Four of National Football League’s top players will trade their playbooks for greens on Wednesday as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers plan to use their experience on the golf course against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The quartet has been in the spotlight before on the golf course over the years at various pro-ams, celebrity events and charity outings, but has never mingled with the talk and fireworks of a Sunday of the NFL.
The sixth edition of The Match is scheduled for later this week, on the outskirts of Las Vegas, at the Wynn Golf Club. The exit to the show, which first hooked Tiger Woods against Phil Mickelson in 2018, has since taken on a new form and evolved to become a charity event per team.
The Match has had many different formats over the years, including an 18-hole Woods and Peyton Manning match against Mickelson and Brady. Other athletes have taken part in later performances of the event, such as Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry and Rodgers.
This match is not the first to be presented at the Wynn Golf Club. Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka faced off last November in a head-to-head battle in which Koepka emerged victorious. Also, this is the first edition that will not feature a single professional golfer.
The party 2022
Information display
Date: Wednesday, June 1 | Time: 7 pm ET Location: Wynn Golf Club – Paradise, Nevada Broadcast: TNT
Format
12 hole game play, modified alternate shot. Score per hole: victory = 1 | Half = 0.5 | Loss = 0
Equipment
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers: Brady has been successful in almost everything in his life … except this event. The seven-time Super Bowl champion will make his third appearance in The Match and remains undefeated. Brady has had many memorable moments in his previous two outings – from splitting his pants to going out from the middle of the street. The 44-year-old has yet to show his best, but has a handicap of about 8. That’s at the top end of all four players, but the swing is silky and having more experience should count for something. Meanwhile, Rodgers stole the show in his first and only appearance on The Match, doing clutch putt after clutch putt as he subtly punched his teammate, Bryson DeChambeau. Rodgers has the lowest handicap of all competitors, around a five. Since then, he has competed in the American Championship of the Century and finished 24th ahead of Alfonso Ribeiro, who is a good golfer in his own right. Despite their struggles on the field, he and Brady should have good chemistry and have the edge when it comes to what to expect in this format.
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes: Being young and inexperienced may be enough to propel this duo to victory. Allen was last seen in public by golf fans at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when he joined forces with Keith Mitchell. Coincidentally, it was a late addition to the field after he and the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC divisional round by Muhammad and the Chiefs. According to the USGA GHIN Disability System, it is a handicap of about 8, like Brady, and should have no problems in front of the cameras. Muhammad may be the group’s wildcard, which slightly reflects his (and Allen’s) game on the grid. He has competed in the American Century Championship and even won an event at the Wynn Golf Club a few months ago alongside his main target, Travis Kelce. He may have more firepower in his bag, but it is relatively unknown if he is able to take advantage of it in the right way. He drew 50th of 87 players at Lake Tahoe last July, between ESPN’s Joe Buck and LSU football coach Brian Kelly.
Selections and probabilities
Odds courtesy of Sportsline: Brady / Rodgers -160 | Allen / Muhammad: +140
It’s a disturbing feeling to link money to a charity event, especially since The Match has been quite unpredictable over the years. The underdog has won three times in the previous five plays and, according to this record, the smartest option is to simply take the side of the most money. According to their official handicaps, the duo are pretty much equal in terms of skill, so the +140 price of Allen and Muhammad makes the game right despite their lack of experience in this format. Selection: Allen / Muhammad +140