Tiger vs. Phil Go Head-to-Head – Get Your Popcorn Ready for the Golf Match of the Year
I’m not one who likes to toot my own horn, but I’ve got to say, I’ve pretty much called Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson just right so far.
When the rumblings initially came out that these two golfing giants would square off in a mano a mano showdown, there was a lot of speculation as to when and where the match would take place and if the match would even go down at all.
Well, take a peek at the Tiger vs. Phil blog I wrote back in July, and you’ll see that my premonitions proved to be correct. Well, just about.
Technically, I suspected it would happen in October instead of November, but I was spot on about it taking place at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.
The most private venue in all of Sin City represents the ideal setting for such a highly-anticipated match. I can say that, as I’m in the lucky boat of people who have had the privilege of teeing it up at the stunning Tom Fazio design in North Las Vegas.
It has already been stated that no tickets will be publicly sold for those interested in attending this event, as the only way to check this thing out will be via television. WarnerMedia owns the broadcasting rights and will be offering the telecast via pay-per-view, so get your popcorn ready.
Because despite being older and perhaps not in their primes, this is THE matchup that the people still want to see.
There will be some who will pout and be upset that they can’t watch it for free and are not permitted to spectate in person.
But here’s what else I know.
This is Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson playing a round of golf with 9 million bucks on the line. I expect a whole bunch of back-and-forth banter, meaning I expect this to be must-see television.
So when push comes to shove, are you going to be caught asking your friends later that night who won the match and if it lived up to the hype? Or are you going to suck it up and do whatever you can to make sure you don’t miss out?
What to Expect
What we know is that the match is going down at Shadow Creek Golf Course on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
But other than the date of the match and the venue, a lot is still up in the air.
We still don’t know the actual format for this duel, despite what you may have heard.
Because while you can bet on the spread of the match being less than or greater than 1.5 strokes, Phil has actually gone on record stating that the format will be match play.
Mickelson went as far as telling GolfChannel.com that the match will also feature “mid-round” competitions that will be brought on by “spur of the moment” dilemmas.
For example, a player could challenge the other in a closest-to-the-hole or long drive challenge, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
What looks to be certain is that both Phil and Tiger, along with their caddies, will be “mic’d up.” This will serve as a direct way for the viewers to hear all the discussions, both the good and the bad. This is what Phil had to say about that.
“It allows us to be a little more real, if you will. We think there will be some pretty good interest, but we’re trying to present it in a way that you don’t get to see with normal TV.”
Golf is a gentleman’s game, and I understand it is meant to be played with proper etiquette displayed at all times.
But this isn’t your typical round of golf, as simple math tells us each hole is worth the unfathomable amount of $500,000!
And remember when I said that no tickets were being sold?
Well, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any individuals following the action inside the ropes.
In fact, I’m expecting there to be a crowd of people that somewhat resembles a Mike Tyson fight from the ’90s on the Las Vegas Strip.
You and I might not be able to get a ticket, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be more than a couple familiar faces in attendance. Perhaps well-known athletes and/or musicians will be on hand, but this will undoubtedly be an “invite-only” festivity.
Some More Exciting News Brewing
While the anticipation is eagerly building for Black Friday to arrive, it’s looking like this will only be the start of these high-stakes golf battles between the world’s best players.
I learned from a Golf Digest article that Tiger and Phil are hoping to organize more of these “non-traditional golf events” in the future, perhaps even having two-man teams compete against one another.
We all loved watching Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth take on Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter in a foursomes session in Paris last month.
Imagine if they got in the ring again, this time with $9 million on the line, and perhaps during primetime?
My guess is that WarnerMedia won’t have many problems selling packages.
We Have Been Down This Road Before
Do you remember when Tiger was pitted against David Duval at the Showdown at Sherwood in 1999?
I ask because that started out as just being a “one-time thing.” But the fans ate it up and begged for more, so then came the Battle at Bighorn in 2000.
That was a heads-up match between Tiger and Sergio, which made sense after the two battled anxiously down the stretch in the final major of the 1999 season.
Garcia won 1 up and collected $1.1 million for his efforts, but you shouldn’t feel too sorry for “Eldrick,” as he walked away with a cool 400 grand himself.
And there was more. Much more.
