Mickelson targets MJ, Mahomes, Curry in hopes of annual The Match events
Phil Mickelson has big ideas for future editions of The Match.
The 49-year-old listed Michael Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, and Steph Curry as potential candidates for future competitions that would also feature Tiger Woods after the success of "The Match: Champions for Charity."
"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 said, according to the Los Angeles Times' Arash Markazi.
Jordan, who recently opened an exclusive golf course in Florida that Mickelson is in the process of joining, is an avid golfer. Curry and Romo are two of the best golfers from other professional sports and have both participated in PGA Tour-sanctioned events. Mahomes made waves by showing off his powerful swing on social media.
BP @GehrigDieter @Topgolf pic.twitter.com/e9UR53NIrq
- Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 24, 2019
"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," Mickelson continued.
Mickelson also floated the idea of including two younger players, such as world No. 4 Justin Thomas, to take on him and Tiger and create a "real high-level golf competition."
Bryan Zuriff, who produced the inaugural event between Woods and Mickelson in Las Vegas in 2018 and came up with the idea of adding Tom Brady and Peyton Manning into the mix for the sequel, believes The Match could become an annual tradition.
"We like this event for the day after Thanksgiving," Zuriff said. "We envision it once a year depending on schedules and health, but we like the charitable component of giving back."
The Match II, which was held at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, on Sunday, raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and was the most-watched golf broadcast in cable television history. The first edition was a winner-take-all event where Mickelson walked away with $9 million.
Woods and Mickelson originally agreed to play three matches, and the series is now split at one win apiece. However, having learned the lessons that made The Match II better than the first edition, Mickelson sees a lot more of these made-for-TV events in the future.
"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 said. "Having a partner provided for more interaction and I thought the intimacy of the cameras in the golf cart added a tone. These are elements that we're going to build on going forward and make it even better."
Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.