Rory McIlroy hopes for ‘penalty drops everywhere’ in Jordan Spieth-Patrick Reed match

It’s not exactly the Ryder Cup or the Masters, but Jordan Spieth vs. Patrick Reed in Friday’s round three of golf’s version of March Madness pits two Team USA partners against each other in what promises to be an entertaining battle for group play bragging rights.

So entertaining, in fact, that Reed’s Ryder Cup nemesis Rory McIlroy is looking forward to the duel between the two Americans that has taken on a life of its own thanks to golf’s version of trash talk in which the contestants have engaged.

“I have a lot of interest in that,” an animated McIlroy told reporters after beating Jhonattan Vegas, 2 and 1, on Thursday to make it to the next round at the WGC-Match Play. “What time are they playing?”

Well, McIlroy, you’re in luck. If you dispatch of Brian Harman quickly in your 9:52 a.m. (local time) match, you should be able to catch at least some of the marquee twosome, who will tee off at 1:32 p.m. with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16.

Spieth and Reed played their way into what promised from the start to be appointment viewing after each took care of business Thursday to move to 2-0-0 (Reed outlasted Charl Schwartzel, 1-up, and Spieth defeated HaoTong Li, 4 and 2).

“Hopefully I get done early, I can watch it,” said McIlroy. “Penalty drops everywhere.”

Of course, McIlroy was referring to Reed’s set-to with a rules official during Sunday’s final round at Bay Hill, when Reed argued that if his name were Jordan Spieth he would have received more favorable treatment than he did. In fact, McIlroy earlier in the week weighed in on the heavyweight bout when he offered some advice to Spieth (“Don’t ask for any drops”).

Reed took the faux war of words to another level Thursday when he joked he had carried Spieth during their partnership at the 2016 biennial games.

”I don’t know, my back still hurts from the last Ryder Cup,” Reed, smiling, said on Thursday in response to what he considered Spieth’s strength.

Spieth, who counts Reed as a friend as well as a successful partner in team play, did not disagree, in part.

“I was really off at the ‘16 Ryder Cup in a couple of those matches, and Patrick put the team on his back,” said Spieth, who noted his contributions to the team as well. “And there’s been times in the first Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup match where I had it going and rolling. So it’s a rivalry within the team that might be intriguing to people.”

What should be most compelling is the gamesmanship we’re likely to see from Spieth and Reed, especially when it comes to gimmes — a staple of match play.

”I know he doesn’t plan on giving me holes,” said Reed. “That’s the biggest thing in match play is not giving up holes, is going in and making each guy earn it, and that’s the key.”

Spieth, for his part, quipped he had “been very nice to [Reed] this week” because he did not want to tick him off, but Reed batted the ball back in Jordan’s court.

“He knows if I get angry, that brings the best golf in me,” said Reed, who relished being the bad guy when he and Spieth go at it on the latter’s home turf at Austin Country Club. “But I have enough tricks that I can do to myself to make myself angry. At that point it will be all right. I’ll be fine. My caddie knows how to kind of push my buttons. He’ll be able to do that.”

Spieth, who attended the University of Texas in Austin, found it curious that his match with Reed sparked so much enthusiasm.

“I was surprised I was asked to come into the media center. And then once I realized,” Spieth said, “I’m like, wow, there’s really a lot of interest in me versus Patrick.”

Spieth noted earlier in the week that the game, whether it determines who will make it to the weekend or not, would have import for the two protagonists, who have never gone head-to-head in match play.

”Even if [Friday’s match] doesn’t matter, trust me, it will matter to both of us,” Spieth said. “I wish they’d mic us both up, to be honest. I think you all would wish they would mic us both up.”

Yes, please.