Phil Mickelson Wants Charity Golf Match to be Annual Event

His recent charity golf match so enthralled him, Phil Mickelson now says he wants it to be an annual event with athletes such as Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady.

Mickelson was a key part of “The Match,” the sport’s first televised match since the onset of the coronavirus scare. The event, also featuring Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Tiger Woods, broke TV records drawing an average of 5.8 million viewers.

The event was such a hit that Mickelson wants to make it a new golf tradition.

“I think you could showcase guys like Steph Curry and Michael Jordan or Tony Romo and Patrick Mahomes, who are all good golfers, elite talents and have great personalities,” Mickelson told the Los Angeles Times Wednesday.

“Those personalities are going to come out with this event. Or you could have someone who loves the game and is competitive but is really entertaining like Larry David and Bill Murray. I think that could shine.”

Losing last week’s match to Woods and Manning’s team didn’t quash Mickelson’s enthusiasm for the unique game. And, perhaps, for a good reason. Not only did the event capture nearly six million viewers, but it also raised $20 million for coronavirus relief charities.

Mickelson played a charity match with Woods in 2018 that was also a big hit.

“I thought we learned a lot from the first match to make the second one much better, and I think we can continue to add on to that,” Mickelson added. “Having a partner provided for more interaction, and I thought the intimacy of the cameras in the golf cart added a ton. These are elements that we’re going to build on going forward and make it even better.”

But Mickelson was a fount of ideas about what to do for future events.

“What if Tiger and I were to team up and take on two younger players, or what if we were to team up with younger players, and have it be a real high-level golf competition?” Mickelson enthused. “I think there’s a market for that. But you have to have some personality in there too, so a guy like Justin Thomas showed how funny he is, and he would add a lot to an event like that.”

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