Just to add some entertainment value to an otherwise non-descript charity golf event, outspoken former NBA player Charles Barkley will partake in the festivities leaving Tiger Woods on the sidelines. Barkley will team with five-time major champion Phil Mickelson against Payton Manning and Steph Curry in The Match III: Champions for Change. The event takes place on Friday, November 27 at 3 p.m. ET from Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Arizona. Proceeds from the event will benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities while raising awareness for diversity and equality in sports.
While there is no prize money for the competitors, there are wagering opportunities at BookMaker.eu for which team wins the third edition of The Match. Manning teamed with Woods to defeat Lefty and Tom Brady in May. That event dubbed ‘Champions for Charity’ raised an estimated $20 million for COVID-19 relief. Head to BookMaker.eu to place your wager and catch all the action exclusively on TNT.
Team to Win Most Skins Odds at BookMaker.eu
Peyton Manning / Steph Curry -163
Phil Mickelson / Charles Barkley +130
The Players
Having a winner of 44 PGA Tour events, including five major championships, makes the Mickelson/Barkley team the favorite. Lefty will have to be at his best to support Barkly, who has arguably one of the worst swings in the history of the game. Chuck did say ahead of The Match that he’s been working diligently to improve his swing. We’ll find out just how beneficial those practice sessions were on Friday.
Manning already has a win in The Match franchise taking down Mickelson and Brady with the help of the Big Cat back in May in South Florida at The Match: Champions for Charity. An avid golfer with plenty of time on his hands since his retirement from the NFL, Manning held his own that day and did his part. He won’t have Woods to back him up on Friday, but Curry is no slouch with the sticks. Curry is a near scratch player who also competed in several events on the Korn Ferry Tour.
The Format
There is a little twist to the format for The Match III: Champions for Change. The competition will feature a modified alternate-shot match play with each team member hitting a tee shot. Teammates will then swap balls for the second shot. After the second shots teams will determine which ball has a better lie and alternate shots from there until holed out.
Additionally there will be a series of on-course challenges to secure additional funding for HBCUs. Anywhere from $100,000 up to $2.5 million on select holes will be donated if a golfer is able to sink an ace. Each of the four participants has selected a school or schools to receive the player’s donation.
The good-natured trash talk started soon after the event was put together. Curry has game on the court and he also has it on the links. “This one’s going to be dope just because, obviously there’s Phil, there’s me, there’s Peyton, and then way down there is Chuck, so he’s going to embarrass himself for sure. It’s just going to be mad fun to rag on him all day,” Curry said recently.
The Course
Talk about the ultimate home course advantage this is it. Stone Canyon Golf Club is owned by Mickelson Golf Properties and situated at the base of the Tortolita Mountains. It offers breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains everywhere you turn and was named to the 2020 Golfweek list of top-200 modern courses. The course plays to around 7,300 yards from the championship tees with ample landing areas off the tee. That’s a design that should benefit Barkley’s wayward tee blasts. Strategically placed bunkers offer a line of defense around the undulating greens. It’s not an easy course, but by no means is it a difficult track for accomplished players.
The Outcome
A five-time major champion on his home turf is reason enough to back the team of Mickelson/Barkley. And when Chuckster comes out and guarantees a victory, you have to listen. Sure he’s just talking smack to generate interest, but he’s taking the event seriously, which is something competitors don’t often do in an event like this.
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