Golf

Last time Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen stepped on a field together, they were battling in arguably the greatest NFL playoff game of all time ... a thriller that prompted the creator of "The Match" to call TV execs on the spot to set up Wednesday's round.

TMZ Sports talked to the creator, TV producer Bryan Zuriff ... and asked how he locked down four of the most famous/talented quarterbacks -- Mahomes/Allen ... and Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

"Literally after the game that day when they had that epic game, they scored like 28 points in 3 minutes. Probably the greatest game in football history. I texted the network and said, 'We gotta do something with these guys. This is the future of the NFL,'" Zuriff told us.

Of course, the Bills and Chiefs faced off on January 23, 2022 in the divisional round of the playoffs ... and the game was CRAZY. The lead changed hands 3 times in the final 2 minutes ... a period that saw 25 points scored.

Allen and the Bills ultimately had their hearts broken, losing the game to Pat and the Chiefs.

Bryan also talked about his partnership with TB12 ... who along with being a competitor, is also a producer of the event.

"Tom is an incredible partner. He goes the extra mile with everything he does. He's truly one of the great people to work with in the world. I'm very fortunate he's a producer with me and he's a great partner and is super passionate about golf," Zuriff says.

And, Bryan believes his event is having a big impact on the game of golf, and its popularity.

"I really think we are actually growing the game more so than traditional PGA tournaments that you see every week, because we're reaching the fans in different sports to come into golf, and all these athletes are playing golf."

Zuriff also told the story of how the original Match came to be (it came to him in a dream!) ... a story that involves both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Phil and Tiger -- one of the best rivalries in the sport's history -- ultimately faced off in a match play style event in November 2018 for a reported purse of $9 million. Mickelson beat Woods.

Steph Curry and Peyton Manning have also played in The Match, among other sports stars.

The Match -- the 6th iteration -- goes down Tuesday evening on TNT!

Michelle Wie West is taking a step away from golf -- the 32-year-old superstar just announced she will no longer compete full time.

Wie West made the announcement on social media minutes ago ... saying she's stoked to put her focus on ventures away from the links.

"Excited to announce the next phase of my career as I'll be stepping back from playing on the @lpga_tour full time," Wie West said Thursday.

"I'm so grateful for the past 14 years I spent on tour, traveling the world and competing against the best in the game. Excited to spend more time now on projects that I always wanted to do but never had time for and to continually work to help golf become a more diverse and inclusive space."

Wie West was a phenom since going pro at just 16 years old ... becoming the youngest to qualify for an LPGA event, make a cut at a major and win a USGA adult championship.

Wie West will compete in the U.S. Women’s Open next week ... which she says will be her last full-time appearance on the tour.

The golf star says she's now joining Nike as an Athlete Collaborator to help design new products.

Josh Allen clearly doesn't believe Tom Brady really sank a hole-in-one on a golf course recently ... sayin' the Buccaneers star's video of the alleged ace was "bulls***."

The Buffalo Bills quarterback made his feelings clear with an Adam Sandler meme just minutes after Brady dropped a video of him apparently sinking the long shot.

In the GIF, Sandler stutters ... before spittin' out, "BULLS***!" -- a clear sign Allen believes Brady photoshopped it all.

TB12, though, sure did a good job sellin' the clip if it was indeed fake -- 'cause he captioned the video by saying, "This is why you film every shot on the course…"

He also celebrated his face off in the vid -- jumpin' around as if he had just won (another) Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, seems to be on the side of believing Tom's footage was real -- tweeting, "Not going to lie pretty impressive…"

Of course, all three NFL superstars are talkin' golf this week because they're now just days away from taking on each other -- along with Aaron Rodgers -- at this year's The Match tournament in Las Vegas.

Mahomes and Allen will face Rodgers and Brady -- and the guys have already trash-talked each other a bunch leading up to the event.

Pro golfer Aaron Wise was hit in the head by Cameron Smith's tee shot during the PGA Championship on Friday ... but somehow, he was able to brush it off and finish his round!!

