Connect with us
‹
›

Blog

5 Questions About the Brooks-Bryson Showdown

Avatar photo

Published

4 years ago

on

5 Questions About the Brooks-Bryson Showdown

The best characteristic of the folks behind The Match, golf’s series of made-for-TV showdowns, is that they’re willing to adapt.

The first Match pitted the game’s two biggest names, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, in a $9 million Las Vegas pay-per-view the day after Thanksgiving in 2018. Viewers flocked to place their orders; when else would they get to see Tiger vs. Phil like this? Overall, the show delivered; we got Woods sending it to sudden death playoff holes, we got a peek at Shadow Creek (Vegas’ mythic golf cathedral) and we got Mickelson winning the entire thing in the darkness on the 22nd hole on a strange, modified par-3 over a waterfall. It was strange and it was wonderful and it was very Vegas.

But not everything worked. The pay-per-view, for one thing. And Mickelson and Woods never quite seemed to decide whether they were doing friendly or intense, so instead they didn’t really do either. Their banter was flat and forced, their golf was lackluster and the whole thing took damn long.

Then the show adapted. Its next iteration brought back Woods and Mickelson, but this time with partners: Woods got Peyton Manning, while Mickelson got Tom Brady. Suddenly there were more characters, more dialogue, more natural banter. There was less dead air, with golfers in carts connected to the broadcasters. There were more golf shots. And there was heightened star power, too — a certain subset of the American populus would watch Tom Brady and Peyton Manning visit the DMV, so watching them play golf added another layer of intrigue. (Note to self: that DMV idea isn’t half-bad…)

Mickelson excelled in the format, so he stayed on to anchor the next edition, which aired the day after Thanksgiving 2020 and featured the redemption of Charles Barkley’s golf game, the all-athlete team of Manning and Steph Curry and a terrific format tweak to modified alternate shot. It wasn’t fast-paced. It wasn’t viral, must-see TV. But it was still fun.

They added a couple wrinkles for The Match IV, heading to Montana and introducing Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers to face off against Brady and Mickelson. Rodgers showed up with a surprisingly sharp game, we got to see DeChambeau pound driver at elevation and a bear even wandered through the set. (It was slow, though.)

ADVERTISEMENT

Now The Match V returns with the original 1 v. 1 format, pitting DeChambeau against rival Brooks Koepka, who is making his series debut. They’ll play 12 holes at The Wynn, just steps from the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. The Match’s announcement was received with excitement and eye-rolls in seemingly equal measure. So who’s right — the believers or the skeptics? In short, we don’t know yet. The Match’s producers and competitors have some questions to answer. Here are five of the biggest:

1. How real is the feud, anyway?

There’s a reason we’ve been begging for this matchup, whether in a PGA Tour event or elsewhere. Their public beef dates back to January 2019, when Koepka called out DeChambeau for slow play. Since then there have been too many developments to properly catalog. But of late the feud seems to have cooled; Commissioner Monahan called off fans yelling “Brooksy” at DeChambeau, the two agreed to play nice at the Ryder Cup and even finished the week with a public embrace.

When the Match was announced, then, some golf fans were understandably wary. Was the entire thing a marketing ploy? An attempt to climb the PIP leaderboard? Was it all just made up?

My guess: It’s more real than you might think. Think back to the moment this initially took off, when an outtake from Koepka’s interview with Todd Lewis leaked and his reaction to DeChambeau walking by became the eye-roll seen ’round the world. That was real annoyance. There’s no faking a reaction like that. And now they’re taking advantage of it. They’re cashing in on that very real tension. Speaking of which…

2. Will they go friendly or frosty?

There are two approaches that would result in particularly worthwhile viewing here. The first would be a reconciliation of sorts, where the two hash out their differences in an authentic series of conversations that take place over a series of holes. They wouldn’t necessarily resolve anything but they’d at least address the root of the feud. I’m envisioning Zoolander and Hansel getting together for their epic confrontation:

“Why you been acting so messed up towards me?”

Wow, just typing that makes me consider its improbability. But it’s not impossible. The “authentic” note just seems like the toughest one to hit.

The second approach would be embracing the rivalry’s contentiousness. They could each demonstrate their legitimate dislike for the other through open frostiness. Uncomfortable silences. Pettiness. Non-conceded putts. General graveness. The outside chance of a physical altercation would linger over every green. This would be awesome but, again, unlikely. It’s golf.

