One of the first sporting events to return this spring after the sports world went on lockdown amid the first spike in the COVID-19 pandemic was the second installment of The Match, featuring Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. This time the two legendary golfers were joined by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for some match play in the made-for-TV event and the addition of some (very famous) amateur golfers made for a very enjoyable experience — particularly as Brady slapped the ball all over the course early on.
This November, after the rescheduled Masters, it appears we will be getting the third installment of The Match from Turner Sports, but this time Woods won’t be part of the festivities. Mickelson and Manning will return, but two NBA stars — of past and present — will join them in the form of Stephen Curry and Charles Barkley, per a report from Sportico.
Barkley and Curry are polar opposites in just about every way, from their personalities to their skills on the course as Curry is a scratch golfer and Barkley is one of the most famous bad golfers on the planet. That said, Barkley will provide plenty of entertainment both in his play and commentary from the course, as he moves from the booth to the action this time around.
While The Match 2 benefited COVID-19 relief, raising $20 million, this go around — which Sportico notes is titled “Champions for Change” — will reportedly go to benefiting HBCUs, a cause that is near and dear to Curry, in particular, as he recently made a donation to Howard University to fund the relaunch of their golf team. The Match 3 will be on Friday, November 27 with the expectation being that this will again be a non-PPV event and instead take place on TNT, TBS, and other Turner properties as the second one did.