Mickelson, Barkley officially set to take on Manning, Curry
The third edition of The Match is officially set, as the PGA Tour announced Monday that the rumored contest featuring Charles Barkley, Phil Mickelson, Steph Curry, and Peyton Manning is a go.
Mickelson, a five-time major champion, will team up with NBA Hall of Famer Barkley in a modified alternate shot contest against the duo of Manning and Curry in "The Match: Champions for Change" on Nov. 27 at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Arizona.
The 50-year-old Mickelson participated in both previous versions of the head-to-head format, beating Tiger Woods at Shadow Creek in the initial playing before teaming with Tom Brady in a close loss to Woods and Manning at Medalist Golf Club in May.
Mickelson faces his biggest challenge yet, as Barkley's struggles on the golf course are well documented. Manning's impressive skills were on full display in May, while Curry, who boasts a sparkling handicap of 0.6, previously played in a Korn Ferry Tour event.
Despite the daunting task at hand, Mickelson enters full of confidence off his second straight win on the Champions Tour.
I’m feeling pretty confident after my win that I’ll even take Sir Charles as my partner to take these guys on!
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) October 19, 2020
"While we may need a handicap for Chuck, I'm looking forward to playing with Peyton and Stephen and to help raise money for another important cause," Mickelson said.
Barkley previously served on the commentary team for the previous versions of The Match but did offer a glimpse of his golf skills on the broadcast in May. The 57-year-old posted a double-bogey on the 18th hole at Medalist, narrowly losing in the "bogey or better" challenge.
The PGA Tour announced The Match III "will uniquely contribute toward and highlight diversity, equality and inclusion through donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities while raising awareness and spotlighting opportunities for diversity and equality in sports."