The Match: What went right and wrong from Tiger vs. Phil

'The Match: Tiger vs. Phil' was the first of its kind in golf and like most pilot projects, there's plenty of room for improvement. Overall, it was an entertaining broadcast that provided customers with what they wanted - to watch Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson go head-to-head for the first time ever.

Here's what they got right and what they got wrong.

Right

Side challenges

Perhaps the most entertaining content of the entire match was listening to Tiger and Phil go back and forth, either deciding what's at stake for a certain shot or trying to negotiate better odds. Like this exchange on No. 7:

Tiger was down a lot of money when he proposed a $300,000 closest-to-the-pin challenge on No. 13. Phil went on to sweep the par-3 contests.

The best part? All of the money from the side challenges came directly from each player's pocket and went to a charity of the other golfer's choice. The only issue with the side bets is there weren't more of them.

Barkley and Co.

Who would have thought Charles Barkley would enhance a golf broadcast? But, that's exactly what happened, as his unorthodox approach added a different element to a non-traditional event. Barkley was so fed up with Tiger and Phil's lousy play that he interrupted the broadcast to remind America that "this is some crappy golf" and said he liked his chances against the two on the course.

Tiger is familiar with Barkley's questionable golf game.

MLB superstar Justin Verlander challenged Barkley after hearing his comments.

Pat Perez was also great on the broadcast, continuing to make his case for the most entertaining golfer on Tour. He was immersed in the match, demanding Tiger and Phil to start hitting better shots. He probably had a good chunk of change riding on the contest.

Pay-per-view

When it was first announced that The Match would be a pay-per-view broadcast, it certainly ruffled some feathers. And even though a technical disaster allowed fans to view the event without paying the $19.99 fee, the commercial-free element was needed to provide coverage never seen before in golf. Sure, some of the banter between Phil and Tiger seemed forced or unnatural, but nothing trumps listening to mic'd-up players discuss shot or club selection with their caddie. Viewers were also blessed with hearing Mickelson breathing heavily after climbing hills, and discussing Arizona State football with his caddie and brother, Tim.

Kidding aside, commercials are - and always will be - the worst part of standard golf coverage. The Match never let you leave your seat in fear of missing something noteworthy between shots.

Wrong

The money

The absurd $9-million prize created an elitist vibe to The Match. Two of the richest, most successful golfers of all time played an exhibition round to get even richer. Playing for sponsored-back cash was fake and needs revising if there is a future to head-to-head matches. Watching Tiger write Phil a check for $100,000 of his own money would be more satisfying than Mickelson requiring a forklift to carry away his latest payday.

In the end, it was never about the money. It was an afterthought while watching two of the game's greats battle it out. Organizers need to find an alternative to a boatload of money to promote the next match.

Manufactured hype

From the time The Match was announced to the final days leading up to the event, there was too much phony, hype-building promotional content that fell flat. People didn't need to see Tiger and Phil play a beer pong chipping contest from different sides of the country or watch them dissect Mark Wahlberg's golf swing. Most of the content failed to realize what The Match was all about - their history.

The HBO 24/7 episode did its job getting people excited a week before the main event. The "Destiny" pre-match video highlighting each player's career achievements was, by far, the best content. Less fluff would go a long way next time.

Too many talking heads

As mentioned above, listening to Tiger and Phil chat while walking down the fairway was intriguing, even if it was glorified small talk. There were too many times to count where a broadcaster, most notably Peter Jacobsen, was talking over Tiger or Phil. No one ordering the event paid to listen to what Jacobsen or any of the broadcasters had to say, they simply wanted to watch and listen as two icons went head-to-head.