Tiger Woods’ game, Tom Brady’s wild ride, Phil Mickelson’s antics and Peyton Manning’s interest made for a fun day of golf
The climate did not cooperate, but that was about the only thing that went wrong Sunday all through The Match: Champions for Charity. As Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods held an oversized cardboard verify with a full of $twenty million composed in, they were being soaking wet but smiling.
It was a soaked, but effective working day at The Medalist in Hobe Seem, Florida, in which the legends of golfing and football sped all-around in their personal carts, elevated sizeable funds for coronavirus aid, filled the airwaves with banter and played some superior golfing, too.
Here are a few takeaways:
Tiger’s game
For the to start with time in ninety eight days, we obtained to see Woods in action. And the past time we observed him, he did not look superior. Woods shot 77 at Riviera State Club on Feb. sixteen and concluded past amongst people who created the slice at the Genesis Invitational. And he complained that his back again was rigid.
two Relevant
When he then skipped the WGC-Mexico Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational, there was result in for concern. And when he then skipped the Players Championship, it was effortless to speculate if he would be prepared for his Masters title protection.
All of it turned moot when the Players was canceled right after a single spherical and the coronavirus pandemic shut down the PGA Tour. Woods has not played considering the fact that but neither has any person else. And the time off has carried out him some superior.
Woods did not miss a fairway. His swing seemed sleek and in rhythm. He strike some deft pitch pictures and a definitely pleasant very long bunker shot. And all of this in tough, wet situations.
It was just a charity match, but he seemed pretty superior. Who is familiar with when Woods will resume his program when the PGA Tour returns upcoming month, but his game looks superior to go.
Phil currently being Phil
Mickelson did his most effective to hoopla the match and went out of his way to say he’d be getting down Tiger — yet again — in the 2nd of their created-for-Television set match encounters. Though that did not occur, it wasn’t without Lefty carrying out all he could to make it occur.
Mickelson gave a vintage description of how he would engage in a pitch shot early in the match when on-course reporter Justin Thomas requested him about it was evidently on-brand name when he gave a shoutout to a single of his sponsors on a very long-travel hole, then instantly airmailed his tee shot still left into the trees appeared to just take great joy in zipping all-around in his golfing cart then released a tee shot on to the par-four 11th to set up an eagle putt by Brady and usually appeared to love himself.
Mickelson has not created it official, but he is anticipated to engage in the to start with occasion back again upcoming month at the Charles Schwab Championship.
Brady’s bounce back again
The new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback began out as if he were being participating in golfing in the old Bucs creamsicle jerseys, a comedy of mistakes at every single switch. The climate did not assist, and Brady obtained off to a shaky commence.
Charles Barkley was giving him grief, and made available up a $fifty,000 donation to COVID-19 aid if Brady could strike a par-three eco-friendly. He skipped poorly. “I ought to have claimed if you could strike it on the world,” Barkley bellowed.
But as Brady has been regarded to do, he gathered himself. Even right after getting a penalty stroke on the par-5 seventh hole, he holed a 100-property wedge shot — even though his pants break up and his microphone broke — to receive a $100,000 donation from Brooks Koepka, who questioned if Brady could even make a par.
I thought this was CHAMPIONS for charity Chuck…🤔 https://t.co/Vzu3xZQxOk
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May perhaps twenty five, 2020
And on the back again 9, as he and Mickelson attempted to rally, Brady was strong, assisting maintain his staff in the match.
Manning’s enthusiasm
The retired NFL quarterback brought a lot to the 2nd edition of The Match. He was enjoyable and participating and self-deprecating. He admitted how tough it was afterward to action into that arena with Tiger and Phil and engage in a activity for which he is not regarded. And he strike some great pictures, generating an early birdie putt to put his staff two-up and hitting a great iron technique shot late to assist maintain the staff 1-up. The Augusta Countrywide member acquitted himself rather nicely.
Justin Thomas, announcer
The fourth-rated player in the earth has a lot of golfing in advance of him, but the friend of Tiger proved his worthy of in a cameo Television set role. He had no trouble dishing on Woods and Mickelson — and Barkley — and he brought some fantastic insight as a Medalist member. He arrived across sleek but is no doubt wanting ahead to acquiring back again to his working day job.
Modified alternate shot
The back again-9 format was enjoyable, and it served maintain the Match moving on the back again 9 as climate and darkness threatened. It also brought strategy to the opposition, and authorized for some superior drama when Mickelson drove the eco-friendly at the par-four 11th and Brady drained the putt for an eagle. Just one terrifying thought: Consider if there had been genuine alternate shot, this means they could not select the most effective travel.
The Match III
It can be just about inescapable. The to start with match, won by Mickelson in Las Vegas in 2018, arrived with a $9 million payday. It also had various technological glitches, and with just Woods and Mickelson concerned, lacked the banter we observed Sunday. The 2nd iteration was a marked enhancement, and it was probably livelier and extra enjoyable due to the fact the players were being competing for bragging rights and charity.
Woods and Mickelson shaped this partnership a few decades in the past with an eye on these variety of matches.
Following time, put Tiger and Phil alongside one another. How about getting on Rory McIlroy and Thomas? The younger fellas could be favored, but with a large payout on the line, who is to say the veterans won’t prevail?
The real thing
Two weeks. Two created-for-Television set, athletics-starved-viewer-filling activities. All for charity.
Past week it was McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff at Seminole, and boosting extra than $ten million for aid endeavours.
This time, Tiger, Phil, Manning and Brady doubled that sum in a related occasion.
To criticize possibly would miss the place. Both of those served a great intent, a welcome diversion even though also offering a huge financial increase to struggle the pandemic.
But now the real thing beckons. Assuming all goes well, the PGA Tour returns in Texas in a tiny in excess of two weeks. We anticipate Phil to be there. Tiger’s return is extra of a mystery.
The golfing will depend, even so, and a occupied year beckons with plenty of road blocks in seeking situations but plenty of cautious optimism.
