Brady, Rodgers def. Mahomes, Allen in The Match

11: 14 PM ET
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Tom VanHaarenESPN Staff Writer
- ESPN staff writer
- Joined ESPN in 2011
- Graduated from Central Michigan
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers now have bragging rights on the golf course over Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen after winning Capital One’s The Match on Wednesday.
The four NFL quarterbacks played a 12-hole golf exhibition at Wynn Las Vegas, where Rodgers drained a putt on the final hole to give his team a 1-up win.
While it was entertaining to watch the quarterbacks compete on the course, it was also for a good cause, raising enough money to donate 10,258,000 meals for Feeding America. The competitors took the event seriously, but also started trash talking early. Allen said he would play the round with a golf ball that had a picture of a shirtless Brady taken at the 2000 NFL scouting combine.
Allen took some photos. Brady said that he hit a short shot chunky and “Josh Alleny” when he hit it. “
There were a lot of errant shots during the match. At least one spectator was hit by a ball from Allen.
Allen said to the commentators that he gave the glove to the unlucky fan as a souvenir.
Brady, Rodgers and Mahomes were out swinging. They made birdies on the first two holes to move 2 up in the round. Mahomes’ clutch putts helped Allen and Mahomes to come back.
Mahomes had a two-putt birdie on No. 5 to tie the match and made another putt in the final round to give his team the lead. The trash talk subsided as it got closer to the final hole. Charles Barkley, match commentator, was the only one who chirped late in the event. He took shots at Trevor Immelman, all of the quarterbacks and even Shaquille N’Neal, a Basketball Hall of Famer.
Mahomes made a shot from a par-3 to 7ft, 6ins from the hole. Match commentator Ernie Johnson stated that Mahomes struck it to approximately the same length as O’Neal. Barkley made a comment about his NBA broadcast partner.
“That’s one of the best things about golf, man, you don’t have a to deal with that idiot,” Barkley stated. It’s more beautiful when Shaq isn’t around. My life is so much better when he’s gone. “
Barkley kept things light as the quarterbacks started to talk less and less as they got closer to the last hole. It was all square going into the par-3, when Rodgers hit his greenside tee shot and sank his putt to win. Brady, who was 0-2 in exhibition matches, won this match for the first time.

The author of 5 books, 3 of which are New York Times bestsellers. I’ve been published in more than 100 newspapers and magazines and am a frequent commentator on NPR.