The talking is over. It’s time to tee it up.
Sports fans starved for competition will be treated to a legendary sports foursome that knows plenty about excelling under pressure. Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning are teaming up to face Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. The four players will compete in The Match: Champions for Charity at 3 p.m. EDT on TBS and TNT. The 18-hole event will raise money to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Woods and Mickelson are two of the PGA Tour’s marquee players with 126 tournament victories between them. The pair have combined for 20 major championships, with Woods second all-time at 15. Woods’ Masters victory in 2019 pulled him within three of Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major titles.
Brady and Manning have each won eight Super Bowls and eight Most Valuable Player awards, with Brady the owner of a record six Super Bowl rings.
Woods and Mickelson have met before in a made-for-television match play event. The two squared off in November 2018, with $9 million at stake, CBS Sports reported. Mickelson won the match, and the cash, in extra holes.
This time, the money will not go into the winners’ pockets. WarnerMedia and the golfers will combine to donate $10 million, according to CBS Sports. Charities that will benefit include Direct Relief, the American Red Cross, Save Small Business and the All In Challenge. That’s a starting point. More money will be raised during the event from viewers, who will also have the chance to compete in life raffles that will feature experiences with all four athletes at a future time.
“This is different than what Phil and I did two years ago,” Woods told CBS Sports. “That was he and I just having a great time, trying to showcase golf in a different way. We’re coming together to showcase golf in a different way, but it’s about charity. That’s the reason why we’re all doing this.”
Two formats will be used during the event. The front nine will be played under a best-ball format, ESPN reported. That means the best score from each team is counted. In a twist, hole No. 5 will be a one-club challenge, CBS Sports reported. Golfers must use the same club for the entire hole, including putting.
The back nine will be more interesting, played under modified alternate shot rules, according to ESPN. All four players hit off the tee, then each team picks the ball they want to play for their second shot. Players then will alternate who hits the ball until the hole is finished.
The trash talk flew like 4-iron shots before the match, but now the talking is done. It’s time to play for keeps.