The Match 2: 5 best moments as Tiger, Peyton top Phil, Brady

The best moments from The Match: Champions for Charity, Tiger vs. Phil 2.

Given the amount of promotion given to The Match 2 featuring Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning vs. Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, hopes were high for the event at Medalist Golf Club on Sunday, May 24. And thankfully, unlike the first Tiger vs. Phil match, this one delivered. And in the end, it was Woods and Manning holding off a late surge from their opponents to win the event.

All of the proceeds from The Match: Champions for Charity were to benefit several organizations working toward COVID-19 relief. That made the event a great cause no matter how things turned out on the course. But despite rainy (very rainy) conditions, it was a wildly entertaining affair.

From the looks behind the curtains to custom golf carts to the Woods-Manning pairing jumping out to a big lead only for Mickelson-Brady to storm back and take it to the 18th hole, it was phenomenal entertainment. As we look back at what happened at Medalist, though, these were the best moments on Sunday.

The 5 best moments from The Match: Champions for Charity

5. Weathering the weather

Whenever it first came to light that the weather at Medalist was less than ideal — and by that we mean torrential downpours — there was rightful concern that The Match 2 would actually happen. So while it may seem simple, the fact that all four players were willing to brave the elements, especially when it looked awful to be playing at time, was quite a treat for fans at home that had been looking forward to it.

4. The banter, trash-talking and behind-the-scenes looks

One of the big disappointments from the first iteration of The Match was the lack of real banter that we got between Woods and Mickelson. The addition of Manning and Brady to the equation, however, changed everything.

Not only were all four throwing jabs at one another throughout the entire event, in hilarious fashion in many instances, but we also got some great behind-the-scenes look at everything that happened. From Mickelson and Woods coaching their amateur partners to just seeing the players operate sans caddies, it was nice to peel back the curtain and see how everything unfolded on Sunday.

3. Late-match drama

At the turn at Medalist, Tiger and Peyton were absolutely dominating thing. Neither quarterback was necessarily in great form but Woods was clearly locked in at his home course while Mickelson was also struggling to try his footing.

Woods remained in great form throughout the match but, once the best ball format on the front nine switched to the modified alternate shot for the back nine, Brady and Mickelson made their run. They had the Tiger-Manning pairing on their heels and, if not for a great putt from Woods on the 18th hole, they would’ve come all the way back from three holes down.

2. Tom Brady holing out for birdie whilst ripping his pants

Considering that he’s been playing quarterback in the NFL for the past 20 years and has been training to suit up for a new team, it’s not wholly shocking that Tom Brady struggled a bit out of the gate on Sunday at Medalist. However, on the seventh hole after a handful of rough shots, the quarterback hit probably the greatest shot of his life, holing a wedge for an important birdie.

But wait, just when you thought that shot couldn’t get any better, Brady bent down to pick up his ball and, well, he had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction.

By the next hole, the new Buccaneers quarterback had changed his pants, thus confirming that he did indeed split them. Talk about your all-time memorable moments from a golf match such as this.

1. Raising $20 million for COVID-19 relief

No matter how entertaining The Match: Champions for Charity was and a nice reprieve for sports fans who have been missing golf, the ultimate goal was to raise money. And Tiger vs. Phil 2 accomplished that in a major way.

After the total donations throughout the event, which started at $10 million, reached roughly $19.75 million, Turner Sports pledged the rest of the money to make it an even $20 million that the event raised for COVID-19 relief and the charities involved. Even if the golf hadn’t been fun, that would’ve made Sunday’s event a success. Great television and entertainment was just a nice bonus.