Aaron Rodgers placed his starting shot in the last hole, then sank the winning bird putt to give himself and Tom Brady a 1-on-1 victory over Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in “The Match “Wednesday in Las Vegas.
The four-star NFL quarterbacks played a 12-hole event at Wynn Golf Club in the sixth edition of “The Match,” which began in 2018 as a head-to-head match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
The event used a “heat” format, in which the teams chose the best of their two starting shots but played their own ball for the rest of the hole.
The match was all square through 11 holes to par-3 12th. Rodgers had the best shot for his team, and Muhammad found the far end of the green after using his mulligan. Allen almost made a birdie putt impossible for his team, but he failed miserably.
After Brady missed the bird attempt, Rodgers benefited from the reading and gave his putt.
Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady celebrate winning The MatchGetty Images for The Match
“I felt really good about it, to be honest,” Rodgers said. “Tommy made me a great read.… With about four holes left, things got pretty serious and I think we got a little tight because these two were playing really well and we didn’t want to get out of here with an L.”
It was the first time Muhammad and Allen had competed in the golf show series, which also featured Stephen Curry, Peyton Manning and Charles Barkley. It was Brady’s third appearance and Rodgers’ second. This was the first edition that did not have any professional golfer.
Rodgers made a birdie putt to win the first hole for the veterans, and in the second par-5, Brady made two putts per birdie. Muhammad lost his birdie putt to tie, putting the youngsters in an early hole, 2 below.
In the short third par-4, everyone crashed or put on the green apron. Muhammad’s second shot, a putt, stopped inches from the hole to give him a bird that no one could match, cutting the lead to one.
Brady’s driver didn’t work for him, but he was closest to the pin in the first two par 3, fourth and sixth holes. However, the next move came in the fifth par-5, when Muhammad scored a good approach to establish an eagle test. His two-put birdie was enough to square the game.
Patrick MahomesGetty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs star continued to roll in the eighth par-3. Muhammad landed his starting shot 7 1/2 feet from the needle and made a birdie to gain the hole, giving the youngsters their first advantage.
Brady and Rodgers tied it in the 10th short par-4. Rodgers drove the green and Brady sank the only bird on the eve of the game to set the spectacular end.
Allen used a ball with an infamous image of a shirtless Brady from the 2000 scanning combination. Brady took the opportunity to get it back early in the game after the Buccaneer made a bad ball.
“A little thick,” Brady said of his shot. “I say that a little Josh Allen-y.”
More than 10 million meals were donated to Feeding America as part of the benefit aspect of the event.