After a trade that sent him to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers will be seeing a lot more of Josh Allen this season in the AFC East. But forget about being division rivals, these two quarterbacks’ biggest beef with each other remains about golf.

Let’s back up a second to February when Rodgers won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Well, he won the Am portion along with PGA Tour pro Ben Silverman (Justin Rose won the main competition). Rodgers was ecstatic to earn his biggest sports title since winning the Super Bowl over a decade before, but not everyone was as pleased with what turned out to be a controversial victory.

As you can see from the photo above, Allen wasn’t thrilled, specifically with Rodgers getting 10 strokes in the competition when his handicap hovers around a 3 (and he’s proven to be that good in multiple editions of Capital One’s The Match). In fact, Allen’s partner at Pebble, PGA Tour winner Keith Mitchell, went as far as to call Rodgers’ handicap “crap.” And we can’t say that we disagree.

Anyway, fast forward about six months and Allen was asked about the situation on Barstool’s Pardon My Take. The Bills QB agreed Rodgers had cheated and sandbagged “the world” during the win. He stopped short, however, of a proposed jail sentence for the offence. Have a look and listen:

Aaron Rodgers: CHEATER?!@rhoback pic.twitter.com/XZ9xufogrZ

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) August 2, 2023

Looks like we just found the perfect battle for the next Capital One’s The Match!

Again, it’s hard to argue with Josh here. Rodgers’ handicap was extremely sketchy, not that he’s the first to draw attention for that (*cough* Larry Fitzgerald *cough*). And again, these guys are going to face off on the football field (at least) two times this season. Get your popcorn ready

The post QB quarrel: Josh Allen says Aaron Rodgers sandbagged ‘the world’ in controversial Pebble Beach Pro-Am win appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But each of the previous made-for-TV events all lacked a little something all the best sporting events have: juice. Juice is unquantifiable. It doesn’t spit out in a statistical model. It’s just one of those things you know exists when you actually feel it.

Make no mistake, the sixth edition of The Match, this one featuring Brady and Rodgers again (on the same team, this time) against Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, had plenty of juice. This was glaringly evident when, after missing a rather lengthy putt that Brady knew he needed to halve a hole, he let out a gutteral “OH NO” that you would expect to only hear after a backbreaking pick six on a sultry Monday night in Miami. It was equally evident when his teammate walked in the winning birdie putt on the 12th hole and celebrated like he just clinched his billionth NFC North division title.

It also helped, immensely, that there were real, live, actual fans at the Wynn Golf Club, a feature the prior five matches did not have due to either limited, VIP-type invitations and/or COVID restrictions. The Match VI faced neither of those challenges, and it made for an unforgettable atmosphere in Las Vegas.

Here are six takeaways from by far the best The Match.

Patrick Mahomes was stunningly good

Keep in mind when we say “stunningly,” what we mean is we thought Mahomes would definitely be the worst of the four, and possibly downright bad. Yes, he’s an athletic freak of nature who has had some solid swing videos make the social-media rounds before, and he had teed it up in Tahoe last year, but this was going to be an entirely different arena. The shamble format alleviates some of the pressure, but once you select the better of the tee shots it’s on you from there. There’s no hiding, and you better be good throughout your bag, especially considering he wasn’t getting any shots.

Mahomes was plenty good throughout his bag, displaying the ability to mash the driver, showing off some deft touch around the greens and making multiple clutch putts that kept he and Josh Allen in it. It quickly became clear we’d all underestimated Mahomes’ recent work with former PGA Tour player Hank Kuehne and his brother Trip down in Texas. During a Zoom call with a number of media members last week, Mahomes credited the Kuehne brothers with helping him rein in the big stick and with helping him dial it in on the greens. Whatever he’s paying them (we have no idea if he’s paying them) it ain’t enough. That man CARRIED Allen around the golf course on Wednesday, when the prevailing thought was that the exact opposite would occur.

Mahomes had to take a lap after this chip shot ? #CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/AGwwKQOtDY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2022

The fans added an entirely new element

This was mentioned in the opening but bears repeating: each of the first five matches were seriously underwhelming in the buzz department, mostly a product of COVID. That was not the case for Brady/Rodgers vs Mahomes/Allen, who obviously brought out the exact type of fan needed to give these events some much-needed pop: NFL fans.

