the silence early on.

Modified Alternate Shot – Once this format took over on the back nine, the pace completely changed. I fear a lot of viewers were lost due to the front nine’s sluggish best-ball format. Their loss, but no one could blame them. Instead, point the finger at best ball.

Cart cams – what seemed like a huge optics nightmare—grown men and rich athletes whizzing around in their personalized decked-out carts—turned into a positive with cameras situated on the inside and the ability (sometimes) to converse with them. And was it me or where those carts moving a bit more rapidly than your normal buggy?

Charity – A whopping $20 million was raised by the assorted sponsors, pledges and viewers. 

Medalist’s drainage – Given the rain and being situated on a swamp, to see the ball rolling and the greens retain speed after being under water when TNT came on the air, a miracle really.

Ernie Johnson - He’s a national treasure and great Barkley foil, but wasn’t able to make it for reasons he explained in this emotional piece that ran early in the show:

Ernie Johnson gave us the best thing you’ll see all year long...#TheMatch pic.twitter.com/FKTgsmIfC4

— Kevin Gray Jr. (@CTSportsRadio) May 24, 2020

Losers

Tom Brady’s Under Armour pants – They split in the fabric—not the seam— and the big reveal came as he went to pick up his hole-out. They’ll be shipping those to UA headquarters for forensic analysis. **Brady later Tweets a suggestion they were NOT UA pants.

Even Brady had fun with it after the match:

Pants wanted in on social distancing I guess... https://t.co/PJBPyFWowI

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 25, 2020

Tiger’s “shorts” - No, they were not cut off rain pants. And they were predictably mocked on Twitter.

Most golf television golf commentators — The freedom of the Turner crew demonstrated how locked up and stale most golf broadcasters have become trying to cheer-lead in a losing battle to fend off PGA Tour censors, agents and other assorted overmeddling point-missers.

Best-ball – It just takes forever. And rarely is the format that good. Granted, the front nine best-ball format of Champions For Charity was better than two-man Skins (!?), but that’s not a high bar. Remember, the Scots have it right even if they may grovel at the “modified” notion. More alternate shot please.

Caddies – it was a rough two weeks for the bagmen of the world. First the lads carried their clubs around Seminole and it was the highlight. Then, even in awful conditions, the loopers left at home were not really missed. Sorry!

That Weird Mid-round Intermission – I’m sure there were logistical and bill-paying reasons but the mid-round intermission was a huge buzzkill.

Florida – In a statement to GeoffShackelford.com, the local Chamber of Commerce: “We are still investigating whether that was the Bahamas or somewhere in South Carolina, not our state for sure.”

Taylor Made Driving Relief – The PGA Tour Entertainment/NBC/Golf Channel precursor was well-intentioned and fine in the grand scheme. But with a pair of buzzkill guest appearances, and despite a better venue and weather, ended up feeling a bit too much like an empty make-good vessel than a chance to lose ourselves in a few hours of fun.

While both of these fundraising events faced hurdles created by the COVID-19 and The Match 2 obviously featured more dynamic participants, the latter provided escapist entertainment and generated four times the funds. So while there should be no winners, Champions For Charity takes this one 6&5 despite having a similar number of pre-planned obligations, promos and an A-Rod appearance. The Match 3? Why not!

Charles Barkley Discusses The Match (2), NCAA's Push To Return

Part of this Sunday’s Champions For Charity TNT broadcast team, Charles Barkley appeared on Anderson Cooper Live to plug the matches, his involvement trying to play one hole to help raise funds (yay!) and he was asked about breaking NCAA news. Worth a listen.

Charles Barkley says it's not safe for the NCAA to go through with plans to permit Division I football & basketball to resume voluntary athletics activities. “I would not want my kid [to play] until we know more about what can happen…but listen, money is going to run this thing” pic.twitter.com/kZHxL9Vo87

— CNN (@CNN) May 21, 2020

Turner Sells Out Ad Space For The Match, And Then Some

As unemployment skyrockets and the world economy continues a virtual halt, it’s curious to see how much corporate support there is for The Match 2, both in sponsorship and in ad sales. While the below story notes the various sponsors and buyers were locked in a month ago, the support has remained in part because of the match shifting to a charity effort.

