A showdown between Tiger Woods and his rival Phil Mickelson was enough to catch fans’ attention. But legendary National Football League (NFL) stars including Peyton Manning and Tom Brady joined The Match 2020 golf event to add to the fun.
The Match: Champions for Charity held at Medalist Golf Club in Florida on Sunday local time was like watching a show.
The goal of the event was to raise 10 million dollars to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. But the charity event ended up raising 20 million dollars thanks to the excitement of the match and the quick wit of competitors. Donations kept piling up from the fans who watched the match live online.
Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning beat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady by one hole. It is amazing to be able to raise such a large sum of money for those who suffered great losses and it is something they ought to do, Woods said after the match.
Tiger Woods lost to Phil Mickelson on fourth playoff hole at The Match:Tiger vs. Phil held in Las Vegas in November 2018. But this time, Woods beat Mickelson in the return match held close to his home.
The showdown between the two legendary quarterbacks was the key of The Match 2020 golf event. Manning birdied on the fourth and sixth holes, helping his team win three of the first nine holes, where the golfers played fourball.
Brady holed a 100-yard shot on the seventh hole but tore his pants while picking up the ball from the hole. He joked about it by saying, “So much torque in that swing.”
During the final nine holes, where the golfers alternated shots with their teammate after tee shots, Michelson and Brady closed the gap by two holes. Michelson launched a tee shot onto the back fringe of the green on the 11th hole, helping Brady to make an eagle.
Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com