In order to keep both golfers involved, a team showdown is "almost a certainty"getty images
Turner "signed a three-year deal" with the joint Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson business entity to continue airing various iterations of the duo's PPV event on Thanksgiving weekend in '19 and '20, according to sources cited by Dave Shedloski of GOLF DIGEST. The first version of "The Match" played out to mixed reviews last month, and the three-year deal does not necessarily mean fans will "see a rematch" of Woods-Mickelson in a one-on-one match. A source said that to "keep both involved, a team showdown is 'almost a certainty.'" The "conventional thought is that they pair together against two challengers," but another option apparently is that they "remain on opposite sides and each chooses his own teammate." Sources that the Nov. 23 PPV match "drew nearly one million customers who paid the $19.95 fee." After technical problems, Turner "immediately had to refund" the PPV buys (GOLFDIGEST.com, 12/26). YAHOO SPORTS' Jay Busbee wrote considering "how The Match I turned out, it’s likely The Match II and The Match III will feature some additional elements to liven up the proceedings." Sequels "rarely live up to the original, but in this case, that’s a low bar to clear" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/26).
