Wednesday was a big day to pay attention to golf. We were less than 24 hours removed from the unveiling of the field for the first LIV Golf Invitational event and just 24 hours away from kicking off the U.S. Women’s Open in North Carolina and the Memorial in Ohio.
Oh, and then, on Wednesday night, we had a bunch of NFL quarterbacks play golf on TV.
Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady faced off against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the latest (and sixth) edition of The Match, live on TV. Playing a 12-hole contest at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, Rodgers and Brady beat Mahomes and Allen 1 up.
But you’re not here for the birdies and bogeys. Here were the most memorable moments of The Match.
Josh Allen’s golf ball
During the pregame, Allen showed Brady the golf ball he was using, which included a logo of a now-famous shirtless Brady photo while at the NFL Combine a couple of decades ago. Brady, who played collegiately at Michigan, at least got a jab in at Allen, who went to Reedley junior college before the University of Wyoming.
“Never heard of that [brand of golf ball],” Brady said, reading it. “You went to a college I never heard of and now are playing golf balls I never heard of.”
Tom Brady got lost
Rodgers took the tee to lead off the match, but then the camera zoomed in to a lone cart driving down the middle of the fairway toward the tee. It was Brady.
“Just looking at the pin location, guys,” Brady said. “Nah, I’m just kidding. I’m so frickin’ lost around here I don’t know where I’m going.”
Patrick Mahomes gets hot
Mahomes and Allen lost the first two holes, so Mahomes cracked open a Coors Light early. They won the next two. Then, about an hour later as they drove down the 7th fairway, the match was all square and he told the broadcast team he was on to his fourth drink.
“I’m not trying to get too crazy out here,” he said. “That’s for later.”
He later made his own birdie on the par-3 8th to go 1 up.
Tom Brady finally became relatable
Tom Brady has won a million Super Bowls and has a supermodel wife and all that good stuff, but watch him play golf and Average Joes can finally relate to the guy.
For example, the things he did that normal golfers — like us! — also do:
— He got lost en route to the 1st tee. Rodgers said he had to switch his pants. (“He’s on his third outfit change of the day,” Rodgers deadpanned.)
— He dug around in his bag on the first tee while everyone waited for him.
— He hit a really bad shank.
— He got (really) mad.
— He drove backwards about 30 yards in his golf cart, exiting a mulch area after he went looking for his golf ball.
— He turned his hat backwards after the 7th hole, which for most golfers means you’ve had too many drinks. For Brady, it meant he was getting serious.
Charles Barkley’s one-liners
One of the best parts of the TNT Match broadcasts is always Barkley. Here were a few of his best lines.
“We can grab some kids out of the crowd who can putt it better than that one.” — After a bad Brady birdie putt on the 1st hole
“That’s the one good thing about doing golf, man. I don’t have to be around that idiot.” — After someone mentioned Shaq
“If you are going to chip it you gotta be closer than that.” — After Mahomes deftly chipped it to inside 2 feet, since Barkley was insisting players should putt basically everything off the green
“These football players should have brought a bunch of helmets out here for these fans.” — After Josh Allen launched one into the gallery, seconds after Tom Brady did
“Well, that’s probably not a good idea, because we are only playing 12.” — After Mahomes said they weren’t going to use mulligans because they were saving them for the 18th hole
“Tell you what, all these people need to go stand in the middle of the fairway. They’d be safe.” — As Brady told fans “heads up” as he played a pitching wedge from the rough back into play
“He’s a great kid. Unfortunately he went to Alabama cause he didn’t have the grades to get into Auburn.” — On Justin Thomas
“This is the longest I’ve been in Vegas without drinking in 30 years.” — On, well, Vegas.
And, lastly, the finish
After Allen nearly rolled in a bomb of a birdie putt, Rodgers made his to win the hole and match on the final green.
Until the next Match…