Steph Curry Reveals Key Golf Lessons During ‘The Match 3’

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is a dedicated golf fan that strives to find success on the course. He put some of his skills on display Thanksgiving weekend while competing in The Match 3 to raise money for Historically Black Colleges and Universities — although he also dealt with a few issues. Curry spent time during The Match 3 listing some of the lessons he learned while competing with Peyton Manning, Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson.

The PGA Tour’s Twitter account posted a video that showed the NBA star standing in the rough. He was a good distance from the fairway after hitting his ball into the rough. Cameras surrounded Curry to provide ongoing coverage of the action, and he responded by discussing his mistake. He said that a “lot of freaking lessons” were learned on the golf course.

“Just a message to everybody: don’t hit it in the desert,” Curry said while looking around the rough for his ball. “I hit two balls in the desert. Don’t feel like you can be Superman and hit a 200-yard hook or hit it over some roots. A lot of lessons were learned here today.”

Curry had his fair share of struggles and successes alike while partnering with Manning during the charity competition. He hit one ball into the bunker but responded by placing it within reach of the hole on the ensuing shot. He and Manning ultimately fell to Barkley and Mickelson 4 and 3 after the former NBA star guaranteed a victory. Despite the loss, Curry and his fellow celebrities helped raise $5.455 million for the advancement of HBCUs.

Golf fans expressed excitement about The Match 3 after learning that the high-profile athletes would face off on the golf course for a good cause. Barkley and Manning, in particular, drew attention with a lot of trash talk to each other. The former NBA player took shots at Manning’s alma mater, Tennessee, and the two-time Super Bowl champion responded with some fat jokes.

“You know, Peyton, I just got to make sure he got my phone number. He texts me all the time, but, since Tennessee hasn’t won a game, it’s been a few weeks since he texted me,” Barkley said during a pre-competition Zoom call.

“That’s kind of news to me that Charles has been to Stone Canyon three times,” Manning countered. “He hasn’t played golf. He’s just gone there to eat three times. They have great lunch and dinner service. So, this will be his first time playing the course in the actual match on Friday.”

To keep the trash talk going, Manning showed up at the competition with a special bag of gifts for Barkley. He gave him a set of construction cones to show that the former NBA player’s swing is still a work in progress. He added a bright orange safety vest in case Barkley got lost out in the rough and encountered deer hunters. Finally, Manning gave his friend a portable air horn to signal the safety crews if he got lost.