The return of live golf was a rousing success with several million viewers tuning in to watch the charity skins competition last weekend. So let’s do it again. On Sunday four of the most accomplished professional athletes will tee it up at The Match: Champions for Charity event at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson go head-to-head in an 18-hole made for TV event again, only this team with NFL royalty by their sides.
Woods and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning are big favorites to defeat Lefty and Tom Brady in a match play event. Proceeds will support COVID-19 relief efforts. The Match takes place at 2 p.m. ET and will be simulcast on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN. Visit BookMaker.eu to place your wager.
Tiger Woods / Peyton Manning -185
Phil Mickelson / Tom Brady +146
The Players
There is a history between Mickelson and Woods and not just in PGA Tour events. The two held the first head-to-head in 2018 known simply as The Match. Lefty won the $9 million prize in that event with a birdie on the 22nd hole. There have been a few changes since then. A 15-time major champion, most recently at last year’s Masters, Woods has climbed his way up the OWGR to just outside the top-10. Manning is probably still a better football player than golfer, but he isn’t too shabby on the links. And since he’s been retired from the NFL for a few years he has time to work on his game. According to the USGA golf handicap network his last five rounds were all in the 80s and he boasts a handicap of 6.4.
Mickelson had been slumping before the Tour was shuttered over the coronavirus. He slipped out of the top-50 to 61st in the OWGR after missing the cut in four of his last six pro tournaments. Still, the recent time off likely did Lefty some good. He’s won 44 times on the PGA Tour, including five major titles, and has 51 worldwide victories. Meanwhile, Brady has played with some big names in the industry, but his game has yet to catch up. The handicap index has him at 8.1
The Format
The competition will be 18 holes of match play with a best ball format on the front nine and modified alternate shot format on the back nine. On holes 10-18 each golfer will tee off with teams playing alternate shots from the chosen tee shot. In the event of a tie after 18 holes the match will be extended. Teams will use the alternate shot format from the 18th hole until a winner is decided. To make the event more competitive there will be additional on-course challenges
The different formats will make the competition more entertaining for what’s expected to be a big audience. And they will also create more betting opportunities at online sportsbooks. Strategy and teamwork will play a major role with consequences to nearly every shot.
The Course
The exclusive Medalist Golf Club plays nearly 7,500 yards and is a test for even the best golfers. It’s consistently ranked among the top 100 in the country and one of the 10 best in Florida. A popular draw with many athletes, Woods calls it home and should have an advantage over the competition on Sunday. Course conditions are a big part of the challenge. The greens are firm and fast with tight lies around the greens. There is room off the tee, but players are penalized for missing the fairway.
The Outcome
Despite the short odds how can you not back Woods and Manning? Tiger is Tiger and Manning has the edge over Brady. This is also the Big Cat’s backyard and he knows the course well. But don’t underestimate the heart of a competitor. Mickelson prevailed over Tiger back in 2018 as an underdog and seems to thrive when the deck is stacked against him. And Woods plays exhibition matches for fun. We don’t know his plan of attack this weekend after some of his old injuries flared up in his last Tour start. If Brady can make a few clutch shots I like his team to pull off the upset.
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