When Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Phil Mickelson teed off for The Match: Champions for Charity on May 24, it was one of the first major live sporting events in over two months. In the half-year since, all the biggest sports leagues have resumed or finished their seasons, but one thing hasn’t changed: the need for generosity.
Mickelson and Manning are back to give back, and this time they’ll be paired with NBA legends Charles Barkley and Stephen Curry, respectively, for The Match: Champions for Change. The charity golf event takes place this Friday, Nov. 27 at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Arizona. Coverage begins at 3pm ET on TNT.
The May edition of The Match saw Tiger and Peyton getting the better of Mickelson and Brady while raising over $20 million dollars for COVID-19 relief. This time, the foursome will be raising money for historically Black colleges and universities like Jackson State, Tuskeegee and Howard University, where Curry helped reestablish the school's golf teams. The event will also raise money to provide meals for needy families this holiday season through Feeding America.
"While we may need a handicap for Chuck, I'm looking forward to playing with Peyton and Stephen and to help raise money for another important cause,” Mickelson joked. “It's also going to give fans and viewers an up-close look at Stone Canyon Golf Club, a place that I'm extremely proud of and excited to show how special it is."
The format of this event will be a little bit different from this year’s other edition. On Friday, the group will use a modified alternate shot format, which means each player will tee off, then play the best drive and alternate shots thereafter. That means that Barkley—who has a famously chunky golf shot—can’t simply rest on the laurels of his PGA partner. Not that he’s planning on it.
"Let me just say this: I'm not bragging about it, but nobody has worked harder than me to be better at golf,” Barkley told Golf Digest. “I have hit balls five hours a day for the last six months. I just really wanted to get better at golf.”
We’ll soon find out if his hard work pays off, but, truthfully, it might be more fun if not.
Watch The Match: Champions for Change (and chip in to support its worthy causes) this Friday, Nov. 27, at 3pm ET on TNT. Use the link below to get Sling Blue with Sports Extra at the best price.
