INZAI CITY, Japan (AP) – Not only did Jason Day win the inaugural “The Challenge: Japan Skins” game on Monday, beating Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama, he also won the needling contest.
Turning to Woods after receiving the trophy, Day, a Fil-Australian, asked how many similar events Woods had played in.
Tiger Woods (left) and Jason hold their hands on the 18th hole after the Challenge: Japan Skins event ahead of the Zozo Championship PGA Tour at Accordia Golf Narashino C.C. in Inzai, east of Tokyo. (AP)
Tiger Woods (left) and Jason hold their hands on the 18th hole after the Challenge: Japan Skins event ahead of the Zozo Championship PGA Tour at Accordia Golf Narashino C.C. in Inzai, east of Tokyo. (AP)
“Tiger, this is what — your fifth of sixth?”
Before Woods could reply, Day supplied the rejoinder.
“He hasn’t won one yet. I found that out today when he told me.”
Woods and everyone else laughed, which captured the lighthearted day at the Narashino Country Club, where the made-for-TV skins game finished under floodlights on the 17th and 18th holes.
“First time I’ve ever finished under lights, so that was exciting,” Day said, surprised the sun goes down about 5 p.m. in the fall in the Tokyo area.
Day won eight skins and $210,000. Woods had five skins and $60,000 with McIlroy taking four and winning $60,000. Matsuyama won only one skin and $20,000.
“I’m disappointed I had only one,” Matsuyama said, speaking through an interpreter and also getting a laugh.
It was Woods’ first event after surgery two months ago, the fifth on his left knee. He’ll get a stiffer test at the Zozo Championship that opens Thursday — the first-ever full PGA Tour event in Japan.
Wood said it was great “just being able to compete again. I haven’t done this in a little bit now.”
By his own assessment, he started very slowly.
“I did not play well at the beginning,” he said. “I hit a lot of bad shots and did not putt well. Once I got into the flow of competing and feeling the round, it just got exciting. We were competitive, the banter was great, the back and forth.”
Woods, who had a hand in organizing the event, said he hoped “we were entertaining everyone and everyone who’s watching had a good time.”