We saw Woods and Duval pair up with the LPGA’s two biggest stars (Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb) in 2001 in an alternate shot format in which Tiger and Annika outlasted David and Karrie in 19 holes.
The exciting turnout, which also took place at Bighorn Golf Club, was again a hit, and the winning duo split the $1.2 million check that was awarded to the victorious team.
In 2002, Tiger and Sergio returned to Bighorn, this time in a fourball match that included legends Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino.
Woods and the Golden Bear fended off “El Niño” and “The Merry Mex,” in part due to the remarkable 9 birdies that Tiger poured in over the 16 holes that were played.
The series moved to an upscale area of San Diego called Rancho Santa Fe in 2003, as the “Battle at the Bridges” ensued with a new four-man combination.
Woods and Garcia were again the central figures, but this time Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson hopped aboard to see what these “Monday Night Matches” were all about.
Sergio (partnered with Mickelson) eagled the 16th hole to earn him and Phil the 3&1 victory over Tiger and Ernie, and again, a $1.2 million check was split between the two winners. Don’t worry, Phil and Ernie got to split a smaller check worth half a million dollars, so nobody went home hungry.
The 2004 edition of the Battle of the Bridges decided to change up the pace, and a severe dip in the Nielsen ratings proved it wasn’t necessarily the best idea. Long bombers John Daly and Hank Kuehne were added to the fray, as Tiger and Hank took on Lefty and Big John in a better-ball format.
Woods and Kuehne emerged in 17 holes, but the drop in interest level amongst the general public was notable.
That’s why the 2005 Battle at the Bridges was the final one to be played, although Vijay Singh refused to take part in what was supposed to be a battle of the top-4 ranked players in the world (Els later withdrew as well).
Instead, it ended up being Tiger and John Daly locking horns with Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen.
Phil and Retief won uneventfully, and Tiger officially bowed out of competing in any more “showdowns” for the foreseeable future.
I’d like to note that Tiger did square off against Rory McIlroy seven years later in an 18-hole stroke play match deemed the “2012 Duel at Lake Jinsha.”
This was appropriate given that Rory and Tiger were ranked #1 and #2 in the world respectively and were the two biggest names in the sport at the time. After ESPN and ABC had shared the rights during the previous high-stakes matches, this one was made available via pay-per-view only.
Tiger played well and posted a 4-under-par 68, although he was narrowly edged out by Rory’s 67.
Why Things Will Be Better This Time Around
Out of the previous 7 Monday Night Matches that were nationally broadcasted, the 2000 Battle at Bighorn featuring Tiger and Sergio head-to-head received the highest ratings (7.6) of all.
That’s no shocker to me when you realize how big the developing “Tiger-Sergio rivalry” was at the time.
So while Tiger and Phil might no longer be rivals per se, they are still undeniably the two men that move the needle the most.
As some golfers and analysts say, Tiger doesn’t move the needle. Tiger IS the needle.
Throw in the facts that Tiger and Phil will be jawing back and forth and that the purse has been more than quadrupled since the matches of the early 2000s, and as I’ve said above – get your popcorn ready.
There is going to be drama. There are going to be highlights. And nobody is going to be disappointed they watched this play out.
And once Black Friday passes us by and this match is in the books, look for Tiger and Phil to start conversing about when the next duel will take place, and more importantly, who will be featured.
But until this Tiger vs. Phil match is over, this is the only one worth talking about.
I want to shift gears into the betting aspect of this match, so let’s take a quick glance at each player before I give you my advice.
Tiger Woods
If I need to introduce Tiger Woods and tell you about his accomplishments, then perhaps you clicked on the wrong page.
Tiger won the 2018 TOUR Championship in September, marking his 80th victory on the PGA Tour. Given the status of Tiger Woods’ golf game from 2014-2017, some think his most recent triumph at East Lake Club was as remarkable as any.
And while I was uber-impressed with Tiger’s performance at the season-ending event, I saw this coming from a mile away.
And you should have as well.
It wasn’t like Woods came out of nowhere in Atlanta and caught the 30-man field by surprise. In fact, he was one of the tournament favorites leading in!
What is remarkable is the journey Tiger endured to get back to playing at this elite level.
Remember, folks, this time last year, Tiger was ranked 656th in the world and had no clear goals in sight. He wasn’t even sure if and when he would be playing competitively again, or even playing at all!