Smith was teeing off on the 2nd hole at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma ... when his shot went far to the right -- forcing him and his caddie to yell "fore."

Unfortunately, Wise -- who was at the 7th hole -- didn't hear the warnings and was smacked right on his head.

Wise ended up kneeling on the ground with a water bottle placed on his head after the hit ... but he managed to get up after a few seconds.

"There was a little bit of ringing in my head and I was down on the fairway," the 25-year-old golfer said. according to golf reporter Garrett Johnston.

"That lasted for about 20 seconds. Then I felt pretty normal after that."

Talk about TOUGH!!

Wise completed his round 2-over 72 and is one over par in the tournament. Shortly after, he was checked by medical staff and is doing okay.

Wise wasn't the only one taking shots to the head -- ESPN's Sage Steele was also struck by Jon Rahm's tee shot on Thursday.

John Daly relaxed after the first round of the PGA Championship in the most John Daly way possible -- grabbing some wings at Hooters and hitting the casino.

The golf legend -- who is tied for 58th after shooting 2-over on Thursday -- posed with 6 Hooters girls in Tulsa just hours after hitting the links ... thanking the workers for their hospitality.

As it turns out, the dude didn't stop there -- he was spotted posted up at the slots on Thursday night as well ... with a Diet Coke and a pack of cigs sitting next to his machine.

Naturally, TMZ Sports had to hit Daly up to see if he had any luck at the casino ... and unfortunately, it just wasn't his day.

"The slots weren't hitting," Daly told us this morning.

Of course, Daly is known for his obsession with the wing joint ... and his love for the place eventually landed him a sponsorship with the chain.

We'll have to see if Daly's post-golf routine keeps him in the groove for round 2 -- he tees off at 12:25 PM Central time.

Deshaun Watson clearly ain't sweating the NFL investigation that's hanging over his head ... he just posted video showing he's out in the Bahamas golfing with his new teammates and enjoying life.

In the footage that Cleveland's new QB threw up on his social media page on Thursday, Watson can be seen draining a 30-foot-or-so putt while on a hole with a couple of Browns players.

The sun's setting. Watson's laughing. And, his teammates are fired up for him.

It looks like a great time -- especially considering Cleveland superstar Nick Chubb is also on the trip with the quarterback -- but, reportedly, this week was a big one when it comes to potential NFL punishment for Watson.

The 26-year-old -- who's been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 female massage therapists -- reportedly met with league investigators over the masseuses' allegations ... in what could be the last step before the NFL decides on a possible suspension.

No word on how the meeting went -- but the league has been investigating the claims against the star for over a year ... and is expected to make a decision on a potential punishment in the upcoming weeks/months.

Tiger Woods clearly felt a little claustrophobic to start the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday ... 'cause the golf legend asked a cameraman to give him some space THREE times on the tourney's opening hole.

Woods had just teed off at the Southern Hills Championship Course in Tulsa, Oklahoma ... when a man holding a giant camera approached him to record him as he walked down the fairway to his ball.

Hot microphones picked up Woods almost immediately asking the guy to scram.

"Would you mind giving me some breathing space?" Tiger asked. "Please?"

The camera guy clearly didn't move too much -- which caused Woods to ask again more sternly, "Would you mind giving me some breathing space, please?"

Finally, after a few more feet side-by-side, Woods asked, "Could you back off a little bit and give me some breathing space?"

Apparently, the camera guy finally got the memo -- and moved far enough away from the 46-year-old.

The interaction was awkward ... but it apparently didn't bother Woods too much, 'cause the second shot he hit was a dart -- and he later went on to birdie the hole.

Foot meet mouth.

Golf legend Greg Norman, when confronted about the heinous murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 ... said, "we've all made mistakes.".

Norman, a 2x majors winner who spent over 300 weeks as the world's number 1 ranked player in the '80s and '90s, is the CEO of LIV Golf, the new Saudi Arabian-backed golf organization.

