Pro Golf Now
Fansided

Prediction: Who will win at TaylorMade Driving Relief event

By Tim Letcher

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays a second shot on the 16th hole during the third round of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 15, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 15: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays a second shot on the 16th hole during the third round of the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 15, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy will be big favorites at the TaylorMade Driving Relief match on Sunday. But will they win?

We’ve talked about it all week, and now it’s finally time for the TaylorMade Driving Relief match, featuring Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff. After more than two months without seeing any of our favorite PGA Tour professionals playing in an actual event, we will finally get to see that on Sunday (2 p.m. NBC, Golf Channel).

As we have previewed this week, there are four very talented players in Sunday’s event. McIlroy is the number one player in the world. Johnson is the long hitter who doesn’t get enough credit or his all-around game. Fowler is the unfortunate holder of the title of best player to never win a major. And Wolff is the talented 21-year-old who won in his fourth career PGA Tour start.

More from Pro Golf Now

The pairings are Johnson and McIlroy against Fowler and Wolff. And, on paper, that seems like somewhat of a mismatch. It’s a pair of players who have spent nearly 200 weeks, combined, ranked as the number one player in the world against a pair of players who have never been ranked at the top. It’s a pair of players who have combined to win five major championship titles against a pair of players who have won just six total tournaments combined.

On paper, it’s a mismatch. However, as the phrase goes, this game is not played on paper. There are a couple of scenarios where Fowler and Wolff could hang around long enough to make it interesting.

The first scenario is that Fowler and Wolff get started quickly and take an early lead. That would build their confidence and hopefully relax Wolff, who is at least 10 years younger than any of the other three players in the event.

The second scenario is that the match is tight throughout and that the Fowler-Wolff duo is loose at the end, with nothing to lose against McIlroy and Johnson. This could make the favorites a little tight and the lack of pressure could benefit the pair of former Oklahoma State Cowboys.

More likely, however, is a match where McIlroy and Johnson exert their clear dominance on their foes. McIlroy is hotter than any player on the planet right now, and, paired with Johnson, the two should have no trouble in winning in the four-ball skins format.

Next. Skins Match is Great Idea for Fans, Charity and Viewing Public. dark

The biggest winners of the day will be a pair of charitable foundations who are fighting the battle against COVID-19. Johnson and McIlroy will be playing for the American Nurses Foundation, while Fowler and Wolff will play for the CDC Foundation.

Golf is back and it will be fun to watch, whether this competition is close or not. The guess here is that McIlroy and Johnson will win, 11 skins to 7.

Home/PGA