Calhoun Times

Woods, Mickelson to stage TV match with Brady, Manning

- By Doug Ferguson

AP Golf Writer

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are ready for a made-for-TV rematch at a time when fans are craving live action.

And this time, they’ll have some company.

Turner Sports says quarterbac­ks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will join them for a two-on-two match sometime in May.

Missing from the announceme­nt were such details as when and where the match would be played, except that tournament organizers would work with government and health officials to meet safety and health standards.

Turner said all donations and fundraisin­g from “The Match: Champions for Charity” would benefit relief efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will be televised on TNT, with social and digital content leading up and during the event available through Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.

“It’s on now,” Mickelson tweeted Wednesday afternoon responding to Bleacher Report.

He added that he would be paired with Brady, saying:

“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 GOAT. @TomBrady — Ready to hit bombs?”

The first match over Thanksgivi­ng weekend in November 2018 was supposed to be pay-per-view, except that technical difficulti­es allowed everyone to watch.

It lacked some of wild bets both players had teased, and the trash talking was forced at times.

Mickelson ended up winning the $9 million winner-take-all purse in a wedge contest under the lights when the matched ended in a tie.

Live golf was last seen on television March 12, the first round of The Players Championsh­ip as developmen­ts with the new coronaviru­s accelerate­d at such a rate that sports began shutting down.

The PGA Tour first decided not to have fans at the TPC Sawgrass, then canceled its premier event, and then began canceling or postponing all tournament­s across each of its tours.

Phil Mickelson (left) and Tiger Woods shake hands after the first round of the Players Championsh­ip golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in 2018.

 ?? AP-Lynne Sladky, File ??
AP-Lynne Sladky, File

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