Tom Brady split his pants but provided the signature moment of the telecast, Peyton Manning threw out plenty of comedic zingers and came within 17 inches of winning $25 million for charity; and Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson delivered numerous sharp needles, standout coaching and some impressive play-by-play along the way.
The golf was pretty good, too, despite Mother Nature’s soggy, grey hand that left the stars dripping wet, with astounding moments of drama still shining through and brilliant shots still being produced to remind us what we’ve missed since the global pandemic silenced live broadcasts of sports.
And the money raised – $20 million for COVID-19 relief – was stellar.
All in all, the two golf icons and legendary quarterbacks turned Sunday’s The Match: Champions for Charity event into must-see TV, with Woods and Manning storming out to a big lead before hanging on for the down-to-the-wire victory as the Mickelson-Brady team woke up and came up clutch on the back nine.
At the 18th holes’ end, Woods closed out the 1-up victory on his home course at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, with a pure putt from 40 feet to within a few inches for the winning par.
“The fact we all came together to raise $20 million for those who have been severely affected, the fact Tom and Peyton, hats off to them for coming out here,” Woods said. “This is our arena, this is what we do. We can’t imagine going out on to their field and doing what they do. But it was a great day.”
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Woods, who hadn’t hit a shot in competition in nearly 100 days as he was forced to miss tournaments due to a stiff back after last playing in February, looked healthy and sharp as he and Manning took a 3-up lead through six holes.
Woods didn’t miss a fairway – that’s 14 for 14 on the stats sheet – and won $1.75 million for charity by winning the long-drive contest on the third hole. He won another $125,000 for charity in the closest-to-the-pin contest on the fourth.
Manning added to the early cause with a birdie of his own on the fourth and a net birdie on the eighth. Meanwhile, his QB counterpart was in all sorts of trouble the first six holes, his play so poor he even asked commentator Charles Barkley for swing tips. Barkley, if you don’t know, should never give anyone swing tips.
But then Brady became Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champ stunning one and all with one shot. His team down 3 up on the par-5 seventh hole – sort of like the Patriots trailing 28-3 to the Falcons in the Super Bowl – Brady was in the midst of another terrible hole and stood about 100 yards away in the fairway after three shots, with Barkley hassling him about his poor play.
Then TB, who played 8 holes in the morning to warm up, holed his shot, spinning the ball back into the hole for birdie. Then he calmly told Barkley to, well, take his words and, well, shove ’em.
Moments later, however, Woods capped Brady’s stunner with a birdie of his own to tie the hole. No blood despite the best shot of the day.
But the match’s momentum swung on the 11th hole when Mickelson hit one of his bombs and drove his tee shot about one yard past the green 330 yards away. From there, Brady canned about a 25-footer for eagle to win the team’s first hole, the two exchanging socially-distanced air high-fives.
That cut the lead to 2 up. Then it was 1 up when Manning missed about a two-footer on the 14th. Manning redeemed himself on the 16th when he won the closest-to-the-pin contest by coming up 17 inches short of the hole with his tee shot, a near-ace that would have won $25 million for charity. Mickelson tied the hole with a birdie of his own from short distance.
Woods and Manning held on with two gut-wrenching pars on the final two holes.
“To be in the arena with (Woods and Mickelson), it was a special experience,” Manning said. “I was not comfortable the entire time but knowing $20 million was raised and helping people that are really going through tough times was an honor for Tom and men both to be invited by Phil and Tiger to play in this match.
“It will be something I will always cherish.”
Mickelson, who won the first match – and $9 million – against Woods in Las Vegas in 2018, couldn’t muster some late-hole heroics this go-around.
“My man (Brady) hit some really great shots on this back nine and we fought hard to make up (the deficit),” he said. “I was a little nervous, a little tight on the front nine and my man kept us in there and on the back nine he really shined and hit some great shots and we made a run and we came really close.”
If there is to be a Match III, it’s going to be hard-pressed to come close to matching Match II’s competitive action and theater. Yes, there was too much rain and no spectators or caddies, but live golf was back again. And back in a big way.
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