Anticipation is in the air for the NFL week 10 matchup at Frankfort Stadium in Frankfort, Germany. Being only the second NFL International game to be hosted this year, the New England Patriots will take on the Indianapolis Colts, and football fans are eagerly looking forward to Sunday’s game. Currently, the Patriots have two wins and seven losses, and the Colts have four wins and five losses ahead of this week’s matchup.
LPGA Tour winner Alexa Pano and PGA Tour member Patrick Rodgers will each support their respective teams playing in this featured European game. Pano is the first LPGA player to be sponsored by an NFL team, with the New England Patriots flying Elvis logo featured weekly on her polo and golf bag. Rodgers was sponsored by the Indianapolis Colts in 2015.
Forgoing the college experience, Pano chose to turn professional at age 17 and competed on the Epson Tour last year. Influenced by her dad, a huge Boston sports fan, she featured the Patriots logo on her gear while playing and earning five top-10 finishes in 18 starts. Born in Westborough, Mass., the partnership with the Patriots brand was solidified when the team wanted to support her in her professional golf career. In 2022, Pano earned her LPGA Tour card through LPGA Q-Series and played as a rookie on the LPGA Tour this season.
Growing up in Avon, Ind., Rodgers featured the big blue horseshoe of the Indianapolis Colts on his tour bag. He left Stanford University after three seasons in 2014 with 11 collegiate wins, which tied the record set by Tiger Woods. Similarly, Andrew Luck left Stanford after his junior year to quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. Rodgers worked to earn his PGA Tour card in the second half of 2014 and joined the Tour in 2015.
| Alexa Pano vs. Patrick Rodgers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Career Comparison | ||
| Pano | Rodgers | |
| Rookie Year | 2023 | 2015 |
| 2023 Rankings | 42: CME Globe | 49: FedEx Cup |
| Tour Wins | 1 | 0 |
| Top-5 Finishes | 1 | 11 |
| Top-10 Finishes | 1 | 22 |
| Total Events Played | 19 | 251 |
Pano won the 2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational in August after winning a three-hole, sudden-death playoff in her 12th start as an LPGA Tour member. She recorded two eagles, 16 birdies and 12 bogeys en route to becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner. Comparatively, Rodgers lost in a playoff at the 2023 Barracuda Championship in July. He recorded one eagle, 23 birdies, nine bogeys and one double bogey to earn a second-place finish.
| Alexa Pano vs. Patrick Rodgers | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Performance Statistics | ||
| Pano | Rodgers | |
| Driving Distance | 260 yards | 309 yards |
| Total Birdies | 189 | 378 |
| Total Eagles | 6 | 8 |
| Rounds in the 60s | 16 of 55: 29% | 45 of 102: 44% |
| Events Played | 19 | 33 |
As football fans from around the world tune into NFL International on Sunday, golf fans will celebrate and connect with both teams who have shown their support for and dedication to two professional golfers currently competing on the LPGA and PGA Tours.
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