Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IINovember 22, 2024
Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images
TNT Sports' The Match: Superstars began Thursday from West Palm Beach, Florida's Breakers West Country Club.
8 stars and ex-star professional athletes took centerstage in a match play and scramble format over 9 holes.
In the quarterfinal round, Michael Phelps and Mark Wahlberg squashed Blake Griffin and Nate Bargatze four-up, ending up the match after 6 holes.
It was a hard day for Griffin, the six-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA gamer. He heard it from Barkley after missing out on a makable putt to connect a hole. Bargatze cleaned it up.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Chuck roasts Blake for missing out on a putt >$1M on the line at The Match: Superstars > on > @StreamOnMax> pic.twitter.com/0YxKgATF49
Wahlberg and Phelps were too strong, winning the very first, 2nd, 5th and 6th holes for the triumph.
In the other half of the bracket, Wayne Gretzky and Bill Murray beat Charles Barkley and Ken Griffey Jr. in an extreme and close contest that ended after the 4th playoff hole.
The 2 sets were all square after 9 holes. Gretzky and Murray won the very first hole, however Griffey and Barkley won the 6th and seventh to go one-up. Maybe Barkley's mid-round t-shirt modification played a consider his group's enhanced play.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Chuck needed to alter t-shirts after sweating a lot >$1M on the line at The Match: Superstars > on > @StreamOnMax> pic.twitter.com/EpKj3ncvEW
Griffey and Barkley's lead was temporary, however, as Gretzky drilled a putt on the 8th to make it all square.
9 holes weren't enough to complete the contest, so the sets re-started the ninth hole and continued to play it up until there was a victor.
On their 4th playoff effort to break the tie, Gretzky got it done once again, drilling a birdie putt for the win.
The semifinal round will see a shakeup to specific match play contests. Phelps and Wahlberg will play each other while Murray and Gretzky take on. The winners will then square off for a $1 million first-place reward.
Friday's action will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT and Max.