If someone would have told you he would contend in majors and be a fixture to win the FedEx Cup title in September, you would have called them crazy.
Look, I’m not trying to pretend that Tiger is back to being invincible and will win 25+% of his starts in 2019. But the truth is, he actually looks happy and more content playing now than he ever has.
This “new version of Tiger” is not only great for the game of golf, but it’s great for his continued development as a human being.
Once Tiger is happy and in a groove with his golf game, the rest of the PGA Tour has no choice but to take notice.
Phil Mickelson
Fans of Phil Mickelson surely would like me to spend my time speaking on his illustrious career, or perhaps even how “Lefty” began the 2018 campaign.
Because if we talk about Phil’s results in the middle and latter part of the 2018 season, you won’t find anything worth noting.
Mickelson logged six top-10s during the 2017/2018 FedEx Cup schedule. The only problem is that the most recent one was at the Wells Fargo Championship way back during the first week in May!
To help put that in perspective, here are a few things that have happened in the world since Phil last recorded a top-10 finish.
“The Royal Wedding” – Prince Harry married Meghan Markle at the Windsor Castle
The Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season
France won the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the NBA Finals
And remember the TOUR Championship that Tiger won last month?
Well, Mickelson finished dead last and essentially embarrassed himself the following week in Paris. Phil was so out of sorts at the Ryder Cup that Captain Furyk had to leave Mickelson on the sidelines for the entirety of Saturday’s play.
Just ask Phil what the 17th and 18th holes at Le Golf National’s Albatros Course were like.
He’d be hard-pressed to tell you considering that Phil got closed out well before he reached the 17th tee in both matches he played!
Believe it or not, I’m not here to poke fun at Mickelson or to laugh at the way he has been playing. I love Phil as a golfer, but it’s my job to point out the facts.
And the fact of the matter is that right now, Phil isn’t playing very well.
Of course, this is golf, and things can change at the drop of a hat.
And once you put an eye-popping amount of cash on the table, something tells me that Phil will kick it into gear.
My Betting Advice
If you want to bet on Phil, the time is now. I can’t imagine the public perception of Phil will get any lower than it is right now, as his horrendous late-season performances (chiefly at the Ryder Cup) are fresh in the general public’s mind.
And I’ll tell you where your best option to do that is below.
Take a look at the current pricing of who will win the match at three of the top betting sites out there.
BetOnline.ag
Sportsbook.ag
Bovada.lv
| Tiger Woods -200 |
Tiger Woods -220 |
Tiger Woods -250 |
| Phil Mickelson +170 |
Phil Mickelson +180 |
Phil Mickelson +175 |
The +180 price attached to Phil over at Sportsbook.ag is rather appetizing, considering this is still just one round of golf where a lot can happen.
If you are in the camp that thinks Tiger will demolish Phil at Shadow Creek, you’ll want to place your wager at BetOnline.ag. You can see that the -200 price is currently the most favorable line for those wanting to bet on Woods.
But for those of you who have patience, I suggest waiting this out a bit more until more information is released. Neither player will be competing on the PGA Tour in the interim, so it’s unlikely that the lines for who wins the match will dramatically shift.
But once more details are finalized about the format of this match, expect the floodgates to open.
I’m talking about a bevy of prop bets that are sure to be released as we approach the November 23rd date.
You can already bet on the spread of the match and what color shirt each man will be sporting. I imagine a litany of additional props will be coming out, perhaps ones that even involve the players’ caddies.
If you want to ensure you don’t miss out, you can bookmark our blog homepage so that you stay completely in the loop.
When the time does come for me to create another post concentrated on how to attack betting this match, I promise I won’t leave you hanging!
Get Ready for Black Friday!
I can’t stress this enough, but you aren’t going to want to miss this one. The chances of you ever seeing Tiger and Phil play head-to-head in Sin City for $9 million again are slim to none.
While additional duels will likely be in play in the future, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Woods and Mickelson in the heat of the action again.
Avid golf fans like myself have been waiting and hoping for a long, long time that something like this would take place.
And now, we no longer have to wonder, and we no longer have to wait.
Friday, November 23rd, is a day when most will be digesting their turkey and figuring out which mall to go to.
And while they’re doing that, I’ll be tuned in to a golf match that will be unlike any we’ve ever seen before!
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