Mickelson, Barkley win Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change

HOLE-BY-HOLE

The Curry / Manning team gets off to a fine start after Curry splits the fairway. Mickelson then busts out his driver and lets the group know, “I wouldn’t normally hit driver here but I just want to set the tone,” and cuts the corner of the dogleg left opener, but finds the rough. Barkley then takes iron and hits a perfect draw into the fairway, but it’s well back meaning they decide to use Mickelson’s shot.

Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Bogey
Match Score: Curry / Manning 1up Mickelson / Barkley

A change in strategy for the Mickelson / Barkley team is instituted immediately as Barkley defies all odds and finds his second straight fairway off the tee. Mickelson’s drive is significantly longer, but they choose Barkley’s ball, allowing Phil to try to reach the green in two. The 50-year-old comes up just short to the front of the green.

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Birdie
Match Score: Curry / Manning ALL SQUARE Mickelson / Barkley

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Birdie
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 1up Curry / Manning

Barkley has clearly been in some sort of golf boot camp like back in the day when he was part of the Hank Haney Project on Golf Channel. His swing is holding up fairly well under pressure and he once again finds the middle of the fairway off the tee. This allows Mickelson to go full flex with his calves and try to hit a bomb up near the green.

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 2up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning

TNT legend Ernie Johnson joins the telecast for the first par three of the round and at one point quips to Mickelson how he’s worried he might “lose your voice before the end.”

Hole Result: Halved
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Double Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning

Is it the start of a comeback?

Mickelson is the beneficiary of a room-service bounce after his drive looks set to find cactus country, but hits a boulder and ricochets back near the fairway. Being the course owner has its perks it seems.

But Curry has similar luck and Manning shows lovely touch to wedge it to around six-feet. Barkley finds the green as well, but on the lower tier forcing Mickelson to attempt birdie from long range.

He lags to four-feet, but a conceded par is not forthcoming at all from those staring a four-hole deficit in the face. Curry misses the birdie on the low side but when Barkley pulls the par putt left there is life for Manning and Curry again.

Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Bogey
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Halved
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning

Incredible picturesque scenes of the Arizona desert frame the shot from the elevated 10th tee box. It’s a small teeing area so you wouldn’t want to swing out of your shoes and lose your balance. If you do, you might find a few cactus barbs in your behind.

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Birdie
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Curry / Manning WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Triple Bogey
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 3up Curry / Manning

The less said about this hole the better. Both teams were forced into unplayable penalties after wayward tee shots from all four competitors found the desert.

Hole Result: Mickelson / Barkley WIN
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Triple Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Double Bogey
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Halved
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Bogey; Mickelson / Barkley – Bogey
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning

Hole Result: Halved
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Par; Mickelson / Barkley – Par
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley 4up Curry / Manning

The lone hole with a different format is where things end up as the sun goes close to ducking behind the awesome Arizona mountains. After modified alternate shot had been used exclusively to this point, this par five is to be played as a scramble hole. This essentially means Mickelson is taking on Manning and Curry.

Hole Result: Halved
Hole Scores: Curry / Manning – Birdie; Mickelson / Barkley – Birdie
Match Score: Mickelson / Barkley defeat Curry / Manning 4 and 3.