My guess: DeChambeau is, by nature, friendly and non-confrontational, which might make both options difficult. Koepka is good at staredowns, he’s good at pettiness and he’s good at looking dour. But he has also seemed more comfortable buddying up with DeChambeau in recent weeks, so it’s not clear he could really go full heel here. Hopefully there’s some middle ground they can hit, but managing this balance seems like this match’s biggest challenge.

3. Can 1 vs. 1 work?

There’s a reason event organizers added more characters to this thing. Not even Woods and Mickelson could fill four-plus hours of dead space. There’s a lot of pressure to be entertaining when millions of people are tuning in just to watch you walk from the tee to your ball — and these guys are used to making those walks in silence or muttering to their caddies.

It’s tough to keep tension high for four-plus hours when there are just two golfers and they’re forcing banter. And it’s tough to fill the space if they aren’t forcing banter, too. So this is another challenge.

My guess: They’ve taken a few steps to resolve this one. First there are the earpieces, which connect competitors to broadcasters who can guide conversation or introduce wrinkles of their own that take some of the pressure off their mano a mano interactions. Next are the golf carts, which speed up play and avoid the awkwardness of figuring out whether they should walk together down the fairway. And then there’s the decision they’ve made to shrink the competition to 12 holes.

4. Is 12 holes the correct answer?

There is an obvious benefit to 12 holes: It doesn’t take as long as 18 holes. The Match has struggled with going too long, and now it will be shorter! But it’s still longer than nine holes, so you’re getting two-thirds the golf instead of just half. That would be unsatisfying.

The downside is mostly to the match’s perceived legitimacy. A round of golf is generally considered to be 18 holes, and golf matches are generally considered to be 18 holes. Does 12 holes take away from the winner’s accomplishment?

My guess: We’re still talking about The Match here. It’s fun, but it doesn’t exactly define a player’s legacy. So 12 holes isn’t really a deal-breaker. If we’re splitting hairs, I’d rather get 13 holes than 12, but I think it’s a worthy effort to stave off accusations of “this is boring!” and squeeze into a shorter TV window.

5. What, if any, role will Phil Mickelson play?

The only constant through the first four editions of The Match has been ole Lefty. Now the PGA Champ won’t be on the playing field — but will he be in the broadcast booth? Standing on the 18th hole, challenging each guy to a closest-to-the pin competition? Watching from the adjacent sportsbook, firing in prop bets? Several hours of Mickelson behind the microphone could be exactly the sort of eccentric energy this event demands.

My guess: He’ll be there, reunited with his former partner Charles Barkley, calling the action alongside Ernie Johnson. That’ll be an extremely good thing for everyone watching and trying to stave off a post-Thanksgiving nap.

This article originally appeared on Golf.com.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Blog

The Bogey Man’s Guide to Accidental Course Exploration: Or, How I Found My Ball (Eventually) in the Rough of Life

Avatar photo

Published

2 days ago

on

May 27, 2025

By

Ah, golf. The gentle game of precision, patience, and occasionally, profound personal humiliation. You know, the kind that makes you question all your life choices, particularly the one where you decided to spend your Saturday morning chasing a tiny white ball around 18 acres of manicured torture.

Boo here, reporting live from the depths of a particularly thorny patch of “rough” that I’m fairly certain wasn’t on the course map. My mission? To recount a tale of a golf shot so spectacularly off-target, it became less about breaking par and more about breaking new ground. Literally.

It was a glorious Tuesday. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and my swing felt… well, it felt like something. I was on the par-4 7th, a hole notorious for its deceptive dogleg and a bunker that swallows balls faster than a hungry teenager devours pizza. My plan was simple: a nice, controlled fade, landing gently just short of the green. A textbook approach, really.

What actually happened was less “textbook” and more “abstract expressionism.” My driver, bless its misguided heart, decided that “fade” was merely a suggestion, and “controlled” was a concept best left to professional pilots. The ball, a brand-new, gleaming Titleist Pro V1 (because, you know, optimism), launched with the trajectory of a startled pheasant and veered sharply right. So sharply, in fact, it cleared the cart path, hopped over the maintenance shed, and disappeared into what I can only describe as a dense, untamed jungle previously known as “the woods bordering the 7th fairway.”

Now, a lesser golfer, a more sensible golfer, might have declared it lost, taken a drop, and moved on with their dignity mostly intact. But I, dear readers, am Mr. Bogey Man. And the Bogey Man doesn’t abandon his children, especially when they cost $5 a pop.

