Two from golf, we know; now meet Brady and Manning

By Rahul Banerji

Tiger and Lefty will hit the fairways in Hobe Sound, Florida in a few hours for their second charity golf match in 18 months. This time, they will have company.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are not names best-known in this part of the world, but are as big in their sport as Woods and Mickelson in golf.

So who are these two, who will shortly be part of Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Charity, the second big live golf event since the March Covid-19 shutdown?

Both Brady and Manning are the National Football League, and legends in their own right. As quarterbacks, the pivot of the American style of football, they have earned name, fame and more money than team-mates Woods and Mickelson.

Here’s a closer look at the two.

Tom Brady

Possibly the best-known AFL player in the world at the moment and widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time, Brady won the Super Bowl (the acme of the NFL season) six times in nine tries in 20 years with the New England Patriots..

The 42-year-old, married to supermodel Giselle Bundchen, now turns out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after helping the Patriots to 17 division titles. He is rated as an 8-handicapper.

Peyton Manning

Now retired, Manning is one of the greats of the NFL. In his 18 active seasons, he played 14 years for the Indianapolis Colts before winding down his career with the Denver Broncos.

Among a raft of other achievements, the 44-year-old remains the only quarterback to win the Super Bowl with two different teams, in 2006 with the Colts and in 2015 with the Broncos.

The 6-handicapper has played four times earlier with Tiger Woods, with whom he is paired at Medalist.

‘Unique moment’

“It’s really a unique moment in time, and the ability to do good and help others is at the core of what this is all about,” Brady told the PGA Tour recently.

“To get an opportunity to go play golf with three of the guys I’ve always looked up to in sports is something I couldn’t turn down.”

“I think Tiger is the greatest golfer that’s ever played, and I think these two are the best at what they do,” Mickelson said of Brady and Manning.

“They grew up playing football, not golf, but they’re going out of their comfort zone on national TV to showcase their golf game. That’s not an easy thing to do.

“For them to do that and create a fun, entertaining environment that’s helping others, I have a lot of respect for it.”

Brady and Manning have been compared against one another throughout their careers, not unlike their golf counterparts.

They have a combined eight NFL Most Valuable Player Awards—Manning five, Brady currently has three—and perhaps more importantly, eight Super Bowl Championships, the sport’s biggest and most-coveted trophy.

Manning retired in 2015 after playing 17 years with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. H won a Super Bowl with each team.

New start

Brady, meanwhile, is entering his 21st year in the NFL, but the 2020 season will be his first with the Buccaneers after spending the first two decades of his career with the Patriots.

Head to head, the two players competed against one another 17 times with, Brady emerging on top in 11 of those games. They matched up five times in the playoffs, with Brady winning three of them.

“I don’t think anybody wants to see Tom and I hit golf balls as much as they want to see these two Hall of Famers play golf,” Manning said.

“I’m glad as a sports fan to see golf return. I enjoy watching those guys compete. For Tom and me to go the ropes and watch how Tiger and Phil do their thing, and be part of it and raise money, we’re glad to do it.

“And if it helps people along the way take their minds off of things, that’s even better.”

Mickelson/Woods vs against Brady/Manning

Career victories: Woods/Mickelson: 126; Brady/Manning: 405

Player of the Year Awards: Woods/Mickelson: 11; Brady/Manning: 8

Majors /Super Bowl wins: Woods/Mickelson: 20; Brady/Manning: 8

Career earnings: Woods/Mickelson: $211,960,219; Brady/Manning: $483,898,804

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