Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson both threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs games, respectively, on Tuesday evening.
The pair of major champions spent most of the day trash-talking via Twitter before deciding on a bet of $5,000 to the golfer who had the better outcome. ESPN was given the honor of determining the winner.
@JordanSpieth @espn @MLB @PGATOUR @Cubs @Rangers who's gonna bring more heat tonight at the ballpark? Crafty old vet or the Young Gun?
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) August 18, 2015
@JordanSpieth @espn I guess it's on "young-blood". You won't have @michael_greller to give you a read from the rubber. #JustYou
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) August 18, 2015
@JordanSpieth and I agreed loser sends $5000 check to the winner's Foundation. Good fun. Remember JS, Zac"H" in @ZJFClassic.
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) August 18, 2015
The ever Classic Wrigley Field for the @Cubs first pitch promoting @BMWchamps coming up this Sept 14-20!! pic.twitter.com/TfnhVzCMR8
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) August 18, 2015
.@JordanSpieth throws a hard strike for today's 1st pitch. pic.twitter.com/pIvKb4RNUX
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 19, 2015
.@JordanSpieth Who threw it better? @ZachJohnsonPGA just registered 95 on the radar gun… pic.twitter.com/M2iDdaRsUI
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 19, 2015
Turned out Spieth, who the Rangers said threw “a hard strike,” won the contest. (Is there anything this kid can’t do well?!?)
@SportsCenter @Buccigross thx 4 help 2nite. Happy to send @JordanSpieth foundation $5k. He's my boy #Throwingstrikesgivingback
— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) August 19, 2015
Thanks to @ZachJohnsonPGA for being a great sport for our “Best First Pitch” debate! pic.twitter.com/JovqVeDehN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 19, 2015
@espn @ZachJohnsonPGA don't worry Zach.. It's for the kids
— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) August 19, 2015
“As long as you don’t bounce it, I think it’s a success,” said Spieth, the winner of the Masters and the U.S. Open, afterward. “And got it over the strike zone, too, so that was nice.”
Johnson, the British Open champion, was more nervous about leading the crowd to the traditional singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch.
“I’d like to say my pitching mirrors my game on the golf course, so I’ll say over the plate is a good pitch and leave it at that,” he said.
Spieth was pleased that he improved on the first time he threw out the opening pitch at a Rangers game in May 2013.
“It was better than last time,” said Spieth. “Last time, I was a little weak with it and just kind of lobbed it in.
“This time I threw some pitches in the cages before and put a little speed on it to try and get ready.”
In your opinion, who threw it best? Zach or Jordan?