GN met with reporters at media day this week and was asked about the killing of the Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Everybody has owned up to it, right? It has been spoken about, from what I’ve read, going on what you guys reported," the 67-year-old said.

"Take ownership, no matter what it is. Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward.”

Of course, there was immediate backlash to the comments ... because that "mistake" was the brutal killing of an innocent man.

Norman also attempted to highlight the good things happening in the middle eastern country.

“This whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human rights, talk about it, but also talk about the good the country is doing to change its culture," Norman said.

"There’s not many countries that can stand up and be proud of that. They can’t be proud of their past — there’s a lot of countries in this world that have a cross to bear too — but they are looking after the younger generation.”

A Massachusetts family was awarded almost $5 MILLION after their home -- which sits on a country club -- was trashed after it was repeatedly hit with golf balls, smashing 26 windows ... the family's attorney confirmed to TMZ Sports.

The Tenczar family lives near the fairway of the 15th hole of the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA. They've lived there for about 4 years.

And, it's been an absolute disaster, according to the family lawyer, Robert Galvin, who tells us the home has been pelted with nearly 700 golf balls.

The damage? Galvin says 26 windows needed replacement ... in addition to the entire siding of the home.

"It's really a safety issue for them," Galvin told us. "They're literally sitting inside their home and golf balls are smashing through their windows."

The family eventually decided to go to court and won BIG.

A Plymouth County judge ultimately awarded the family $100K in damages ... and $3.4 million for distress.

Indian Ponds argued it wasn't their fault ... essentially believing the Tenczar family should've known living on a golf course came with certain hazards.

But, the judge clearly wasn't buying that argument ... and the family was awarded a fortune.

Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky had a self-proclaimed "American Bad Ass" at their wedding this weekend ... with none other than Kid Rock taking the stage to perform for the newlyweds.

DJ and the hockey legend's daughter tied the knot at a lavish event at Blackberry Farm resort in Tennessee on Saturday ... and Paulina shared a short video of the reception, which featured the controversial singer.

"You are the joy of my life @djohnsonpga," Gretzky said on Instagram. "Thank you @kidrock."

Now, KR has a history of being unapologetically himself on the mic -- dropping homophobic slurs and going after Oprah Winfrey in the past.

His performance over the weekend seemed to be free of controversy ... as Rock sang a cover of Chris Stapleton's "Joy of My Life."

The musical act might not be as random as you think -- Rock is tight with DJ and Wayne ... and they've hit the links together over the years.

Tiger Woods is officially back -- the golf legend just teed off at The Masters ... only 408 days after he nearly lost his leg in a car crash.

The 46-year-old hit his opening drive 264 yards in the fairway, just short of the bunker on the first hole at Augusta -- and his surgically repaired leg looks just fine.

Tiger is expected to finish all 18 holes of his first round in the next roughly three hours or so.

The sight is something most golf fans didn't expect to see again ... after Tiger mangled his left leg in a car wreck back in February 2021.

Woods required multiple procedures to fix the damage ... and things were so dire at the time, Tiger said doctors seriously considered amputating the limb.

Woods has worked tirelessly to get back to the course, though ... and said earlier this week that he believes he can legitimately win this weekend's event.

Tiger is playing with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Masters favorite, Jon Rahm, is expected to tee off at around 11 a.m. PT.

Tiger Woods is playing -- and yelling -- like he hasn't missed a beat on the course ... with a hot mic catching him cussing out his golf ball in the middle of his impressive return to the Masters.

The funny and candid moment all went down moments ago while Woods was on the ninth hole at Augusta.

Tiger was hitting a golf ball out of some pine straw -- and when it hit the green, the shot appeared to be a very good one.

But, it caught a slope, and as it was rolling back to the fairway -- broadcast microphones caught Tiger yelling "F*** off!" at the ball.

Tiger was able to ultimately save par on the hole.

While vulgar, the scene was pretty awesome, because it showed Tiger -- who's had some famous verbal blowups on the course over the years -- is truly back.

