Tiger Woods vows victory in star-studded charity match

Tiger Woods couldn't resist a little last-minute needling before Sunday's charity showdown with Phil Mickelson, with a deadpan prediction that he and partner Peyton Manning would dominate. "At end of day, our team's going to win, it's just a matter of how much we're going to win by," 15-time major champion Woods said in an interview posted on Golf Digest's YouTube channel. "Do we keep it close, do we blow m out ... we don't want to have viewers turn off if we're 9-up through nine, that's probably t going to be good. So we'll just be 8-up through nine -- something like that." 

Reigning Masters champion Woods will team with Manning, a superstar NFL quarterback who retired in 2016 after winning his second Super Bowl title. Five-time major winner Mickelson will team with Tom Brady, who recently signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers after winning six Super Bowl titles in 20 years with New England Patriots. 18-hole match will include nine holes of four-ball and nine holes of modified alternate shot, with on-course challenges for charitable funds in addition to $10 million pledged.

With US PGA Tour and European Tour on hiatus amid coronavirus pandemic, made-for-TV event will be a welcome glimpse of live sports action, and long rivalries among players promise a little intensity even if it's only a battle for bragging rights. Television commentators include major winners Trevor Immelman and Jordan Spieth, along with Charles Barkley, NBA great turned outspoken broadcaster who is owner of a famously disjointed golf swing. Woods and Manning look to have edge going in.

Woods is a regular at Medalist golf course in Hobe Sound, Florida, and Manning boasts a slightly better handicap than Brady -- who has had less time to focus on his golf game as he adjusts to life with a new team amid COVID-19 pandemic. For legion of Woods-watchers around globe, it will be a chance to see just how far 44-year-old's fitness has come since he lurched to a 68th-place finish at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles in February. Continuing trouble with his balky back saw him skip WGC Mexico Championship, Honda Classic and Arld Palmer Invitational, as well as Players Championship -- which was shut down early by coronavirus concerns.

'Night and day'

Woods said in April he would have been ready for his Masters title defense -- which is w set to come in vember. "Night and day," he said of improvement since February. While Woods-Mickelson rivalry may have lost some of its sizzle, Manning and Brady could add intrigue. "y grew up playing football, t golf, but y're going out of ir comfort zone on national TV to showcase ir golf game," Mickelson said. "That's t an easy thing to do. "For m to do that and create a fun, entertaining environment that's helping ors, I have a lot of respect for it." 

Im credits: Twitter / AP