News
The Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson $10 million match is set for Thanksgiving weekend
Just a day after Tiger Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, told ESPN “we are closer than we have been” to finalizing the $10 million winner-take-all money match between his client and Phil Mickelson, it looks like the deal is done.
According to ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, Tiger and Phil will square off at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas either Friday (Nov. 23) or Saturday (Nov. 24) of Thanksgiving weekend.
Woods and Mickelson played a nine-hole practice round Wednesday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Mickelson floated the idea of the match at The Players in May.
“The excitement that’s been going on around here, it gets me thinking: Why don’t we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head-to-head and just have kind of a high-stakes, winner-take-all match…Now, I don’t know if he wants a piece of me, but I just think it would be something that would be really fun for us to do, and I think there would be a lot of interest in it if we just went straight to the final round.”
Perhaps surprisingly/why the heck not, Woods responded with, “I’m definitely not against that. We’ll play for whatever makes him uncomfortable.”
With respect to just how uncomfortable, the pair will be competing for roughly one quarter of their annual pay. According to Forbes, Woods pocketed $43.3 million in on/off course earnings in 2018. Mickelson banked $41.3 million.
With everything falling into place, the only question now is who’s your money on, WRXers?
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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RocketBall
Sep 17, 2018 at 1:30 am
FANTASTIC idea. I’ll definitely watch it on PPV. My money is on Tiger. I say he smokes Phil 4 and 3.
Bank
Aug 21, 2018 at 8:26 am
this match is about 10 years too late. Lord who cares. a lot less than 10 years ago. I’m a decade older than these guys and I dont even want to see them. these guys dont need 10 million so its borderline aggravating. Theres nothing in this of interest. Make it a carry over skins game at least. An 8 million dollar hole i could watch- for a minute or two. As long as I had about 3 other screens going with actual entertainment. Match play is excruciatingly slow.
Speedy
Aug 21, 2018 at 1:45 pm
Right on, Bank. I’ll have no problem finding something else to do.
Tom
Aug 10, 2018 at 4:21 pm
It would be great if they had a TV channel that just showed and talked about Tiger 24/7….oh, they already do, but they call it the Golf Channel.
Sean
Aug 8, 2018 at 7:50 pm
This is the solution to the Tiger vs. Phil match:
http://www.therivalroast.com
Alan
Aug 4, 2018 at 4:04 pm
Bunch of bitter people making the negative comments today. Don’t like it don’t watch.
I’m sure you would rather hang out with drunk Uncle Ed Thanksgiving weekend.
Dixie doc
Aug 3, 2018 at 10:57 pm
I hope there’s a football game on that day. At least those teams will be playing for something.
Liberty Apples
Aug 3, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Does anyone really give a (fill in the blank)?
Dave
Aug 3, 2018 at 9:23 pm
” Really ” you go girls.
Steve M
Aug 3, 2018 at 5:54 pm
Not only are they not putting up any of their own money I bet they both ask for an appearance fee, so it won’t even be winner takes all
Tom
Aug 3, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Both from California how about donating that 10 million to California Public Golf courses so we will still have a few in 2019….
Jim McPherson
Aug 3, 2018 at 3:13 pm
I bet DJ would put up $10M of his own money to join in and make it a $20M winner take all.
But as the winners prize isn’t coming from either of them, it is meaningless and will suck. There will be no fight in it. My guess is it will be staged so it comes down to the wire, probably back and forth throughout the round and decided on the final hole. Bet on that!
Dtrain
Aug 3, 2018 at 2:03 pm
So even if Tiger loses it will be far from the worst Thanksgiving he’s had.
Rich
Aug 3, 2018 at 7:07 pm
Wins the internet today!
Regis
Aug 3, 2018 at 1:21 pm
As I sit here now I can say “No way I’ll watch it”. But I probably will. For how long? This will be hyperhyped like Riggs/King. My problem (if I do watch) is Who to root for (or more properly against). I can’t stand either of them. Like to see a prop bet. Over/under on photos of Tiger with his kids or Phil with lemonade stands
Curt
Aug 3, 2018 at 12:24 pm
It means absolute nothing if its NOT their own money to lose. I could care less about two guys playing for OPM.
Bob
Aug 3, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Totally agree
Roy
Aug 3, 2018 at 3:14 pm
But a bunch of people playing for OPM is interesting?? Or is the only event you watch all year the US Am??
Keith
Aug 3, 2018 at 12:16 pm
I live about 400 yards north of Shadow Creek in LV so I am intrigued. I wonder if it will be open to the public.
Steve Cantwell
Aug 3, 2018 at 11:35 am
I’d bet ( but not with my own money, of course) that this event will prove to be an uninspiring flop. Not to mention, horrible television as there will be too many commercials in between shots.
Ev
Aug 22, 2018 at 7:54 pm
No commercials. Ppv
G what
Aug 3, 2018 at 12:29 am
Make it $10MM if their own money
MT
Aug 2, 2018 at 11:06 pm
All the sticks in the mud complaining about this. Let them play and I for one will be watching. Hope the 10 million goes to a great charity like St Jude’s.
Waaa
Aug 2, 2018 at 6:04 pm
Most of the proceeds are going to charity.
ComeonPhil
Aug 2, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Usually when Phil fires off his mouth he misses the cut. It amazes me that Tiger with all his injuries and surgeries and limited playing time will still shoot lower scores than Phil. What amazes me about Phil is how inconsistent he is…..It is also surprising how many times Phil has choked despite having so many victories. I think that if you add just his second place finishes to his number of major victories he would have 15 majors. It is not only amazing that Phil is first in putting on tour this year, but also that he has only one win with that great putting and that when I watch him putt his putting still looks like it sucks.
Jason A
Aug 2, 2018 at 2:03 pm
bunch of salty old people in this comment area. i think this is great and is going to create a lot of buzz for golf.
Jamie
Aug 2, 2018 at 2:00 pm
It’s all freshly printed toilet paper backed by nothing but the cannon-fodder military.
Tyler Durden
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Great, an addict and a cheat playing for other people money. Must see tv.
Tartan Golf Travel
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:57 pm
They should have added 2 more players and brought back the old skins game. This sounds boring, May be would have been interesting when they were the best in the world but 2 guys head to head will make for boring golf.
toyzrx
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Lame. There are kids in many cities who don’t have food to eat and books to read.
Erik
Aug 2, 2018 at 1:44 pm
So feed them and house them
DANA POINT
Aug 3, 2018 at 2:28 am
Good point. We should shut down the entertainment and sports industries entirely until we rectify that situation. No movies, no music, no superbowls and playoffs…just stop it all until no one is hungry, because they’re obviously linked.
Moses
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:17 pm
Silly Season is back. Can we revive the Skins Game too.
dat
Aug 2, 2018 at 11:28 am
Who is bankrolling this?
Erik
Aug 2, 2018 at 1:45 pm
Well with Phil’s love of gambling , I would imagine they are
~j~
Aug 2, 2018 at 6:50 pm
Yeah right. Neither is putting up a dime that i know of. Lame. Anyone can wager with other people’s money. Let’s see Phil grip it and rip it with HIS $10mil on the line.
Kevin
Aug 2, 2018 at 11:23 am
unless they put their own money on the line, this is just a friendly game with the chance to win a lot of money. its like putting a bunch of money on black at the roulette table without having to actually bet any of your own money
PT
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:26 pm
No, it isn’t. Clearly.
Michael
Aug 2, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Agree. When I first heard this idea, I thought that’s what it would be, a high stakes gambling round on TV, and I was very excited. There’s zero drama unless they put up their own money. Bogus. I’m not interested.