I’m not sure if you guys have heard this, but Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play 18 holes for $9 million on Friday in Las Vegas. The $9 million is not their money, but there will apparently be side bets within the event with the money going to charity. Things like who will have the longest drive on a specific hole or which golfer can get closest to the pin from a certain distance.
Phil Mickelson is (unsurprisingly) taking those side bets seriously, and on Tuesday he put $100,000 on his first few shots in front of Woods at a press conference.
“So I’ve thought a lot about this, and there are spots out on the course that are some great spots for a little challenge,” Mickelson said. “The challenges are coming directly out of our pockets, OK? I feel like first hole is a great hole for me. In fact, I’m willing to risk $100,000 to say I birdie the first hole. That’s how good I feel heading into this match. You don’t have to take it. You don’t have to take it at all.”
Here’s how the exchange went from there.
Woods: “So you think you can make birdie on the first hole?”
Mickelson: “I know I’m going to make birdie on the first hole.”
Woods: “Double it.”
Mickelson: “Did you see how I baited him like that? Yes! Yes! 200 says I birdie the first hole.”
Woods: “All right. There is water down the left. He likes to lose his golf balls to the left. It’s that little flare-out that he hits.”
Mickelson: “See, here is what you’re missing.”
Woods: “These are things he hasn’t really thought about.”
Mickelson: “I’m going to hit a 2-iron in the fairway, and I’m a great short iron player. In fact, one of the best.”
Woods: “If I hit his 2-iron hot, which he sometimes does, it [goes] right and hot and he’ll be up against that tree and he’s blocked out, so he can’t spin the ball coming into that flag. Yeah.”
Mickelson: “And that’s how I was able to bait you. Yeah, first hole. $200,000 I birdie.”
Woods: “Done.”
Mickelson is actually -130 to miss the first fairway (which is hilarious), and I’d be surprised if he came out of the gate with a birdie. The first hole, by the way, plays between 345-415 yards and is a dogleg to the left. Mickelson may have been sixth on the PGA Tour in birdie percentage in 2017-18, but he’s going to be down $200,000 about 15 minutes into his day.
Which golfing legend earns bragging rights and a hefty $9 million prize on Friday? And what critical stat gives one player a huge edge? Visit SportsLine now to see who you can bank on to win Phil vs. Tiger, all from the model that nailed the winners of four golf majors, and find out.
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