Right from the moment all four gunslingers arrived at the makeshift range at the Wynn, you could feel this was going to be different. Bills Mafia was out in full force (those people travel well), and they serenaded Brady with a “Let’s go Buffalo!” song (to the tune of ‘Shout’) while he made his way to the practice area. Everywhere you looked someone had on one of the four QB’s jerseys. And because this was golf and not an NFL stadium, fans could get extremely close to their heroes, and many times the fan reaction to being that close was what I’d imagine the reaction was to Elvis Presley simply existing back in his day. These four dudes are absolute rockstars and are treated as such, though they received their fair share of trash talk as well. The type of trash talk that most PGA Tour pros would hear and promptly call security to have the culprits removed from the premises. Brady? He’s heard much worse over the last two decades as king. Rodgers? He welcomed that type of vitriol in Chicago last season by screaming “I OWN YOU” to Bears fans after a touchdown scamper. Allen and Mahomes are probably still getting used to it, but they handled it just fine. It was a mini-NFL environment in a golf setting, and it was electric.

Tom Brady is the ultimate salesman

No athlete has ever reminded me as much of Phil Mickelson as TB12 did on Wednesday. Constantly smiling and thumbs-upping people to death. “Thanks for coming out,” to everyone that screamed his name. Just the word “BRADY” on his golf shirt. TB12 logo in plain sight at all times, be it on his gigantic Yeti water bottle or the front of his hat, which he wore backwards for about three holes up until the final hole when it turned it back forward knowing there would be maximum eyeballs on the tense par-3 tee that decided the match. It makes sense given his entire social-media presence revolves around selling product, but it’s still so wild to see in person. It’s hard to tell if he’s a real human at times, but he reminds you that he very much is when he’s hitting bad golf shots. Brady hates nothing more than hitting bad golf shots, because hitting bad golf shots means you are losing, and losing is not something Brady does all that often and when he does he does not handle it well. It’s at his lowest points when he’s the most relatable, and those points usually only come when he’s holding a golf club in his hands.

"Some tip you gave me."

Brady had to call out the crew this shot ? #CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/w4hf5nBshn

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2022

People are not afraid to get hit by a golf ball, apparently

Nowhere was the phrase “common sense is not common” more apparent than at the Wynn Golf Club on Wednesday evening. Because people with common sense would understand that these professional quarterbacks are not professional golfers, meaning you are in the line of fire basically anywhere that isn’t behind them when they are addressing a golf ball. All four guys can move it well on their best swings, but their bad swings are just like the rest of ours, which leads us to the question: Would you stand two yards off the fairway just 20 yards ahead if you or your buddy were on the tee box? The answer (I hope) is no. Brady knows this, and he implored the fans to spread out on the second tee, telling them “guys, that’s really dangerous” multiple times, to no avail. Then, he promptly line-drived one down the left side that could have killed someone but fortunately did not. Turns out, that was one of the few tee shots that didn’t hit someone. It was an absolute shooting gallery, though most folks didn’t care. In fact, I actually heard multiple people wish they were the ones who got struck by the Aaron Rodgers block fade. With the right mix of Vegas sun and refreshments, it’s probably a pain-free experience anyway.

That Aaron Rodgers is quite clutch after all

The haters will tell you Rodgers has shrunk in many a big moment since his lone Super Bowl victory, but there was no such shrinking on the golf course. The now four-time MVP was the sneaky MVP on Wednesday, making a birdie on the first to go 1 up and picking up an insanely clutch birdie at the ninth that was just to halve the hole. And finally, with the match on the line, draining a birdie to avoid a closest to the pin playoff and walking it in in style:

A-Rod for the WIN! ? #CapitalOnesTheMatch pic.twitter.com/et3paek5DB

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2022

It’s not fair to say he dragged Brady to victory, because Brady did make a huge birdie late in the match that tied it back up, but Rodgers was the steadying force the entire day. He pounds the ball with his driver and consistently strikes his irons well, while Brady has trouble avoiding some big misses and the odd shank or chunk. Rodgers does nothing of that sort, and he expects to make the shot or the putt, just like he expects to fit the ball into that tight window that only he can fit it into. As a result, he’s 2-0 in these matches and has seemingly played a massive role in both victories. He likes to play down just how good he is, which is clearly by design.

The Match was really fun and there should (will) be more just like it

At the risk of repeating everything I’ve already written, I’ll just keep it simple: this match, the one without any PGA Tour professionals, was by far the most fun one yet. It still has some work to do in the format/organisation department, but that matters little when you get the right mix of personalities like this one had and the addition of some rabid fans who would have no idea how to act at an actual professional golf event but can get away with acting like that in this setting. Vegas seems to be the ideal location for these, as fans will have no issue making a trip out of it to see their guys up close and personal, not to mention the fact that Vegas is pretty good at hosting this type of stuff. The hard golf fan may continue to resist, but maybe these just aren’t for the hard golf fan. Judging by the social-media reaction, this one attracted the exact crowd that golf doesn’t have and so desperately needs, so there’s no other way to view it than as a positive.

