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When it was announced that Justin Thomas and Charles Barkley would be a part of the broadcast for Sunday’s The Match: Champions for Charity it took an already intriguing event to a new level as it was a given that these two would create some magic.
Barkley is one of the greatest commentators in the history of sports and will bring plenty of laughs and trash-talking to the event. Thomas, the No. 4 player in the world, will have great insight into the actual golf side of things and like Barkley, he’s got that quick, sarcastic wit and the two should feed off of each other all day long.
Thomas is excited about his analyst debut and is more than ready to deliver plenty of trash talk among all four players.
“We’ll have some fun and jaw at each other. I know if they don’t, I will,” Thomas told Golfweek. “I can’t be on a golf course for 18 holes around four competitors like that and not talk trash.
“I’m obviously not going to say anything bad or controversial, but you can’t put me on a golf course for that long and expect me to keep my mouth shut.”
It also sounds like Thomas is prepared to ask interesting questions and not necessarily the standard stuff you hear during traditional broadcasts. Thomas and Tiger Woods are good friends, so that should deliver an interesting dynamic too.
“I’m not going to be analyzing every shot. I’m going to ask them some questions that people at home want to hear. I am far and away in the background of this huge match of raising a lot of money for a great cause and that’s the main goal.
“I don’t have to travel for it. I live here. I’ll wake up that morning, I’ll go out there and just basically hang out with four buddies. And I’ll get to watch a fun match and give them some banter.”
Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady will take on Peyton Manning and Woods at The Medalist Golf Club, Wood’s home course, in Hobe Sound, FL. The event will begin at 3:00 PM EST and simulcast across TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN that Sunday with the Bleacher Report app taking care of all pre-match coverage.
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Mark is an associate editor at BroBible. Follow him on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris for the occasional good tweet. Feel free to contact him at Mark@BroBible.com.