ADVERTISEMENT

PING Hoofer

So, armed with a 7-iron (optimism again, clearly), a profound sense of misplaced determination, and a faint hope that perhaps a deer had picked it up and was using it as a chew toy, I plunged into the abyss.

The first five minutes were a blur of tangled vines, unseen roots, and the distinct feeling that I was being watched by small, judgmental woodland creatures. My pristine golf shoes quickly became mud-caked relics. My carefully tucked-in shirt became a casualty of low-hanging branches. I swear, I heard a squirrel snicker.

Then, a glimmer! A flash of white amidst the green. “Aha!” I cried, startling a family of robins. I pushed through a particularly stubborn bush, only to find… a discarded plastic water bottle. My heart sank faster than my last putt from 3 feet.

I pressed on, muttering to myself about the unfairness of golf, the existential dread of lost balls, and whether it was too late to take up competitive napping. Just as I was about to give up and declare the ball a permanent resident of the arboreal underworld, I saw it. Nestled perfectly at the base of an ancient oak, gleaming defiantly, was my Pro V1.

The triumph! The sheer, unadulterated joy! It was like finding the Holy Grail, if the Holy Grail was spherical and prone to slicing. I carefully extracted it, brushed off a few leaves, and held it aloft.

Then I looked around. I had no idea where I was. The fairway was a distant, hazy memory. The cart path? A myth. I was utterly, gloriously lost.

It took another fifteen minutes of bushwhacking, a brief but intense wrestling match with a particularly aggressive thistle, and the accidental discovery of what I’m pretty sure was a very old, very moldy sandwich, but I eventually stumbled back onto the course. My playing partners, who had long since finished the hole and were contemplating sending out a search party (or at least ordering another round of drinks), looked at me with a mixture of pity and amusement.

My score on the 7th? Let’s just say it involved a number that would make a mathematician weep. But the story? The adventure? The sheer ridiculousness of it all? Priceless.

So, the next time your ball decides to take an unscheduled tour of the local flora and fauna, don’t despair. Embrace it. See it as an opportunity for accidental exploration. You might not break 80, but you’ll definitely have a story. And isn’t that what golf is really about? (Besides the frustration, the lost balls, and the occasional snickering squirrel, of course.)

Until next time, keep those swings (mostly) in bounds, and remember: even a bogey can be an adventure.

Boo

Continue Reading

Blog

Make watching golf more interesting.

Does the idea of sports betting intimidate you? Stick with me and learn how to make watching sports with your partner more engaging and fun.
Avatar photo

Published

6 days ago

on

May 23, 2025

By

Hey there, ClickItGolf fam!

I’m the Sports Betting Babe, and I’m here to shake up your Sundays and sprinkle a little extra thrill on your tee times. I know most of the guys on here already love golf, but this one’s for the ladies, especially those of you who’ve been watching golf with your boyfriend or hubby and secretly thinking, “Wait, can I actually bet on this stuff?”

The answer is yes, you absolutely can and you should.

I’m going to make golf betting super easy to understand, a little sexy, and a whole lot of fun. You don’t need to be a pro or know who won the Ryder Cup in 1999. You just need to know how to make smart, simple bets and enjoy the ride.

Let’s Start with the Basics: How to Bet on Golf

Betting on golf is like picking your favorite brunch spot. You check the vibe, pick someone reliable, and hope it all works out. Here are the easiest ways to get started:

1. Pick the Winner (Outright)

This one’s like calling your shot. You’re betting on who will win the whole tournament. Odds are listed next to each golfer. For example, +1200 means a $10 bet would win you $120. Favorites are usually listed around +800 to +1400 and less favorites, or long shots, are usually +5000 and up. Big swings, big rewards.

ADVERTISEMENT

2. Top 5 / Top 10 Finish

If you’re not ready to go all-in, no worries. These bets are like hedging your weekend plans – low commitment, still fun. Bet on a golfer to finish strong (in the top 5 or 10) instead of winning outright. It’s a safer bet, but still gives you a reason to cheer all weekend long.

3. Matchups

This one’s juicy. Sportsbooks will pit two golfers against each other, and you just pick which one finishes higher. 

For example, if you see a matchup like Viktor Hovland vs. Tony Finau, and you think Viktor is trending hotter, bet on him to beat Tony. Even if neither of them wins, if Viktor finishes 8th and Tony finishes 9th, you win. It’s a simpler way to stay engaged without needing to track the entire tournament field because even if they’re not winning the tournament, you’re winning your bet. It’s low drama, high payoff.