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The post Mahomes shines, Rodgers comes up clutch (again) and four other takeaways from best ‘The Match’ yet appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Reigning All-Pro quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will take on fellow NFL superstars Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the next installment of ‘The Match’.

The Turner Sports exhibition will take place on Wednesday, June 1 at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas. The Wynn previously hosted the last iteration of The Match in November, with Brooks Koepka defeating Brooks DeChambeau in a 12-hole battle.

Like previous versions of The Match, players will be mic’d up during competition, allowing viewers to hear the chatter inside the ropes and facilitate banter between the broadcast crew and players during the event. The 12-hole challenge format from the Koepka-DeChambeau bout will also return.

This will be Brady’s third appearance in The Match. He previously played alongside Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Peyton Manning in the ‘Champions For Charity’ event at Medalist in Hobe Sound, Florida in May 2020 and returned last July to team up with Mickelson in a losing effort against DeChambeau and Rodgers at the Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champ, returned from a short retirement this offseason and will be entering his 23rd year in the NFL this autumn.

This will be Rodgers’ second Match outing following his aforementioned victory in Big Sky last summer, while both Mahomes and Allen will be making their Match debuts. Combined the four gunslingers have won nine Super Bowls and made 86 playoff appearances.

This is the sixth edition of The Match, which has raised nearly $33 million for various charitable endeavors.

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The post Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers to face Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in next installment of ‘The Match’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

WE’RE BUYING

Masters invites: ’Tis the season for a lucky few golfers to get the greatest piece of mail ever. No matter who you are, it never gets old. And it never gets old watching reactions like this:

 

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A post shared by Michael Thompson (@michaelthompsongolf)

By the way, we’re already inside 100 days until the Masters. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that patrons will be back in April. And if I’m lucky enough to go, fingers crossed I’ll be able to chew again by then. As Dustin Johnson noted, those Augusta National sandwiches are incredible.

Valentino Dixon: While we’re on the subject of Augusta National, a rendition of the famed 12th hole by our favourite artist wound up in the hands of Barack Obama:

 

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A post shared by Barack Obama (@barackobama)

It’s the latest chapter in Dixon’s tragic, yet inspiring journey. The man who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit and was freed thanks in part to Golf Digest’s Max Adler, is now creating art that’s hanging in the home of a former President of the United States. Amazing. Speaking of Christmas gifts …

Josh Allen: In his third NFL season, the Buffalo Bills QB hasn’t just morphed into an MVP candidate, but one of the best teammates you could ask for. Just look at how he treated his offensive line for Christmas:

Bills QB @JoshAllenQB’s gift to his offensive linemen this year: a set of Callaway golf clubs and lessons at Crag Burn Golf Club pic.twitter.com/QCRsxPagFm

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) December 22, 2020

Just give this guy the MVP right now. What a great gesture. And a smart one as well for team bonding. Yep, the future looks bright in Buffalo. Speaking of bright futures …

Charlie Woods: Yeah, yeah, it’s been a couple of weeks, but how cool was seeing this young dude playing with Pops? And playing so well? The kid made his first eagle on national TV! And gave us the moment of the tournament with this familiar-looking fist pump:

?Charlie Woods fist pump ?

The low uppercut. A Woods special. pic.twitter.com/KhJPSC1Sw4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 20, 2020

He’s also already getting kids all over the country into the sport:

My motto for 2021: pic.twitter.com/nx5AnSlsX1

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) January 1, 2021

OK, so my daughter had no interest in watching one second of the PNC Championship, but she’ll get there. Hopefully. In any event, no matter how Charlie’s golf career winds up going, he’s already got better highlights than 99.999 percent of golfers. And after performing so well under such pressure, those sixth-grade finals are going to be a breeze.

WE’RE SELLING

People knocking people getting excited about Charlie Woods: Unfortunately, much of Golf Twitter clutched its collective pearls and couldn’t allow themselves to just enjoy this. “He’s just a kid! Stop putting all these expectations on him!” First of all, who exactly was seriously saying Charlie is going to win 100 PGA Tour titles and 25 majors? No one! Also, if the most private person on the planet wanted to trot his son out there for the world to see, then that’s all you need to know. It was awesome to watch. End of story.