Adweek’s Kelsey Sutton reports on the overwhelming financial outlay that is going to the $10 million charitable payout when Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning tee up May 24th at The Medalist.

Turner Sports is hopeful The Match will attract lots of eyeballs, and so are its advertising partners. The broadcaster is using the partially remote production to feature some unique on-air sponsorship opportunities.

Cisco has signed on as a content integration partner, and Turner Sports will use the videoconferencing application Webex to bring remote guests to the screen during the telecast, said Will Funk, Turner Sports’ evp, sports partnerships and branded content. DraftKings, another content integration partner, will provide betting odds on challenges and stunts on different holes throughout the course, all of which feature a charitable payout.

Steiny: No Deal In Place For Another Match

Agent Mark Steinberg is refuting a GolfDigest.com story suggesting there is a three-year deal for The Match and spinoffs, telling ESPN.com’s Bob Harig that discussions will soon take place. But nothing more.

“We -- and that's a very big we when I say the Woods camp, the Mickelson camp, the Turner camp -- have a lot to talk about,'' Steinberg said. "We don't have any specifics on what it might look like, whether it's Tiger-Phil, two others, four others.''

Oops!

This could be a negotiating ploy since his client was amazingly generous with the knee-knockers and is without question the primary attraction. But it sounds more like a traditional conservative approach by the Woods camp on high-profile deals and no rush to commit to something.

A couple of months removed from The Match, the question I keep coming back to relates to the paywall issues: who will try to pay for a sequel of some form after getting it for free?

That may be a question Tiger and Steinberg will be raising when discussions take place.

Brandel: The Match Demeaned The Game

I don’t agree that The Match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson demeaned the game as Brandel Chamblee says in this GolfChannel.com opinion piece. Moments were groundbreaking and entertaining, others were embarrassing (the piles of cash, the side bets for charity, the given putts).

Anyway, harsh take here from Brandel!

Tiger and Phil looked like two guys who needed the money and were only there for it. That’s fine, everyone watching likely has been guilty of the same, but we are not meant, in watching these events, to be reminded of our lives. When an athlete gets lost in their art and performs like they don’t need the money, the audience gets lost with them and forgets their own lives; that’s transcendent. 

The Match was not transcendent, it was transparent, and it demeaned the game. Period.

Turner: Lack Of Memory And Server Capacity To Handle High Volume Of "Consumer Access Requests" For The Match

Good news, bad news!

People wanted to watch The Match! Good.

The largest telecommunications company America couldn’t take your money. Not good.

Gerry Smith of Bloomberg writes that the “latest botched attempt at streaming sports online” threatens to “undermine television’s transition to a digital future.”

As he notes, sports face different streaming issues with too many people at once trying to access the same thing. There are also multiple layers no longer faced with cable:

It involves taking a feed, ensuring it works on devices such as Xbox or Roku, encrypting it, inserting ads, then handing it off to a third party for delivery to an internet provider -- all in real time. A crash means viewers can miss a thrilling touchdown, buzzer-beater or a missed putt.

But as Smith notes, the actual stream of The Match worked fine, it was the actual attempt to pay that failed, with most reporting a complete inability to get anywhere while others say they got in without ever being asked for a credit card number.

On Monday, a Turner spokesman said the glitch during the golf match was caused by a lack of memory and server capacity required to process “a high volume of consumer access requests in a condensed time frame.”

The high volume part is great news for the organizers. Though the only number available at this point is an AP mention of 500 on hold waiting for assistance when the technology failed.

The complete meltdown component will take time and perhaps even a new model to convince consumers to try paying. As Ryan Lavner notes in this blistering assessment of the proceedings, the price may have to come down if there is another attempt taken.

Sports Business Daily offered two tough love pages of reviews (here and here).

We discussed highs and lows today on Morning Drive, with SB Nation’s Brendan Porath joining the conversation:

Roundup: Before The Match's Aftermath Moves To The Finger-Pointing Phase

Before the business story engulfs The Match—if the across-the-board refunds haven’t already done so—let’s consider how the promises of a groundbreaking event played out.

