Phil Mickelson will join NBA star Steph Curry, former Super Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning and NBA analyst Charles Barkley in a made-for-TV golf charity event at Oro Valley's Stone Canyon Club on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.
Mickelson is the primary owner of the 20-year old Stone Canyon Club, a private golf facility in the Tortolita Mountains.
The Stone Canyon Club was constructed over 90 acres between Oro Valley and the Tortolita Mountains.
It will be the second made-for-TV charity event at which Mickelson has competed this year; in May, he joined Manning, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady in a "Champions for Charity" event in South Florida that raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief.
The Nov. 27 event — titled The Match: Champions for Change'' — will benefit historic Black colleges and universities. It will be televised at 1 p.m. on TNT.
Mickelson will be paired with Barkley; Manning and Curry will be their opponent.
“I’m excited to return for the third edition of Capital One’s The Match and get out on the course with these three legendary athletes,” Mickelson said Monday in a statement. “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. It’s also going to give fans and viewers an up-close look at Stone Canyon Golf Club, a place that I’m extremely proud of and excited to show how special it is.”
Manning, who teamed with Mickelson to defeat Tiger Woods and Tom Brady in a May exhibition and will have Curry as his teammate this time, praised the charitable component of the exhibition. The Match II in May raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief, and was dubbed “Champions for Charity.”
Among the many features throughout The Stone Canyon Club course are the waterfall at No. 6, above, and the rocky, cacti-filled terrain around holes like No. 18, below.
Live event coverage airing on TNT will once again feature players having open mics throughout the entire competition, including the capability to communicate directly with other golfers and the broadcast commentators. “Cart Cam” will also once again be featured throughout the competition. The event will be closed to the public and tournament organizers are working with public health officials on competition and production logistics to ensure the event follows safety and health protocols.
“Capital One’s The Match has become a franchise featuring some of the best in sports and entertainment, and we’re looking forward to this next iteration and the meaningful awareness it will raise for social change,” said Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports. “With Phil, Charles, Stephen and Peyton on the course, there’s sure to be no shortage of must-see moments, in addition to the important causes driving each athlete’s participation.”
The Match II was the highest-rated golf event ever to appear on cable TV. It doubled the rating of the Sunday coverage of the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, a Turner representative said. Scheduled on the day after Thanksgiving on a day when many people are off from work and Black Friday shopping may be reduced due to COVID-19 should provide for a large and captive audience.
The Stone Canyon Club, owned by Mickelson Golf Properties, ranked 109th on the 2019 Golfweek Top 200 Modern Courses.
Includes information from Golfweek.
