Are you ready for some live sports action? The coronavirus has virtually shut down the sports world, so people are itching to see something on television that is competitive. It could be that we get to see some live golf action in May as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are looking at playing a heads-up match to support coronavirus relief efforts. These two met in a winner-take-all duel in 2018 in Las Vegas for $9 million dollars and it was Mickelson winning in extra holes. This time around the match could include two famous NFL quarterbacks, as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are reportedly going to be the partners for Woods and Mickelson. Let’s look at Tiger vs. Phil II.
Tiger vs. Phil II Odds
Phil Mickelson/Tom Brady +140
The latest reports have it that Woods would team up with Manning, while Mickelson would team up with Brady. The pairing of Woods and Manning would not be a new one, as the two teamed up to play in the Pro-Am at the Memorial last year. Manning is known for his trash talk, so he would definitely spice things up for this matchup. There would be very little concern about safety, as the event would just include the four golfers and their caddies over a large space. The production crew would be small and there would be no need for security. There would be no high fives or handshakes and everyone involved could be tested for coronavirus in advance.
Phil vs. Tiger II would likely be broadcast on one of the Turner Sports Networks, probably TNT. The first time these two met the broadcast was a mess, as it was supposed to be a pay-per-view event, but the partnership between Turner and BR Live was a mess from the beginning and the pay-per-view system didn’t work properly. The event ended up being live streamed for free and refunds had to be given for the pay-per-view. It is almost a given they won’t make the mistake of doing pay-per-view again.
When Woods and Mickelson met the first time in this match play event it was played at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas in late 2018. This time around the event is likely to take place in Florida and it could be schedule for May. With the current social distancing guidelines in place, there would not be any fans in attendance, but because golf can be set up and televised with a minimal crew, the production could easily be done. The one fly in the ointment at the moment is the PGA Tour, as the event would have to be sanctioned by the PGA Tour and that has not yet happened.
First Matchup
When Tiger and Phil played their match play event late in 2018 it was hyped to no end, but it didn’t deliver. The golf simply wasn’t very good, the telecast was poor and there was very little excitement, despite the fact that neither player led by more than one shot over 22 holes. There was not much talk between Woods and Mickelson and very little trash talk. The entire event was a letdown and even the golf wasn’t very good. It didn’t help that the event was stuck in the middle of a full weekend with NFL, college football, NBA, NHL and college hoops. It was poorly staged and poorly scheduled and fell flat.
Betting Action
It is worth mentioning that the bulk of the betting action on the first matchup was on Tiger Woods. The opening line on Tiger was -140 and the line shot up to more than -200 before a little bit of late money came in on Mickelson. Oddsmakers are not making the same mistake this time around, as they have Woods listed as a -180 favorite. Their mistake worked out in their favor last time around with Mickelson winning, but oddsmakers definitely don’t want to be putting out a bad number and risk being on the wrong side.
Check out the latest golf betting odds at BookMaker.
