Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning will face Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in an 18-hole exhibition golf match for charity on May 24, 2020, at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Back during their days, Woods and Mickelson were the fiercest rivals on the golf course. These two golf legends played in a $10M one-one-one match at the Shadow Creek in Las Vegas two years ago and their fans were asking for more. So after the COVID-19 stopped sports, here’s “The Match” Part 2. Add NFL greats Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the mix and you now have four American sports icons playing in an exhibition golf match for charity.
Woods and Mickelson have a combined 20 majors victories and 126 PGA Tour wins between them. On the other hand, Manning and Brady have won a combined eight Super Bowl titles and eight MVP trophies together. These two quarterbacks faced each other a total of five times in the NFL playoffs. Manning won their all-time series 3-2 after winning his last match-up with Brady 20-18 at the 2016 AFC championship game.
Each participant will make $10M for this match and a total of $40M will be donated to COVID efforts in the United States. This 18-hole match consists of best-ball for the first nine holes while the back nine will be modified alternate shot.
The event will be televised on TNT and TBS at 3 p.m. ET
Let’s take a look at the four players in this match and pick our winner:
Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning are the betting favorites in this match and when you look at their golf resumes, they are superior compared to their opponents.
Woods is the defending Masters champion and is currently ranked 16th in the PGA Tour. Woods has won a total of 15 professional major golf championships, only three off the record set by the great Jack Nicklaus. Woods was on an 11-year majors drought when he won the 2019 Masters, his fifth win at Augusta National.
Manning retired from the NFL five years go after leading the Denver Broncos to a victory at Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Since his retirement, Manning has improved his golf skills and has taken his handicap down to 3.5. Manning is a member at the Augusta National and Cherry Hills in Denver and those give you an idea of how good a golfer he is.
Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady
Phil Mickelson is a five-time major championship winner and one of only 12 golfers to win three out of the four major championships. He was won all except the U.S. Open where he’s finished runner-up six times. Mickelson struggled on the tour in 2019-20, falling to 222 in the world rankings after missing the cut in his last four tournaments. However, Mickelson defeated Woods in the first installment of “The Match” in 2018.
His partner Tom Brady is the GOAT of American Football. Brady was a six-time Super Bowl champion during his two decades with the New England Patriots. He moved to Tampa Bay this offseason but that’s not going to matter here. When it comes to golf, Brady’s current handicap is 8.
Who Wins?
According to ESPN, the early betting action showed that 60% of the bets were made on Woods and Manning while 55% of the total money wagered were made on Mickelson and Brady.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are past their primes but these are two of the more naturally gifted golfers in the world so, despite their advanced age, they can get themselves in shape after a few practice sessions.
When I compare both players now, it’s the injuries that could make the difference here. Woods has struggled with injuries since his Masters win while Mickelson has been healthy only that his game was struggling when the pandemic broke out.
The best golf betting sites are giving Woods and Manning the edge because this match is played at a golf course in Florida which is near Tiger’s residence. In a charity match that is as even as this, familiarity with the golf course could be the difference. Also, Peyton Manning has a better handicap than Tom Brady so that gives the Woods/Manning team more plus points.
However, Mickelson has been always the rival who stood up to Woods during the latter’s prime. Lefty seems to have Tiger’s number and he showed that again during their one-on-one golf match in 2018.
As for Brady, I think that being in the NFL helps him here. That’s because while Manning is the better-skilled golfer right now, he’s been away from the limelight for so long. As for Brady, he won the Super Bowl two years ago. When it comes to nerve-wracking putts, I think Brady has the edge over Manning because the Tampa Bay QB is still playing competitively.
Don’t forget that this is an exhibition match and while they are playing for charity, it’s not a matter of life and death so expect some light moments here. I think that exhibition matches like this one are decided bu coin flips so if you want to bet on this match, don’t bet your house.
Prediction: I think Tiger gets his revenge on Phil for beating him in 2018 while Manning is the better golfer than Brady. Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning (-210)
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