At least a part of the nation’s collective thirst for sports will be quenched in May when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson take to the golf course for a rematch of their one-on-on contest. This time, they’re bringing friends.
The competition, which is scheduled for May, will also include a pair of football legends — Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
The event, which is titled “The Match: Champions for Charity,” will benefit coronavirus relief efforts. Although the location of the match is yet to be disclosed, it’s been decided that spectators will not be in attendance.
On Twitter, Mickelson announced the pairings, saying, “After feeling the sting of defeat the first time around, Looks like @TigerWoods is bringing a ringer to The Match (#PeytonManning).” With Manning on Woods’ team, Brady will join Mickelson.
For now, plenty of details are left to be settled on and announced. However, some reports point toward the event being held in Florida, possibly taking place during Memorial Day weekend.
Speaking about the possibility of participating in a charity golf event, Manning told 104.3 The Fan in Denver, “to have a chance to have a major fundraising event for COVID-19 relief, almost like a telethon if you will. If that can take place, I’m all-in for that.”
Event On Track to Receive Blessing of Necessary Parties
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are obvious obstacles facing the contest, which is why TNT, which is televising the event, has said organizers are working closely with government and local officials to follow health and safety protocol.
The event would need the blessing of the PGA Tour to take place. The organization has yet to sign off, saying they are “still working to ensure health and safety concerns, among other things.”
However, Woods, Mickelson, and company will feel strongly about the event’s likelihood after receiving the support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said, “I’d like to see Woods and Mickelson do the golf, or whatever, because that’s social distance…to put that on TV, I think people have been starved for content.”
The May event would serve as an appetizer to the return of the PGA Tour, which is tentatively scheduled to take place at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 11. That would be the first PGA Event since the Players Championship was canceled after the first round on March 12.
Woods-Manning Open as Favorites
When the two-versus-two charity golf event gets underway, there will be no shortage of accomplished winners on the course.
While Woods has 15 major wins and 82 PGA Tour wins, Mickelson has five major wins, and 44 PGA Tour wins. Manning is a two-time Super Bowl champion and five-time NFL MVP, and Brady is a six-time Super Bowl winner and two-time MVP.
There’s no lack of competitiveness between these twosomes, and the Mickelson-Brady pairing might have some added motivation after seeing the opening odds for the May event.
For now, the Woods-Manning pairing is set to open as a -150 favorite over Mickelson and Brady, who own odds of +130.
Keep in mind that Mickelson took home the first-place prize of $9 million when he and Woods first went head-to-head in November of 2018. We’ll see if Woods will gain get his revenge when the rematch gets underway sometime in May.
