Tiger Woods is worth $750 million. Phil Mickelson has only got half that, $375 million, but he’s doing OK.
And on Friday, the two will be able to add millions more to their bank accounts when they face off in a pay-per-view event dubbed “The Match.” The two golfers will go head-to-head in a contest with more than $9 million at stake. But on Tuesday, when two of the best golfers in the world met to hype the event, the stakes got personal.
During the televised press conference — which took on the tone of a pre-title boxing bout — Mickelson mused about how well the first hole at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas sets up for him.
“I feel like the first hole is a great hole for me,” Mickelson said. “And I believe — in fact I’m willing to risk $100,000 that says I birdie the first hole. So that’s how good I feel heading into this match.”
Woods, a 14-time major champion, quickly pounced: “So you think you can make birdie on the first hole?”
“I know I’m going to make birdie on the first hole,” Mickelson said.
“Double it,” Woods fired back.
After the bet was settled, Mickelson, as big gambler, said: “Did you see how I baited him like that?”
So the first hole will be worth a cool $200,000 for each golfer, which in a lot of ways is like a Sunday foursome playing a $2 Nassau. Still, both will have some skin in the game right from the get go, and since the golfers will be wearing microphones, there could well be a lot of wagering going on the rest of the round.
Still, while the promoters sought to paint the contest as a grudge match, the two golfers have long been friendly and they both stand to make a lot of money from sponsors and viewers who pay $19.99 for the event.
Mickelson, 48, joked that Woods is six years younger than him “even though he doesn’t look it.” But then he launched into praise for one of the world’s best golfers ever.
“He came along and broke every single record I had,” Mickelson said. “Junior records, college. U.S. Amateur: I won one, he won three. At Shadow Creek, I shot the course-record 61. A couple of years later you shoot 60.”
All that will change in The Match, Mickelson said.
“But Friday you’ve got to do it simultaneously. You can’t come along and do it later. It’s my chance after losing so many tournaments to you, so many majors, to get something back.”
And Mickelson said he’s not in it just for the money, but rather for a chance to knock off Woods head-to-head.
“This is a unique opportunity to do something that I’ve had a hard time doing, which is to get a leg up on Tiger even if it’s just one day,” Mickelson said. “It’s great to win the $9 million, but I just don’t want to lose to him. The bragging rights are the thing. I want to be able to rub it in; I don’t want it to be rubbed in. I want to sit in the champions locker room at Augusta [National, home of the Masters] and talk smack.”
The Match begins at 3 p.m. EST with a pre-show at 2 p.m. that includes PGA golfer Pat Perez, NBA legend Charles Barkley and actor Samuel L. Jackson. You can watch the whole press conference below.