Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were both forced to head into the wilderness to find their first tee shots.
Every golfer, at some point in their life, has struggled with first-tee jitters. But not every golfer has struggled with first-tee jitters in front of a national television audience.
On the first tee of the Match II at Medalist Golf Club Sunday, both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning showed their nerves. After a lengthy introduction from Samuel L. Jackson, Brady and Manning each stepped up to the tee and promptly hit hooks into the wilderness.
First, to social media’s chagrin. Brady took a long, wristy swing and hooked his shot into a puddle.
Then, Manning stepped up to the tee and one-upped his former AFC foe. Peyton smashed his driver well into the trees and was forced to take an unplayable.
The quick, nervy swings certainly weren’t the start the pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks had planned for their rounds. But fortunately for both, their mistakes did no harm. Phil and Tiger halved the 1st hole, giving their teammates some time to ease into the round.
James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.