Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady: Who Has the Better Golf Handicap?
The wait for live golf is almost over. Though a date is still pending, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady plan to take their competitive spirits to the golf course in a 2v2 charity match to benefit coronavirus relief with playing partners Tiger and Phil.
In addition to waiting on a date, details about the course and format are still murky. However, the teams have been revealed.
Tom Brady, Florida’s newest celebrity resident, will pair up with Mickelson, and Manning with Woods.
We know how things ended up in 2018 when Tiger and Phil met at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, but with the quarterbacks thrown into the mix, there’s an entirely new element this time around.
It begs the question: Who has the best golf handicap of the quarterbacks, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?
Tom Brady & Peyton Manning’s Golf Handicap
Though it appears Manning has the better golf swing, the rivals’ golf handicaps might be as close as their last meeting on the football field, in which Manning’s Denver Broncos won by two points in the 2017 AFC Championship.
A 2016 article in Golf Digest said Manning maintained a USGA Handicap Index of 4.0. Other reports put Manning anywhere from 6.4 to an 8 handicap.
As for Brady, Golf Digest used the 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to estimate an 8 handicap for the then-Patriots quarterback.
In 2013, Manning reportedly shot a 5-over 77 at Augusta National. For this reason alone, it’s tough not to give Manning the edge.
But don’t count Brady out. #12 has already moved to Florida in preparation for his upcoming season as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Renting Derek Jeter’s Tampa home, Brady is presumably surrounded by Florida golf courses. With NFL OTAs going remote, Brady has plenty of time to work on his swing.
Another thing to note is that we still don’t know what kind of format the match will take. Alternate shot or a scramble seems far-fetched. Instead, four-ball with handicaps for the two quarterbacks could be the way to go. Or they might follow suit of Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff by playing a skins match.
Whatever, wherever, and whenever they decide, The Match: Champions for Charity should provide some much needed excitement for sports fans.
Golf fans have been without live, competitive golf since March 13, when the PGA Tour suspended the season following the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the cancellation of The Open Championship, the PGA is optimistic. Most recently, the PGA released a revised 2020 PGA Tour schedule aiming to return on June 11 for the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Successful charity golf events such as the two above will help with the transition and return to competitive golf. We know PGA DFS fans can hardly wait.
Image Credit: USA Today Sports Images