Who ‘The Match’ Creator Originally Wanted Tom Brady To Face Instead Of Peyton Manning

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning facing each other in “The Match” made plenty of sense, but that actually wasn’t the original idea of the man who pitched the concept.

On Sunday, Brady partnered up with Phil Mickelson while Manning joined Tiger Woods for a round of golf that was wildly entertaining, drawing big ratings and now is being kicked around as a potential annual event.

But in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bryan Zuriff, a TV and film producer who originally pitched Mickelson the idea of “The Match”, revealed he originally wanted Brady to face Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, not Manning.

“At the time I was thinking Tom and Steph Curry because Steph had just signed a deal with Callaway and he was into golf,” Zuriff said.

So, why did they go with Manning instead?

“(He) is represented by the same people who represent Tiger and there was a natural rivalry (with Brady) there. It was perfect,” Zuriff said.

We’d say it worked out well for all parties.

More Golf: Watch Highlights From ‘The Match’ Featuring Winners Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning