– In keeping with the mood of the day, nothing was too serious Monday at The Challenge: Japan Skins, where Jason Day walked off with $210,000 and the victory, and nobody seemed too upset about it.
Back in the day, The Skins Game was an annual Thanksgiving weekend golf treat in an era of “silly season” events that attracted some of the top names in the sport. Tiger Woods played in it six times — and never won — a point that Day was sure to hammer home afterward.
“He hasn’t won one yet, so I’ve got that on him, which is good,” Day said. “I found that out today when he told me. But this is nice, the back and forth was great, it was nice and clean and it was within the game, and I think the guys had fun out there.”
That was sort of the idea of the four-player event that was built around Woods’ appearance this week in the first PGA Tour event to be played in Japan.
Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Day joined Woods at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club for the event that sold out its ticket allotment of 3,000, with the final two holes played under makeshift lighting due to darkness. All will play in the Zozo Championship that starts here Thursday.
Day saved his best for last, winning the 17th hole when McIlroy missed a short birdie putt to tie him. Day then won the 18th when Woods left short a 10-foot birdie putt, making Day the big winner. He won a total of eight skins.
Woods was next with six skins and $60,000, while McIlroy also won $60,000 for his five skins. Matsuyama won one skin and earned $20,000.