Eli Manning Visits Mount Kisco Country Club for Blind Golf Tournment & Guide Dog Fundraiser

New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning stopped at the on Monday afternoon to putt with a blindfold, and meet a friend and reknown blind golfer for charity.

Manning came to host his fifth golf tournament for the Yorktown Heights-based group Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which serves as a school for guide dogs. The tournament, according to Guiding Eyes, took place from June 12-13, at both Mount Kisco and the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk.

While on the putting green, Manning and Patrick Browne, Jr., a blind golfer and friend of the Manning family, took turns with their game. Browne won this year's Corcoran Cup, which is part of the Guiding Eyes tournment and was awarded based on the blind golfers' Sunday tournament.

While on the green, Manning wore a blindfold in simulation of blind golf, following a putt from Browne. Afterward, the two chatted with members of the press about the occasion.

Manning, talking with reporters, said he was happy there was "a lot of great support" for the group, praising its mission and the role of guide dogs.

He also noted the challenge of blind golf.

"It is tough. It is tough," he told reporters, even with just a short putt.

Browne first met Manning and his family when they each lived in the New Orleans area - through "mutual friendships," he said Browne. He tought Manning and his son, Patrick Browne III, to golf when they were kids.

Manning also responded to media questions about the ongoing NFL lockout

Telling reporters, he is hopeful that it can “get done sooner than later," adding that hopefully they can get back to playing. He also talked about doing a recent workout with fellow players, which he felt was "the best we could do under those circumstances." When asked by another reporter if there would be a problem with team chemistry, in light of the lockout, he did not think it would be a problem.

While Sunday was for the Corcoran Cup, Monday's stretch of the event was for blind and sighted golfers alike, according to Diana Costello, a spokeswoman on behalf of the group.

Mike Mercado, a blind golfer from Albany, NY, was among those out Monday on the Mount Kisco course. Blinded by gloucoma when he was in his 20s, Mercado took up the sport after his vision changed.

"I just enjoy the game,"  he said, adding that he tries to improve. Mercado was accompanied by his coach, Bob Clingerman.

In total, about $600,000 was raised for Guiding Eyes in its tournament, the group announced.

Videos of Manning's putt, Browne's putt and the two of them at a press conference, are attached.