Extra Points: Golf Event Adds to Foles Legend

Nick Foles is moving to Tampa.

Although he's going to be playing in Chicago his season, the former Eagles' quarterback will also be renewing his lease in Tom Brady's head, where he's been living rent-free for over two years.

He moved in on Feb. 4, 2018, when he outplayed Brady in a 41-33 Eagles' victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Since that day, Foles has ignored repeated eviction notices and can't resist slamming the door on his landlord at every opportunity.

It happened again on Sunday, when Brady was paired with Phil Mickelson against Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods in "The Match: Champions for Charity," a golf event held at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. that wound up raising over $20 million for Covid-19 relief.

Manning, never one to pass on an opportunity to talk trash, sought to rattle Brady before the match even started, suggesting on the driving range that maybe brother Eli Manning or Nick Foles should serve as his caddy because "he knows how to beat Tom Brady."

Foles beat him with a legendary performance, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns and also catching a TD pass while earning Super Bowl MVP honors.

"I'll come and caddy and help you out against Tom," Foles wrote on Twitter. "Let's go!"

It worked at first.

Brady got off to a rocky start as Manning and Woods built an three-stroke lead on the front nine.

At that point, TV commentator and PGA pro Justin Thomas warned Brady that Manning and Woods wouldn't choke like the Falcons did in Super Bowl LIII, when they blew a 21-3 halftime lead en route to a 34-28 loss.

"It's the Eagles that make me cringe, bro," Brady said. "Not the Falcons."

Foles, who is also a decent golfer, added another barb later in the match.

Despite a slow start, Mikelson and Brady were hanging tough. After falling behind by three strokes on the front 9, they were only 1-down with four holes to play.

Foles slowed their momentum with a reference to the most famous play in Eagles' history.

"Peyton, two words," Foles tweeted. "If Tom and Phil start coming back. ...'Philly Special.' Go win it."

Brady still got in his own shots, both on and off the course.

He carded a birdie from 150 yards out on the par-5 seventh hole that showed why Mickelson chose him as his partner. He also delivered a biting dig at former 76ers forward Charles Barkley, a notoriously bad golfer - his swing has an ugly hitch that not even noted instructor Hank Haney could fix - who was also needling Brady while serving as an analyst as part of the TNT broadcast.

As every Sixers fan knows, Barkley never won a NBA championship in his 16-year career.

"I thought this was CHAMPIONS for charity, Chuck," six-time Super Bowl champion Brady wrote on Twitter later that day.

The event was a huge hit with fans. According to Turner Sports, it attracted an average of 5.8 million viewers across four networks and was the most-watched golf telecast in cable TV history, topping the average of 4.9 million that tuned into ESPN for the 2010 Masters.

Given its popularity, it would make sense to continue the series with a variety of guest golfers paired with PGA pros. I'd love to see Millville's Mike Trout paired with someone like Mickelson, Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth or Brooks Koepka.

Trout, the three-time American League MVP, is an avid golfer who routinely shoots in the 80s. He showed his power off the tee by driving a ball into the next zip code at a TopGolf facility in Tempe, Arizona during spring training on March 1. Weeks later, after the coronavirus pandemic hit, he demonstrated his short game with a chip shot off a balcony at his home into a Solo cup filled with, um, water.

Then again, maybe Spieth wouldn't be such a good choice to be his partner. Trout is a big Eagles fan who owns season tickets next to the team's tunnel at the Linc.

Spieth is from Dallas.

It might be tough to play the match hearing a "Dallas Sucks" chant, especially if it's coming from your teammate.