Woods suffers defeat on return to action alongside McIlroy in The Match

Tiger Woods fell to a 3 and 2 loss alongside Rory McIlroy on his return to the course, after the pair were downed by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match.

The 15-time major winner partnered the world number one, friend and fellow PGA flagbearer for the televised exhibition contest, played over 12 holes at Pelican Golf Club in Florida.

The event, which raised money for Hurricane Ian relief efforts, is the third edition of the event, with Woods a mainstay of the competition.

But having sat out the Hero World Challenge through injury last week due to plantar fasciitis, the 46-year-old and his partner were outmatched across the contest.

Spieth and Thomas took the second, third and fourth holes to race into an early lead, and although Woods and McIlroy pulled back the seventh, the former pair restored their advantage on the eighth.

It marked a good-natured battle between the four, who have emerged as major players on the PGA Tour following a slate of defections to the breakaway LIV Golf tour.

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Woods and McIlroy in particular have been vocal critics of the Saudi-funded series of events, which have attracted several of the sport's best players and sparked a bitter civil war in golf.

The duo have suggested reconciliation could be possible, but only if LIV Golf figurehead Greg Norman was to relinquish his position as CEO and stand down.

Woods will next play in the PNC Championship later this month, where he is expected to partner his son Charlie at the family event.