Can Charles Barkley’s swing finally silence the skeptics, or are we in for another round of laughs? TNT’s 10th installment of The Match is gearing up to be an epic showdown which will bring the answer to this question. If you have followed Barkley’s outings on the Golf course, you’d know about his hilarious swing. Something that although he worked upon, still keeps the fans in doubt of Chuck winning the event.

This time, The Match goes prime time over two nights, so mark your calendars for November 21 and 22. And this one’s all about star power. Apart from Charles Barkley, the rest of the celebrity lineup includes Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Blake Griffin.

As reported by GolfWeek, the format will kick off with Murray and Gretzky taking on Barkley and Griffey. Meanwhile, Wahlberg and Phelps will face Bargatze and Griffin. Once the laughs settle and the competition heats up, it’s every player for themselves in the semifinals and final. And the winner will walk away $1 million richer.

Meanwhile, calling the action will be TNT’s Ernie Johnson, back for more fun. Apart from this, Masters champs—Trevor Immelman and Bubba Watson—will be coming up with some pro insights, with Kathryn Tappen reporting from the course. This, however, above everyone else, can be a great opportunity for Chuck to reflect that all the work he earlier put into his golfing skills has paid off. And it seems from his IG post that the former Philadelphia 76ers star is quite excited about the event himself.

The fans, however, had mixed reactions of sorts on the post.

Fans react to possibilities for Charles Barkley in the upcoming golf event

“We’ve all seen your swing… and IT’S TURRRRRABLE,” wrote an IG user. And if you’ve watched Barkley play golf, you know exactly what he means. The ex-76ers star’s swing has been a source of comedy for years. Jerky movements, awkward pauses, a choppy downswing that made you wonder how he even hit the ball. Some wondered that maybe it wasn’t just the bad technique, rather years of wear and tear from his NBA days.

So, can you really blame fans for not betting on Barkley ahead of the 10th edition of The Match? One user summed up the feelings of such fans perfectly. “Lets go we not winning but lets go.” Meanwhile, some do not care about the outcome, but the entertainment value that Chuck can provide. “This is gonna be hilarious,” read one of the comments on the IG post. The fact that Tiger Woods himself once hilariously imitated Barkley’s golf swing is what we’re talking about.

But hold on, it’s not all jokes. Believe it or not, some fans are genuinely rooting for Chuck. One optimistic supporter posted, “My money is on you Chuck. Looking forward to watching the match.” The support seems to come from the work Barkley has put in, turning to the likes of Hank Haney (yes, the guy who coached Tiger Woods) and swing instructor Stan Utley. The result—that infamous pause is gone, and his swing has a touch of smoothness. No wonder one fan wrote on the post, “Bros ready to smoke the competition.” 

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