In this special edition of Forward Press, host David Dusek chats with Steve DiMeglio about the 2020 PGA Tour restart and what the rest of the season could look like amid the threat of COVID-19.
In each episode of Forward Press, you’ll get insight and commentary on all that is golf from David Dusek, Steve DiMeglio, Beth Ann Nichols, Eamon Lynch and Adam Schupak, as well as special guests throughout the industry.
Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning will face Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady on May 24.
It’s official: Tiger-Phil II will be held Sunday, May 24 at Medalist Golf Club in Florida.
Turner Sports will present Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity, a live golf competition headlined by Woods and Mickelson returning for a rematch, this time joined by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, two of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time. The broadcast will be simulcast exclusively on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN at 3 p.m. ET, with pre-match coverage available in the Bleacher Report app.
The competition will feature Woods and Manning vs. Mickelson and Brady, facing off in team match play with a Four-Ball (Best Ball) format on the front nine and a modified alternate shot format on the back nine, where each participant will tee off and then the team will play alternate shot from the selected drive. The unique combination of formats is aimed to provide an entertaining mix of strategy, team collaboration and consequence to nearly every shot. As part of the competitive play, there will also be a set of on-course challenges to raise additional charitable funds.
Tom Brady hits a tee shot during the second round of the 2014 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Photo by by Jeff Gross/Getty Images
WarnerMedia and the golfers will collectively make a charitable donation of $10 million to benefit COVID-19 relief. As part of the fundraising efforts, the competition will also include a partnership with the ALL IN Challenge, along with additional on-course competitive challenges for charity.
Fundraising associated with Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity will support national and local beneficiaries, aiming to help make an impact on many of the communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Donations will be made to organizations working across multiple areas of need including Direct Relief, which equips health workers on the front lines with life-changing medical supplies; the American Red Cross, which has adapted its everyday emergency relief efforts to work within this new environment, including providing virtual support and collecting convalescent plasma for COVID-19 treatment; Save Small Business, a grant-making initiative to help small business employers who are struggling due to the pandemic; and the ALL IN Challenge, an initiative that aims to eliminate food insecurity by providing food to those in need.
In partnership with the ALL IN Challenge, all four participants will have donated custom experiences that will raise millions towards the cause, with viewers having the ability to enter into a live raffle for ones featuring Woods and Mickelson during the telecast as well.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unimaginable tragedy and heartbreak,” said Jeff Zucker, Chairman, WarnerMedia News and Sports. “We’re hopeful this event and platform will help raise meaningful funding for COVID-19 relief, while also providing a source of brief distraction and entertainment for all sports fans.”
The match will be held at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, Opened in 1995, the renowned course acts as the home course to many PGA Tour players including Tiger Woods. In preparation for the event, tournament organizers are working with state and local government and public health officials on competition and production logistics to ensure the event follows safety and health protocols.
Peyton Manning chats with Tiger Woods during the Memorial Tournament pro-am on May 30, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
Live coverage airing on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN will feature unprecedented access with all players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with other golfers and the broadcast commentators. More information on the live production, including the commentator team, will be announced leading up to the event. In addition to live televised coverage, social and digital content prior to the event will be available through Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
