When Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning meet Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady on the links, there are plenty of reasons for non-golf fans to watch.
Even non-golf fans have to admit that Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson part two makes the ears perk up a bit. While the sports world is on indefinite shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s little more than documentaries, video game leagues, and old replays to watch.
We’ll take anything at this point!
Since it’s possible to adhere to social distancing while golfing, Tiger and Phil are putting on “The Match: Champions for Charity” which will raise money for coronavirus relief and air on TNT, according to Bob Harig of ESPN.
However, there’s more to this story than a simple rematch of their 2018 Thanksgiving match. In order to drum up more interest in the event, Tiger is taking two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning as a partner while Mickelson is linking up with “GOAT” quarterback Tom Brady.
The match has no definitive date yet, but multiple reports suggest that it’ll take place on Memorial Day Weekend at an undisclosed location. If the charity aspect wasn’t enough of a reason to watch, here are five that should convince golf haters to watch.
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady
Alright, I’ll bite. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady add just enough intrigue to pique my interest. Manning and Brady are two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and both have become transcendent stars off the field.
Perhaps we’ll hear more from Brady on what led to his marriage with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or how he convinced Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement.
Tiger and Phil are megastars on their own, but adding in this quarterback duo gives this event even more star power. The trash talk has already begun.
After feeling the sting of defeat the first time around, Looks like @TigerWoods is bringing a ringer to The Match (#PeytonManning).
I’m bringing a ? @TomBrady – Ready to hit ?’s? https://t.co/ilaqS05QQs
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) April 22, 2020
Never had much of a hard time beating the colts or a tiger, don’t see this time being much different… https://t.co/dNP3rphybt pic.twitter.com/jBXeg3UGXs
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) April 23, 2020
History
Even for non-golf fans, Tiger vs. Phil should mean something.
If not for Tiger’s cheating and subsequent fall from grace in 2009, he would probably already hold the record for most majors. He’s at 15 right now, trailing Jack Nicklaus by three. Woods had a drought that lasted more than a decade before he won the 2019 Masters.
Mickelson only has five major wins on his resumé, but he’s still one of the biggest names in golf. The lefty has 44 wins on the PGA Tour and he’s long played the role of foil to Woods. Throughout their storied careers, they’ve been rivals on the fairway.
Sure, this won’t have the same dramatic feel of these two golfers going shot for shot at Augusta or Winged Foot, but anytime two of the all-time greats face-off, it’s worth watching.
Chance to bet
Since there is little finalized with when and where this match will take place, Tiger vs. Phil 2 betting odds are still being finalized. But make no mistake, this will be a big-time betting event. For bettors who just want a little action, throw down some money on your favorite golfer (or quarterback) and enjoy. For bettors who want to dive a little deeper, prepare for prop bets galore. There’s going to be prop bets on the longest drive, what the guys are wearing, who hits the most greens, and just about everything else imaginable.
Preview of what’s to come
Like it or not, sports are going to be back before it’s safe enough for fans to attend games. At the very least, only a small number of fans will be allowed to attend and stadiums will still seem more or less empty. That’s going to be the new normal for the foreseeable future.
This event—although golf is much different from baseball, football, hockey, and basketball—will be a preview of what sports without fans might look like.
What else is there to do?
How much Netflix and Hulu can you watch? Live sporting events are few and far between at this point in time. With all major professional sports leagues in the country on indefinite hiatus, there’s little to satiate sports fans.
Players and leagues have tried to fill the void with virtual games and video game leagues, but it’s nothing like the real thing. And make no mistake about it, Tiger and Peyton vs. Phil and Tom is the real thing.
Even non-golf fans can admit that any sports are better than no sports. Put down some money on one of the pairings and enjoy live sports.
