The trash talk is heating up.
Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau make their debut in The Match – the fourth edition of the made-for-TV golf event – against past Match champions Phil Mickelson, the recent PGA Championship winner, and seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady on July 6 at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana.
The four got together on a video chat with Turner Sports broadcaster Brian Anderson to talk about the upcoming match, as well as trade some friendly trash talk (a lot at the expense of DeChambeau).
“At least in football we can trash talk without calling in the commissioner,” said Brady in reference to the recent “Brooksie” jeers being yelled DeChambeau’s way in light of his feud with fellow PGA Tour pro Brooks Koepka.
“I want you to know we’re not having fans,” added Mickelson with a smirk. “It’s not because of Bryson, we just didn’t want to have an issue.”
“I just want to stir Bryson up and get him going,” Rodgers said of his Match plans, referring to his teammate as a Tasmanian Devil. “I don’t care if it’s Phil or Tom or if Phil brings Brooks to caddie, whatever they try and do to get under our skin, if I can just get Bryson going and get him pumped up I feel like its an easy win for us.”
You can watch the full video here, with some of our favorite moments listed below.
Not their first match
Brady told a brief story about a previous nine-hole match against Rodgers at Riviera Country Club, where Rodgers came out on top thanks to a clutch putt on the final hole.
Halftime vs. the turn
“Golf’s amazing, it’s a great hobby for us football players. At halftime we get checked for concussions. At the ninth hole we get to eat hamburgers in golf,” said Brady.
On hitting bombs at elevation
Sitting at an elevation of roughly 7,500 feet, Moonlight Basin should produce some moonshots off the tee, especially from the likes of DeChambeau.
“I’m in a world of my own in that regard,” said DeChambeau, and the group agreed with a laugh.
“That’s not shade, that’s just facts,” added Anderson.
‘What the hell is he saying?’
Anderson talked about how Brady and Rodgers may have an advantage when it comes to playing mic’d up and with an earpiece given their time in the NFL playing with headsets in their helmets. But what about DeChambeau?
“Having an earpiece in I think is going to be awesome because people will finally get to hear and see what I’m saying essentially. They’re gonna hear everything and get to go, ‘What the hell is he saying?’ So that’ll be fun.”