Will there be a re-Match?
Well, not exactly. But there could be a second sequel, one that might look a little different.
On Sunday, 'The Match: Champions for Charity' took place at the Medalist Golf Club in Florida, featuring four of the world's most accomplished athletes.
Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and 5-time major champion Phil Mickelson teamed up to take on 15-time major champion Tiger Woods and 2-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning. NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley served as a guest commentator, alongside professional golfer Justin Thomas.
Manning and Woods came out victorious, winning by one shot, but fun was had by all. Seriously, the event drew a massive audience, with an average of 5.8 million viewers – it peaked at 6.3 million – making it the most-watched golf event in cable television history.
It wasn't without it whiffs, though. The legends played valiantly through a torrential downpour.
We also learned a lot about Mickelson's calves.
Brady, for the first time in history looked human, so much so that New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton took notice.
We see what you did there, coach.
Brady did hit one of the biggest shots of the match when he holed out from more than 150 yards away, and Mike Greenberg applauded Brady for his performance, despite the difficult conditions and lack of preparation he had going into the match.
"Among the many things I can tell you about Tom Brady's golf game is that he hasn't been working on it. Peyton manning, has been spent two months practicing everyday for this. Tom Brady has been busy on a high school field trying to figure out how fast Cameron Brate runs, so he didn't have time to get ready for this, so all things considered I thought he acquitted himself well, and I will give him all the credit in the world because in a moment in a day ... for him to rise up and hit just that one shot and hit it as well as he did, I think you saw the mental toughness that has made these players what they are."
The best Brady moment though may not have been his impressive shot, but the fact that he tore his pants right down the middle before the guys even reached the back nine.
Besides learning you should always bring a spare set of trousers , Brady took to Instagram to share his biggest takeaways from the event.
The event raised $20 million for coronavirus relief efforts, which had Mickelson brainstorming how to make it a regular event, with a cast of rotating athletes and celebrities.
Mickelson said he believes there’s a “market” for more matches involving stars from other sports and other top PGA Tour players, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“What if Tiger and I were to team up and take on two younger players, or what if we were to team up with younger players and have it be a real high-level golf competition?” Mickelson said. “I think there’s a market for that. But you have to have some personality in there, too, so a guy like Justin Thomas showed how funny he is and he would add a lot to an event like that. I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes, who are all good golfers, elite talents and have great personalities. Those personalities are going to come out with this event. Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray. I think that could shine.”
And so far, the reigning Super Bowl MVP is in, which set the Twitter world ablaze with fans and broadcasters alike discussing their ideal potential matchups.
An overwhelming favorite right now is 2-time NBA MVP and 3-time NBA Champion Steph Curry against 6-time NBA Champion and consensus GOAT Michael Jordan.
The best part: both have a strong affinity for golf.
Colin Cowherd has that matchup No. 1 on his list.
"It made me think there are some really interesting matchups in sports – if you kept Tiger and Phil – what other matchups would I want to see? ... Let's start with this one: How about Steph Curry vs. Michael Jordan? Bth hugely passionate golf fans. Both from North Carolina. The best basketball player, the best shooter. Actually, Steph has played some PGA Tour events. Michael has always let it be known that he is pretty good at golf. Steph is easily the best current NBA golfer. That I would pay to see – that would be good."
And guess what? The baller is ready to take his talents to the green!
Steph is on a few others' lists as well.
And ESPN's Mina Kimes has some NFL players in mind.
Talk about some trash talk for the ages.
We don't know whether we will see these matches ever come to fruition, but we do know one thing: Tom Brady has decided to stick to what he knows best: keeping his talents on the turf, not the green.
