Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning built a 3-up lead over Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady through six holes under the best-ball format of the front nine, and then had just enough to hold on as darkness closed in at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla.
Manning hit a clutch approach shot to the final green and Woods rolled his long putt to within tap-in range for a closing par under the alternate-shot format of the back nine to clinch a 1-up victory in intermittent rain in “The Match II: Champions for Charity.”
The event raised over $19 million for the Red Cross of America, the United States Chamber of Commerce, Direct Relief and the All-In Challenge, as viewers called in with donations to increase the starting total of $10 million.
Turner Broadcasting, which telecast the event on its networks, chipped in the rest to make it an even $20 million for Covid-19 relief.
“We all came together to raise $20 million for people affected (by the Coronavirus pandemic,)” said Woods, who hit all 14 fairways in the match on his home course. “My hat’s off to Tom and Peyton for coming into our world. I couldn’t imagine going into theirs.”
Said Manning: “To go behind the ropes into their arena, I was nervous, but to raise $20 million for people who are going through tough times, I will always remember and cherish this.”
Woods put his team ahead to stay with a three-foot birdie putt on the third hole and Manning sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the next hole before adding a five-footer for a net birdie on the sixth hole to open the 3-up lead.
Brady struggled with his swing early in the match, but hit the shot of the day right after commentator Charles Barkley—a notably terrible golfer, challenged him to a match—holing his approach from well over 100 yards for a birdie on the seventh hole.
“Shut your mouth, Chuck,” six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brady said jokingly, just part of the trash-talking that took place throughout the match.”
Brady and Mickelson halved that hole when Woods lipped out his birdie putt.
Earlier after Brady hit his tee shot over the trees onto an adjacent fairway, Woods chided him with. Nice drive, it’s on a fairway.”
On the par-4 12th hole, Mickelson hit a drive that went nearly 400 yards and Brady sank a 25-foot eagle putt from just off the green to cut into the deficit, and they got closer when Manning missed a four-foot putt to make a bogey at No. 14.
However, with Mickelson and Brady in close on the par-3, 183-yard 16th hole, two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Manning hit his tee shot to within 17 inches and Lefty had to sink a six-foot putt to halve the hole.
“What’s the deal with you on par-3s, Manning,” Mickelson, who beat Woods on the 22nd hole of “The Match” on Thanksgiving Week in 2018, said in mock disgust.
Manning, who struggled a bit through the middle of the match, made some big shots down the stretch as he and Woods held on.
Said Manning at one stage in the closing holes: “This is like the two-minute drill, working against the clock.”
Woods and Manning were able to run it out.
