Update: The Match has now ended, with Tiger and Peyton Manning beating Phil and Tom Brady by a one hole margin. It was a seriously fun encounter to watch- and most importantly, over $20 million was raised for charity and Covid-19 relief efforts. Our original guide follows.
Golf is back thanks to The Match: Champions for Charity - a special pro-am event pitting Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson vs Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning to benefit Covid-19 relief efforts. There's a $10m charity purse at stake today, but that figure has now been better than doubled with over $20m raised. Don't miss a shot of the PGA special - here's how to watch a live stream of The Match online, no matter where you are in the world right now.
The Match is the follow up to Tiger and Phil's first head-to-head skins clash back in November 2018 - which saw Mickelson take home the full $9 million bounty after an epic 22-hole shootout.
The Match started at 3pm ET/12pm PT on Sunday, May 21. Coverage is scheduled for 2pm to 7pm ET in the US on TBS, TNT, HLN and TruTV - so any Sling TV package has you covered. There's also a FREE international viewing option courtesy of CNN.
That was back before anyone had ever searched for hand sanitizer or diapers on eBay, though. This is a different competition altogether, with The Match 2 boasting the aforementioned $10m war chest - all of which will be donated to Covid-19 relief efforts and charities like the American Red Cross and Save Small Business. And as we've said, the total donation is now in excess of $20m - so it's safe to say this weekend's event has been a huge success.
That's good news for everyone - and the golf hasn't been bad either. Tom Brady holed a ridiculous iron for birdie on the front 9, and the Florida rain doesn't seem to be dampening the spirits of his partner Phil Mickelson - or their opponents, Tiger and Peyton. It's all still to play for on the back 9 and one big shot could make the difference.
The side bets have poured in, too, with multiple celebs chiming in to throw down extra challenges to the golfers and their NFL partners - all the more interesting once the pros and their QB partners moved to the Modified Alternate Shot format (details of which can be found below).
Know what today's golf is all about? Great - now just follow our guide as we explain how to watch The Match and live stream Tiger vs Phil and Manning vs Brady online from anywhere right now - there even seems to be a FREE viewing option in some countries, courtesy of CNN International!
- More GOAT goodness: here's how to watch The Last Dance online
How to watch The Match from outside your country right now
We've got a full regional breakdown of The Match live stream options below, but the first thing you should know is that anyone who might be abroad at the moment can still tune into the action as usual by using one of the best VPNs.
This nifty bit of software allows you to get around geo-blocking restrictions and watch the same high-quality golf feed you normally would at home. Best of all, they only take a few minutes to set-up and are really easy to use.
How to watch The Match LIVE - stream Tiger vs Phil and Manning vs Brady online in the US
How to watch The Match: live stream for FREE in the UK
How to live stream The Match in Canada right now
How to watch Tiger vs Phil: live stream The Match from Australia today
The Match format: how is Champions for Charity being played today?
Champions for Charity, or The Match 2 if you prefer, is being played a Best Ball Four-Ball on the front 9 (all players play every shot, best score wins), followed by a Modified Alternate Shot format on the back 9 - where both players tee-off and then select a ball to play on an alternate basis from there.
If that sounds straightforward, don't be fooled - as well as each hole being contested for the attached 'skin' (prize money), there's also a series of additional challenges that can be completed to raise even more money for charity.
One of these is a 'one-club challenge' on the par-4 fifth, where Woods and Mickelson will have to play the hole with a single stick - the 4-iron and 6-iron are popular choices because of the way they combine loft and distance, but they'll really hope they stay out of the sand. A whopping $25 million will also be awarded to charity in the event of a hole-in-one.
A final wrinkle is the venue: the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. It's Woods' home course, so the 15-time Major winner likely has a degree of advantage - something not lost on Phil Mickleson, who's already indulged in some playful banter, saying he's relishing the chance to take down Tiger in his own backyard.
Expect to see more forced trash talking as The Match gathers steam throughout the day, but at least they'll be faking it for a good cause. Let's just hope Tom Brady has all the necessary permissions for exercising outdoors in Florida this time round.
Yes, the star quarterback duo both play golf to a very good standard, boasting single-digit handicaps, and have brought a taste of their former AFC rivalry to the fairways today.
The smart money has always hinted that Peyton may have the upper-hand over TB12 on the golf course. Having hung up his cleats five years ago, the NOLA native is likely to have spent more time on the course than Brady of late, as the GOAT was busy adding another three Super Bowl rings to his collection over the same period.