Alan Shipnuck at Golf.com says The Match was sold as a spectacle and merely delivered two guys playing golf, which was good enough for many of us to be entertained but a failure based on the marketing message.

It was an exercise in cognitive dissonance. The announcers wouldn’t stop raving about Shadow Creek’s aesthetics but my eyes kept going to the aeration holes on the greens. There was breathless talk about the use of the world’s largest drone for beauty shots but its buzzing was so loud it was a distraction on nearly every shot on the opening holes. I was excited to have the players mic’d up, until Phil’s heavy mouth-breathing and Tiger’s snotty sniffles hijacked the broadcast.

Dan Wetzel at Yahoo says The Match was worse than Caddyshack 2.

There were a few side bets that should have been fun, but this event was so over-marketed and over-sold that it was nearly impossible to believe either was laying their own money on the line. Someone else was going to pick up the closest-to-the-pin bets. On the back nine and the playoff – yes, it went 22 holes — no one bet anything. It was like they were over budget or all the other bets were pre-planned.

The Forecaddie on Turner taking the brunt of the financial losses, not the narrative they were hoping for or the one AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson had in mind when they spent $85 billion on Time Warner.

Dave Shedloski at GolfDigest.com suggested the event went well, with the pay issues caused by overwhelming demand.

WarnerMedia’s B/R Live platform was so inundated with subscribers who waited until the last minute to log in that it had to offer the program free for a limited time until the traffic jam subsided. “We are very encouraged by the initial subscriber numbers,” a smiling Turner President David Levy said as Mickelson and Woods made the turn.

AP’s story on the streaming issues said 500 people were “on hold” at one point trying to get help paying. What that means isn’t clear.

But as Darren Rovell notes, all of those Turner meetings to determine the price for The Match were one giant waste of time after the mass-refund.

Jason Sobel lamented the flashing of cash and also the announce team talking over the sound.

The bigger problem is that the announcing team stepped all over the stars of the show throughout the day.

The whole benefit of Tiger and Phil being mic’d up is that we get to hear their conversations with each other, with their caddies and with the fans. Instead, it felt like every time they opened their mouths, one of the commentators would speak over them.

Rex Hoggard on the PGA Tour helping to undermine The Match by limiting the number of side challenges, which had moments and were for charity. Too many bad cooks in this kitchen!

The playoff hole took a few punches over at Golf.com where the Confidential gang saw plenty of positives too.

Berhow: The drone shots for some of the putts were pretty cool. The banter disappointed (shocker), and deciding this whole thing from a putting green (with teed up golf balls!) to a green just 93 yards away seemed very anticlimactic. Although maybe that ending was strangely fitting.

Kerr-Dineen: The much-hyped “trash talk” was painfully awkward and wholly underwhelming. I was a bit disappointed by the overall on-course commentary, too. It was a bit too straight-and-narrow for the event; I’d have liked to see Barkley more involved in the play-by-play. What was better than I expected? Probably the playoff. Wedging it off a green to another green with $9 million on the line? Bonkers.

Dan Kilbridge on the celebrity scene just outside the ropes. That continued Saturday with a pro-am where Tiger and Phil attended. Lucky them!

John Strege considered the telecast and noted that much of the great sound we heard was natural, inside-the-ropes commentary from the legends taking part.

When Woods chipped in for birdie from the fringe to square the match at 17, he could be heard saying to caddie Joe LaCava, “just like old times, Joey.”

Moments later, Mickelson said to Woods, “I’ve been watching that for 20 years. I didn’t need to watch that now.”

Yet even with a match coming down to the final hole and what evolved into a farcical playoff (teeing it from the putting green in the dark) with $9 million at stake, it was not especially riveting, given the mediocrity from two of the best in history and the time it took them to underperform.

Finally, Dan Kilbridge on the celebrity scene just outside the ropes. That continued Saturday with a pro-am where Tiger and Phil attended after the previous night’s Topgolf after party. Talk about evidence they were both paid the same rate!