The celebrity golf series known as ‘The Match’ has been hugely popular with fans and punters since the first edition was played in 2018 featuring PGA Tour royalty Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. The last two installments pitted two-man teams squaring off and once again that’s the case. The duo of Mickelson and Tom Brady will reunite to square off against Bryson DeChambeau and another NFL legend Aaron Rodgers in a modified alternate ball format on Tuesday, July 6, in this made for TV event. DeChambeau and current NFL MVP Rodgers came off as the betting favorites to beat Lefty and seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady. On top of the outright there will also be countless wagering opportunities in a variety of other markets. The teams will play at picturesque Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana at 5 p.m. ET with television coverage provided by TNT. You can visit BookMaker.eu to place your wager on The Match.
The Match IV Winner Odds
Bryson DeChambeau / Aaron Rodgers -191
Phil Mickelson / Tom Brady +152
The Players
Mickelson has competed in every playing of The Match teaming with Brady for a second time. The pair teamed up in May 2020 and lost to Woods and Peyton Manning. Lefty is coming off a PGA Tour win at the recent PGA Championship while Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in February. Between them they have 13 major/Super Bowl victories compared to just two for their opponent. Mickelson was solo in the first version of The Match winning the $9 million prize in a head-to-head with Woods. Most recently he teamed with Charles Barkley to defeat the team of Stephen Curry and Manning. That shouldn’t have been a surprise since Lefty was the only pro golfer competing, but since Chuck was the worst golfer of the bunch the team was an underdog in the event.
We’ll talk about the course later, but it’s one that DeChambeau could annihilate with his mammoth drives setting his team up for easier approach shots. And playing a short game is much easier for amateur golfers. DeChambeau is also the recent winner of a major championship on the PGA Tour topping the field at the U.S. Open last September by shredding a lengthy Winged Foot Golf Club. He’ll get an 8,000-yard monster in Montana, but the elevation will help with his shots. Apparently golf is the pastime of choice among current and former NFL quarterbacks. Manning and Brady are decent golfers, but Rodgers might be the best of them all. He’s a regular participant in the American Century Championship finishing 16th last year. Rodgers also finished ninth with teammate Max Homa in the 2020 ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The Format
The competition will be 18 holes using a modified alternate ball format. Each player will tee off and teammates will swap golf balls for the second shot. This is a way to negate the advantage the pros have on the tee box. After the second shots have been completed, each team will determine the best ball for the third shot and alternate shots from that point until the hole is completed. And to make the event more competitive there will be additional on-course challenges.
This is the third edition of The Match to be a charity event involving both professional golfers and athletes from other sports. Mickelson and Brady helped raise millions for COVID relief in 2020, but they lost with Brady struggling on the front nine and Mickelson unable to cover for him. Feeding America is one of the charities to benefit from this year’s event.
The Course
Moonlight Basin can stretch to 8,000 yards, which could be overwhelming for most people. But considering the property is some 7,000 feet above sea level it’s not as bad as it sounds. Balls will fly in the thin air and nobody can take advantage of that better than DeChambeau. The No. 6 player in the world averages nearly 323 yards a pop to lead the PGA Tour and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go for the green with some of his blasts. There isn’t much to stop him, either.
The Outcome
The current status of Rodgers with his NFL team gives him plenty of time to refine his golf game. He’s not a bad player to begin with and he’ll certainly have the edge on Brady making his the team to beat on July 6. Mickelson can bang the ball as well and is just a few weeks removed from one of the biggest PGA titles in his career. Still, the newfound confidence probably won’t be enough to overcome his teammate’s game.
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