Print this page  |  Close Window

• PGATOUR.com to provide live coverage of Jordan/Woods pairing

Editor's Note: Two of sports' biggest stars are sharing a round of golf this morning at the Quail Hollow Course as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan are paired together in the pro-am at the Wachovia Championship, with local car dealer Skipper Beck rounding out the group. PGATOUR.com editorial coordinator Lauren Deason is following the threesome for all 18 holes, offering exclusive live blogging from the course.

All times are eastern.

Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan early in their round Wednesday in Charlotte. (Greenwood/WireImage)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

• Woods/Jordan recap • Tiger and M.J. tee off • Woods, Jordan play Nos. 2,3 and 5 • Woods, Jordan play Nos. 7, 8 • Woods and Jordan having fun • Woods on Jordan's game • Woods talks to media

PHOTO GALLERY

• Images From Their Round

WACHOVIA CHAMPIONSHIP

• Masters champ back after brief break • This week's E-notes • TFI:  Taylor a good get • TOUR Insider:  Mother Nature tough • History:  Wachovia Championship

11:50 a.m. -- "I play with (Tiger) all the time but I felt like this would be good for the city of Charlotte," said Jordan as he met with the media after the round. Best trash talking moment out there? "Oh I can't tell you that" he said mischievously. When Tiger was asked what it was like to finally play with someone who got more hype than him, the superstar said he loved it. No doubt that the city of Charlotte did too.

11:30 a.m. -- At the 18th, the team is 11 under and it's Tiger who finds the creek. Jordan finds the fairway for one of the only times all day. Nothing like coming through at the end. Skipper's second on the par 4 lands at the front of the green and he misses his birdie try. Jordan just barely passes his by, as well as Tiger opts not to play the hole. Jordan pars the last and puts an end to their round.

11:20 a.m. -- The par-3 17th is a hole surrounded by water. Tiger looks at the crowd packed in every available inch around the small but exciting hole on course and jokes, "it's Wednesday, right? Don't these people have jobs?" Seems like everyone in Charlotte called in sick or played hooky today to watch these two.

11:10 a.m. -- Bobcats owner Bob Johnson has been faithfully following Jordan and Beck. "Go Bobcats," he says to the still large but slightly more spread out crowd. Jordan has switched to a backwards rally cap on the 16th but he might need a little more luck than that. Maybe he's wearing his old UNC shorts under his golf pants the way he did when he was a Chicago Bull. At this point, he needs all the help he can get as his first shot involves the words "fore" and a tree blocking his way. He delights the crowd by nearly chipping in for par, but Tiger carries the team with a birdie on this one to put the team at 11 under through 16.

11:05 a.m. -- It's game on between Skipper and Michael. At last count, Skipper was something like nine strokes ahead though Jordan is giving him five. There are only three holes left so Mr. Last-Second Game-Winning Shot Maker better step it up in the friendly rivalry.

10:50 a.m. -- Heading into the final holes - which the Wachovia Championship is billing as the toughest on TOUR- the group is still joking despite the southern heat. On the 15th green, Skipper steps on Jordan's ball to which M.J. snorts, "Tiger can do that." You can't. It's forgivable though since Skipper nearly holed it from the rough beneath the green and is strutting his stuff. Skipper has played well despite the crowds and pressure.

10:40 a.m. -- The scene at the 14th green is priceless. Tiger is perched on one side next to the water as Jordan sits on the opposite side behind a bunker in the rough. After some verbal sparring with Jordan asking the odds on getting it up and down while Tiger wonders if he should take cover, M.J. takes a practice swing to which Tiger deadpans, "I got it" and pretends the ball sailed over his head into the water. When M.J. actually hits, it is stopped from rolling into the lake by Stevie. All in good fun.

10:30 a.m. -- Note to the 14th hole: Mike likes you. Jordan mutters "oh good hole" as he views the par 4, 345-yard dogleg left. When Jordan hits, he places his cigar on the ground right next to the tee. Then he bestows upon one overjoyed lady one from his collection in the bag. Bet that's going in the trophy case in her house and not getting smoked.

10:25 a.m. -- After the 12th, the group is now 9 under and headed to par-3 13th where they have another wait. Tiger and M.J. chat about golf courses as they are delayed. Michael is apparently not as flustered by the wait as he was on 10 and hits it to the back of the green, but misses his birdie try. Tiger goes next and hits it short so its again up to skipper who lips out. The group remains at 9 under as Jordan sinks a crowd-pleasing but meaningless five footer for par.

10:00 a.m. -- Funniest line of the day comes not from M.J., as he waits to tee off on the 12th, but from a boy perched on his dad's shoulders. "My dad's seen you play basketball," says the maybe 5 year old as if his dad was so old that he actually got to see Mike play. Michael takes it in stride, laughs that he's not that old and says "that was pretty good, kid."

9:58 a.m. -- Remember how Michael gave Tiger's ball to a kid at the start of the 11th? Well, Steve Williams gets him back on the green as he throws the ball that landed just inches from the hole for Michael's birdie try into the crowd. Skipper plays the hole better than anyone in the crowd, sinking a 10 footer for birdie before Tiger makes his.