Bonus? It’s a perfect way to gain low-key bragging rights during Sunday brunch.

4. Live Bets

Tournaments stretch over four days. That means the odds shift, players rise and fall, and you can jump in with bets mid-tourney. It’s like shopping sales in real time—see who’s hot in real time and grab the value before it’s gone.

Why Women Should Love Golf Betting

Golf is the perfect sport to ease into betting. It’s slow enough to follow, exciting enough to matter, and gives you tons of chances to win over the weekend. Plus, nothing gets a guy’s attention like a woman who casually drops, “I’ve got Rickie to finish top 10. Let’s go.”

You don’t need to know every stat or swing path. You just need to be curious, confident, and down to learn. The goal? Make betting approachable for women and show the guys we can hold our own.

Why I Love ClickItGolf

ClickItGolf is all about making golf more fun and accessible and I’m all about the same. Whether you’re here for gear deals, course perks, or just that perfect swing tip, this site is your clubhouse. Adding a little betting action into the mix? That’s just next-level fun.

So, ladies go grab your iced coffee, fire up the PGA app, and get ready to make golf weekends a lot more interesting.

Follow me here at ClickItGolf or on Instagram @sportsbettingbabe_official and let’s turn birdies into bankroll.

See you on the green (and in the winner’s circle).

Continue Reading

Blog

Meet the Sports Betting Babe: ClickitGolf’s Newest Voice Bringing Style, Smarts, and a Whole Lot of Fun to the Game

Avatar photo

Published

7 days ago

on

May 22, 2025

By

Hey ClickitGolf family,

I’m thrilled to introduce someone who’s about to shake up your sports weekends in the best way possible.

She’s smart, stylish, funny, and knows her way around a betting slip—please welcome The Sports Betting Babe to the ClickitGolf crew.

Now before you assume this is just another picks column or dry rundown of odds, let me stop you right there. The Sports Betting Babe is anything but ordinary. She’s not here to act like a Vegas oddsmaker or overwhelm you with stats. She’s here to make sports betting fun, flirty, and totally approachable—especially for the ladies.

So who is she?

She’s the kind of woman who can turn heads at a cocktail party in heels one night, then toss on a tee and jeans the next morning to watch a game on the couch with wings and a cold beer. She’s sharp, relatable, and yes she actually loves sports. Not the fake kind of “I’m just here for the vibes” love, but the “I scream at the TV when my parlay falls apart in the 4th quarter” kind of love.

ADVERTISEMENT

PING Hoofer

She lives for big Sunday slates, nail-biter golf finishes, buzzer-beaters, and 9th-inning home runs.

But here’s the best part, her mission is to bring more women into the sports conversation, and she’s doing it through betting.

Betting… but make it fun and responsible

The Sports Betting Babe isn’t trying to be your gambling guru. She’s not claiming to have inside info on who’s winning the Masters or who’s hitting a triple-double tonight. What she is doing is giving you the tools, confidence, and attitude to get in the game and have a damn good time doing it.

She believes sports betting can be empowering. It’s a way to connect, to learn, and yes, to make Sunday brunch with your partner a little more competitive. She’s all about responsible fun, setting limits, understanding your bets, and never taking it too seriously.

More Than Just Golf

Yes, she’ll be writing about golf betting often (because we are ClickitGolf after all), but don’t be surprised when she drops takes on NFL Sundays, March Madness upsets, NHL playoff runs, and MLB long shots. She’s a cornucopia of sports knowledge, and she’s bringing it all to the table served with a smile and a wink.

Her First Article Drops Tomorrow

Her debut piece hits the site tomorrow:
👉 “Ladies, Let’s Bet on Golf—Your Intro from the Sports Betting Babe”

It’s part pep talk, part how-to, and all personality. Whether you’ve never placed a bet in your life or you’ve been riding parlays for years, this one’s for you.

Follow Her Journey

Want more from The Sports Betting Babe?
You can follow her on Instagram at @sportsbettingbabe_official for daily takes, behind-the-scenes fun, and maybe the occasional outfit inspo for your next girls’ night and game day.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to the team. Get ready for bold opinions, plenty of laughs, and a whole new way to fall in love with sports.

Stay tuned,
Bobby

#ClickItGolf #SportsBettingBabe #GolfBetting #SportsBettingForWomen #SmartIsSexy #GameDayFun #ResponsibleGaming

Continue Reading

Trending

Click here to get all the latest golf news

Close