Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been considered among the greatest golfers of all time. Their on-course rivalry had been one of the most exciting encounters for the whole of the golfing fraternity and fans. One such moment was the first edition of The Match in 2018 which was titled “Tiger vs. Phil”. The event had the stipulation of the winner taking all the money and had a prize purse of $9 million.
Before the tournament, both the golfer gave a fun interview to CNN’s Hines Ward, which was later uploaded on YouTube in 2018. When the host questioned both the golfers about their mindset before coming into the tournament, the 15-time major champion straightaway replied by saying,
“To win.”
However, Phil Mickelson had a different take on the same question. The six-time major champion acknowledged the fact that he did want to win. But he focused on the fact that he and Tiger Woods have been involved in on-course rivalries over the decades and he wanted to cherish “one little moment” to get the better of him.
“For me, it’s little more than that. I obviously wanna win. But, it’s been decades of him having get the best of me and it’s an opportunity for me to just get the better of him in this one little moment,” Mickelson said.
The first edition of The Match: Tiger vs. Phil was Tiger Woods facing Phil Mickelson head-to-head in a match play challenge on November 23, 2018. They played 18 holes but were involved in a tie after the regulation play. However, it was Mickelson who got better of his longtime on-course foe and took the $9 million prize money.
Who Won the Most Side Bets in The Match: Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods?
Despite a whopping $9 million prize pool, the first edition of The Match allowed both the participants to place side bets with each other. Mickelson, who has a huge love for betting, won three out of the five bets while Woods won none.
The first bet was placed by Phil Mickelson on the very first hole of the Shadow Creek Golf Course, Nevada. He set a preposition to hit a birdie and unfortunately failed to do so. He lost a sum of $200,000. Later on, both Tiger Woods and Mickelson placed a $100,000 bet on the 5th hole with a proposition of landing the ball closest to the pin. It was won by the latter.
On the 8th hole, the same proposition was set with a bet of $200,000. However, it was again Phil Mickelson who won the bet. On the very next hole, the 9th hole, a whopping $1,000,000 bet was placed with a proposition to hit an Eagle in 2 shots, and both the golfers failed and the money was pushed back.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson placed their last bet on the 13th hole. A $300,000 bet was placed with a proposition to hit the ball closest to the pin and it was again Mickelson who won the bet after completing the stipulation.