9:55 a.m. -- On the 11th, Michael kicks Tiger's ball off the tee to a little boy who grins from ear-to-ear. Tiger doesn't seem to mind and re-tees. The crowd eats it up and applauds the two stars. When Mike is ready to hit he seems to want a little cheering. I'm used to noise he says its too quiet. When a few people clap, that seems to do the trick as he finds the fairway. Now that's what he's talking about as the crowd roars. And lookie here, he's outdriven Tiger a pretty good distance on this one for the first time today.

9:30 a.m. -- Jordan waits to hit on the ninth and interacts with the crowd and signs autographs for a few lucky fans. Michael teases skipper about being the biggest name in Charlotte with his name on all the Mercedes around. Skipper is 3 up on Michael in their little contest but M.J. replies "there are two halves and I'm a second-half player". Offer some Powerade everyone laughs as he turns it down. As he finally hits he isn't happy with the result and mumbles I hate waiting.

9:10 a.m. -- Two par 4s in a row on the eighth and ninth and the group makes birdie on both putting them at 5 under at the turn. It's Mike and Skipper who had the hot putters on the ninth with Tiger not finishing the hole with the group already safely in with birdie. The threesome hits another group at nine and two new amateurs are forced to collect themselves and hit with M.J. and thousands looking on.

8:51 a.m. -- There's a saying in Carolina that says, "If God aint a tar heel, then why's the sky Carolina blue?" Well, today's shaping up to be a blue-sky filled day but its already hot as blue blazes with the temp expected to climb to 90. Fans of all ages are out in full force to watch M.J., many keeping shaded in Carolina Panthers, Bobcats, Tar Heel, Duke, Wake and other ACC country hats. Several are also poignantly sporting Va. Tech ones. The crowds are probably three deep on each hole with almost every person holding a camera in hopes of getting Tiger or Mike's picture.

8:50 a.m. -- Skipper hits into the creek on seven -- a par 5 lined with several of the huge classic houses typical of Quail Hollow. This is an old-style course with tree lined fairways and on this hole a creek to the right. A man standing in his yard holds up a sign to Skipper standing near the creek that says hit it in the pool and win a free car. M.J. hasn't found the water but is in the sand to the left on his second. It's a good thing they have Tiger this hole who is in the rough just off the green in two. Guess where Mike is? In the sand again this time off the green though. He sinks his long par putt and gives one of his friend Tiger's trademark fist pumps to the delight of the crowd. The group stays at 3 under.

8:35 a.m. -- On the sixth hole, the group is 3 under and Michael has an excellent shot from the left bunker to about five feet from the hole. Skipper sitting just off the green hits it just past the hole leaving both he and M.J. closer tries for birdie than Tiger. Tiger barely misses his and Michael barely hits his leaving it up to skipper. He proves no more clutch than the two athletes in the group but at least his hits the hole. They remain at three under through seven.

8:20 a.m. -- Do y'all remember that commercial for McDonald's where Jordan and Larry Bird hit over the backboard through the trash can into the net? That might be an accurate portrayal of his golf game. From the woods, off a tree, to the fairway and into the rough on the fifth hole before he finds the green. Through it all though he keeps the crowd in stitches and prompts someone to say to a bemused Tiger, "I don't think he even knows where the hole is."

8:00 a.m. -- Mike's golf bag is like no other. It has almost 20 Air Jordan shoes stitched on its front. In red white and black the bag also features two flying Jordan logos. Tiger tells M.J. to hit to the left but he remarks see all those people standing to the left. Tiger tried to offer advice again, but Michael just says if I could hit it where he says I wouldn't be playing with him, then grins that trademark smile at the chuckling crowd.

7:55 a.m. -- Not sure if Michael and Tiger planned their matching outfits today, but they are both decked out in white hats and shirts. Skipper and his son stand out in Bobcats orange. The group is 1 under through 3 but not thanks to Michael, who is on his first cigar. This prompts a fan to yell, "no cigar before you par, Michael."

7:40 a.m. -- Not the best start for M.J., who finds the trees then the bunker. Skipper unfortunately finds a spot in the crowd on his second, but has a nice shot to the green where Tiger is sitting close to the hole in two. Skipper jokes to the crowd that he didn't sleep last night.

7:34 a.m. -- We have tee off. Tiger hits first, then Skipper, who drives it in the fairway then grabs his heart as tournament director Kym Hougham runs to him jokingly with an oxygen mask. Michael chuckles then hits his drive.

7:25 a.m. -- Someone is holding up a vintage yellowed 1982 team poster for Jordan to autograph. He heads to a group of kids though and signs their hats as he heads off the range.

7:20 a.m. -- Peyton Manning is here along with Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Woods and Jordan. This is harder to follow than a three-ring circus.

7:10 a.m. -- Jordan shows up and starts hitting balls next to Tiger. Skipper and Graham head over to chat with M.J., a fellow part owner of the Bobcats. Once Skipper's done chatting, Sergio Garcia exchanges a few words with Air Jordan, who towers over him.

6:55 a.m. -- Tiger hits the range a little after 6:50. There are a couple of other pros out including Will Mackenzie, Adam Scott and Eric Axley, but no sign of Michael. The crowd shouts to Tiger as he enters, but he looks focused as he heads to the left side and away from most of the madness.

6:47 a.m. -- There was a small crowd gathered around just off the practice range, so naturally you would think Tiger or M.J. were around. Nope, it's Skipper Beck, who has already become a pseudo celeb and the envy of Charlotte. People are watching him make his way to the range.