If Tiger Woods is somehow able to pull out a win at The Masters this weekend -- just 14 months after severely breaking his leg -- Al Michaels tells TMZ Sports the moment would be "the most amazing thing ever."

The play-by-play legend -- who's called some of the greatest sports events in history -- gushed over the possibility of a Tiger dub outside of Craig's on Tuesday night ... saying it would be huge.

"That'd be the coolest thing," the 77-year-old said.

In fact, Michaels seemed to believe it would have a legitimate chance to be arguably the top sports moment ever -- saying the win would be "up by the top" of the list.

As we reported, Tiger has committed to playing in this weekend's prestigious golf tournament ... as long as his injured leg doesn't hit a snag between now and tee time on Thursday.

And, when Woods was asked Tuesday about his chances in the tourney ... he said he thinks he can legitimately win it.

So, would it top "Do you believe in miracles?!" or "He did what?!"

Forget fajitas, cheeseburgers and pasta ... Hideki Matsuyama completely balled out for his Masters Champions Dinner menu this week -- choosing A5 Wagyu beef for an entree!!!

The Masters announced the 2021 champ's menu on Tuesday ... and while there's sushi, nigiri and cod on it -- the star of the show is clearly the red meat.

If you're unfamiliar, A5 Wagyu is one of the rarest and most decadent cuts of steak in the world -- and can cost around $50 an ounce!

If there's any time to spend that kind of coin on a dinner, though, it's now -- as the annual meal is an exclusive one reserved solely for past Masters champs.

Usually, the menus are pretty tame -- Tiger Woods had sushi and fajitas in 2020, while 2015 champion Jordan Spieth famously ordered a bunch of BBQ for the occasion. But, Matsuyama is clearly sparing no expense this week!

The dinner -- which will also feature Japanese strawberry shortcake for dessert -- is slated to kick off on Tuesday night.

Hideki won the Masters in April last year -- becoming the first-ever Japanese golfer to win a major.

Barring a setback between now and Thursday, Tiger Woods says he will play in this week's Masters tournament.

The golf legend just made the announcement at a news conference at Augusta, saying "as of right now" he has plans to tee it up when the tourney begins on Thursday.

Woods added that he wholeheartedly believes he can actually win the event.

"I can hit it just fine," the 46-year-old said. "I don't have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint."

Woods said he does have at least a small worry about walking around the course on the surgically repaired leg that he injured in a car accident back in February 2021.

But, as we reported, Woods has played multiple practice rounds at Augusta the last few days in order to make sure he can withstand walking around the course for the duration of the event.

Tiger has only competed once since the car wreck -- when he played in the PNC Championship in December with his son, Charlie Woods.

He had said in the leadup to that event that he'd never return to being a full-time golfer again, though he would "pick and choose a few events a year" going forward.

As for his recent switch from Nike to FootJoy golf shoes, Tiger says he's having problems with mobility following the crash ... and needed to wear something more stable.

He says he's working with the Swoosh on coming up with a product that will fit his needs ... adding the shoe giant has been "fantastic" throughout the process.

Tiger Woods took yet another big step this weekend toward competing in this week's Masters -- hitting the course on Sunday for hours ... and looking VERY pleased with his results.

The Masters posted footage of the golf superstar while he was out at Augusta -- showing Woods taking a bunch of swings and smiling big as he took yet another practice spin around the course.

Woods has still not officially committed to playing in the prestigious event -- a tournament he's won five times in his career -- but it's clear, things appear to be trending toward him returning this week.

In other videos of Tiger at the course on Sunday, he didn't seem to have any issues swinging or walking around on his surgically repaired leg.

Woods has a press conference set for Tuesday morning at Augusta -- one in which many believe he'll formally announce his comeback.

Tiger did release a statement Sunday prior to hitting the course for his practice work -- saying it will be "a game-time decision on whether I compete."

As we reported, Woods has only played in one event since he mangled his leg in a February 2021 car crash ... looking good at the PNC Championship with his son Charlie Woods.