You’re not reading this wrong, there’s going to be another one of those Turner Sports made-for-television matches on November 27 but there will be no Tiger Woods and no Tom Brady. There will be Phil Mickelson.
And we have to give Lefty the bravery medal this go-round — he’s saddled with Charles Barkley as a partner. Last go-round at The Medalist, Tiger teamed with Brady and Mickelson with Peyton Manning — the win went to Peyton and Lefty with Charles Barkley showing off his “one-man peanut gallery” skills and declaring at one point “this is some really crappy golf.”
Well, if you want some really crappy golf, just wait until Lefty tries to haul Barkley’s massive carcass around for 18 holes. They will be up against Manning and basketball star Steph Curry. In reality, Mickelson could probably play Manning, Curry and Barkley’s best ball and handle them easily.
But this time the venue happens to be Stone Canyon Golf Club in Oro Valley, Arizona, which is just six miles north of downtown Tucson. By the way, the club just happens to be owned by Mickelson Golf Properties — as in Phil.
The format will be modified alternate shot, which means that Phil will actually have to play some of Chuck’s abysmal shots. Note that this is a desert course, which means Barkley may spend more time in the desert than Erwin Rommel during WWII. Barkley made a brief appearance at the end of the Woods-Brady, Mickelson-Manning match. All Chuck had to do was bogey the final hole at The Medalist but alas, he couldn’t do that — double-bogey — which should probably be Chuck’s middle name.
The good news is that this match, titled “Champions For Change” raises money for HBCU — Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Even the most affluent schools have experienced serious loss of revenue during the pandemic and no doubt the HBCU members have been hit harder than most.
Not sure how they’ll handle the handicaps of the amateurs, that’s pretty tough in match play. For Barkley, he needs at least 30 shots on any given day. Manning and Curry are single-digit handicappers with a lot of playing experience.
So yes, it’s sad but true. Possibly four hours of watching Charles Barkley play golf.
Perhaps this program should be rated “C” for Barkley’s crappy golf game.
Calling it “crappy” is giving him credit.
6 Comments
baxter cepeda
Charles has more experience than Peyton and Curry. I’m fact he’s been playing golf since before steph was born.
Pretty disappointing they are calling this a ‘the match’ when tiger is not there. We should have gotten our trilogy before tiger and Phil start to bow out of these.
I just want to see tiger and Phil go at it. Peanut galleries are great, fillers, teammates, but those two are ‘the match.’
Tom Edrington
I’m going to write something before that match…something to the tune of “Things We’d Rather Do Than Watch Charles Barkley Play Golf” I’d say one on the list is “get water-boarded”
baxter cepeda
I enjoy chuck. It’s gonna be hilarious where he puts Phil. I don’t think they have much of a chance against a quarterback and a bball guard. I really don’t.
Tom Edrington
Simply depends on Phil, he can light it up but with modified alternate shot, he’s going to HAVE to play some Charles Barkley shots, obvious there’s little chance of playing one of Chuck’s drives so on those second shots, Barkley simply needs to avoid hitting it where it’s unplayable — Phil can get a LOT of stuff up and down, as we’ve come to expect…..one thing I can tell you is that after you watch Barkley’s swing, it will make you feel a whole lot better about your own game!
baxter cepeda
I think if Barkley puts a tee shot in play and Phil can reach the green from there, so say inside 300 for the approach, it would be wise for Phil to hit the approach and leave the first putt or chip to chuck.
Tom Edrington
Assuming Chuck can hit a drive in play is an assumption I’d never make!