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Aaron Rodgers drains clutch birdie putt to win 'The Match'

Packers QB, Tom Brady hold off Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen in Las Vegas

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tees off at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tees off at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas

Aaron Rodgers started strong and finished strong to defend his title at "The Match" on Wednesday evening.

The two-time reigning NFL MVP found the green on the par-3 No. 12 and finished the birdie putt from 15 feet out to propel himself and Tom Brady over Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in a 12-hole event at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Last July, the Packers quarterback and Bryson DeChambeau defeated Brady and Phil Mickelson, 3 and 2, in the fourth installment of "The Match" after Rodgers also drained a putt on No. 16 at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Mont.

History repeated itself Wednesday, with Rodgers kicking his leg up in celebration as his final putt rolled in.

"When I hit it, I knew it was going in," said Rodgers afterward. "It was a fun day. Tom and I, about four holes ago, things got pretty serious and I think we buckled down a little bit because these two were playing really good and we didn't want to come out of here with the L."

The teams played a "Shamble" format, where each golfer tees off and the best shot is selected. From that point, each golfer plays his own ball until it is holed. Each golfer was afforded a mulligan, but Rodgers was the only participant not to use it.

Rodgers started fast on No. 1, smashing a deep drive in the fairway and birdieing the 420-yard, par-4 hole by himself, to put his team ahead.

The veteran duo used Rodgers' drive again on the par-5 No. 2, with Brady putting the second shot within about 10 feet of the hole. Brady missed the eagle putt a few feet long and was given credit for the birdie to go ahead by two.

Mahomes and Allen bounced back with birdies on the par-4, 325-yard No. 3 and par-5, 533-yard No. 5 to bring it back to even.

The young QBs finally pulled ahead on the par-3 No. 8, with Mahomes and Allen both finding the green off the tee and Mahomes sinking the birdie putt to go up one stroke.

Rodgers chipped onto the green on the par-4 No. 9 en route to birdieing the hole. Mahomes also made his birdie putt to maintain the lead with three to play.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers drained a birdie putt to win "The Match" at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas on June 1, 2022.

The four-time NFL MVP then drove his tee shot onto the green on No. 10, a par-4, 306-yard hole. Brady made the birdie putt to pull the duo back to even.

The two sides would remain tied entering the 12th and final hole. Rodgers was the only golfer to find the green on the par-3, 160-yard hole on his first shot. Mahomes, after going in the water on his tee shot, hit the fringe with his mulligan shot.

Allen nearly made the putt from 75 feet out, putting it just outside the hole. After Allen settled for the par, Rodgers sank the birdie putt for the win. It marked Brady's first win at "The Match" in three tries.

"We've played together probably three times competitively and every time he's made a 15-foot putt to win," Brady said. "It didn't surprise me when it went in. It happened last year (at "The Match"). He and I had a fun match together about 10 years ago, but what a great time."

It was the first time Mahomes and Allen have participated in "The Match." Afterward, the Kansas City quarterback said he'd like to possibly have a rematch with Rodgers and Brady next year.

"It was a lot of fun," Mahomes said. "Obviously, we wanted to win but we were able to give it a good one. Hopefully, we can run this back next offseason."

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