Golf: Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning prevail in star-studded match, raise US$20 million for charity

(From right) Golfer Tiger Woods and former National Football League player Peyton Manning celebrate defeating golfer Phil Mickelson and NFL player Tom Brady at Medalist Golf Club in Florida on May 24, 2020. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

MIAMI (REUTERS) - Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning held off a late challenge to beat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady 1-up in a charity golf match in Florida on Sunday (May 24) that raised US$20 million (S$28.5 million) for Covid-19 relief efforts.

Woods, a 15-time Major champion, and two-time Super Bowl winner Manning jumped out to a three-hole lead on the front nine at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound.

While Woods' booming drives and Manning's solid putting saw the pair dominate the early holes, five-time Major winner Mickelson and Brady won the 11th and 14th to shave the lead to one.

However, they were unable to force extra holes after Woods delivered a dagger putt on the 18th as darkness descended on his home course.

The shot of the day came from Brady on the seventh when he holed out from the fairway just after National Basketball Association great Charles Barkley, working as a commentator, had been giving the quarterback a hard time for his ice cold start.

"Shut your mouth, Chuck," Brady said with a smile.

But Brady, who joined Tampa Bay in March after 20 years with New England, had little time to revel in the moment.

After giving a short speech where he told his wife and kids he loved them, the six-time Super Bowl winner then split the seat of his pants while retrieving the ball from the cup.

Woods, who lost to Mickelson in a US$9 million winner-take-all challenge in 2018, congratulated Manning and Brady for their performance in the team matchplay event, dubbed The Match: Champions for Charity.

"We all came together and were able to raise US$20 million for those that have been so severely affected," Woods said.

"I take my hat off to Tom and Peyton. This is our arena, this is what we do for a living. I couldn't imagine going on the field and do what they do," he added with a laugh.

The competition comes 21/2 weeks before the PGA Tour plans to resume its season on June 11 at Colonial.

Woods last competed in February and then withdrew from a number of tournaments with a back injury before the PGA Tour decided to cancel a slew of events because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

He has said he is healthy and will be ready to go when the Tour resumes.

Mickelson finished third in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February and missed the cut in his next two starts.

Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, retired in 2016 as the National Football League's all-time leader in passing touchdowns and yards and is the only five-time winner of the league's Most Valuable Player award.

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