People knocking Kyle Berkshire’s chances: In case you haven’t read or heard it (Subscribe to our Local Knowledge Podcast, please!), I put together a story about the reigning World Long Drive champ’s decision to pursue a second career as a tour pro.

And so far, about 90 percent of comments are that the 24-year-old is wasting his time or has no chance. Look, would I bet on him making it to the PGA Tour? No. But I think it’s pretty cool that a guy who dropped out of college before cracking the starting lineup would put so much on the line to give this such a serious try. And considering Berkshire’s staggering length and the importance of distance in today’s game (SEE: DeChambeau, Bryson), now seems like a good time to give it a go. At the very least, it should be fun to watch. So good luck, Kyle, and bombs away.

This shirt:

It’s actually a hilarious concept. Get a shirt to memorialize a golf buddy’s worst blowup hole. But it instantly gave me nightmarish flashbacks to the double bogey I made on the 10th hole at Mid Pines during the final round of last year’s HGGA Championship. And the triple bogey I made on the 14th hole when I was still in the hunt. I am such a choker it’s not even funny. But this shirt on someone else kind of is. OK, maybe I’m buying.

This jackass:

Very sorry for a Bledge and the RCP team. Course in outstanding nick despite this. Let’s hope the Kent Constabulary catch them? pic.twitter.com/swxd9BO5qh

— Tim Checketts (@CheckettsTim) December 28, 2020

Now that is someone who deserves to spend a long time in prison.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour is back! And it’s calendar-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions is more loaded than it has been for a long time. Almost all of 2020’s winners accepted their invite and because of the weird season, anyone in the top 30 of the final FedEx Cup list got invited as well. So it’s not really a “tournament of champions” this year, but a tournament of champions and really good players.

Random tournament fact: All told, 17 players got the nod who normally wouldn’t, and 42 of the 45 players eligible accepted. A vacation in Hawaii to play for a big purse against a limited field with no cut? Merry Christmas, indeed.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Kyle Berkshire will win a major by the time he’s 25: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Charlie Woods will win a major by the time he’s 25: 825-to-1 odds (Actual odds!)
—Charlie Woods was the coolest kid in school when he returned from winter break: LOCK

PHOTO(S) OF THE WEEK

There were a couple of Anthony Kim sightings recently. First, with longtime swing coach(!) Adam Schriber:

 

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A post shared by Adam Schriber (@adam.schriber)

And then the funniest one yet. A sighting in which the person taking the photo didn’t even realize it was an AK sighting, but focused on former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops instead:

taking a picture of Bob Stoops that accidentally includes Anthony Kim is like taking a selfie on a hike and getting Bigfoot in the shot pic.twitter.com/eIhhtzQxBA

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) January 2, 2021

That’s how long he’s been gone. Crazy. Also, many have pointed out the comparison to seeing Big Foot, but there’s one key difference. Anthony Kim is REAL. And he was spectacular. And as much as I’m happy to see he’s still out there, each sighting is a sad reminder of what could have been.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Check out Austria’s Matthias Schwab playing golf on his skis:

 

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A post shared by Matthias Schwab (@matthiasschwab)

How has this dude not won on the European Tour yet? Anyway, love the concept and the Hosung Choi-esque follow-through. See? It really works!

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Props to Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims for coming up with the most creative Christmas card of the season:

 

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A post shared by Jena Sims (@jenamsims)

THIS AND THAT

Jon Rahm made huge equipment news by switching from TaylorMade to Callaway. I guess rocketing to World No. 1 faster than almost anyone in history wasn’t good enough. … Speaking of equipment, shoutout to Ryan French, AKA Monday Q Info on Twitter, for helping out high school and middle school golf teams in need this year. Here’s more info:

Goal in 2021 is to help 12 high schools or middle school teams in need. 1 is going to be my hometown girl's team, so will need 11 others. If you are a coach or know of a team in need please DM me, I will try to help the teams that are in need the most. Going to do 1 per month.

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) December 28, 2020

And finally, congrats to Kiawah’s Ocean Course for securing a second major championship of 2021. In addition to May’s PGA Championship, this year’s HGGA Championship—AKA my annual golf trip—will also be held there. What an honor for this spectacular venue!

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What hole will I choke away this year’s HGGA?
Where will we see Anthony Kim next?
Why didn’t I listen to my dentist as a kid?

The post Brooks Koepka’s creative Christmas card, inspirational holiday gifts and the funniest Anthony Kim sighting yet appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.