Getty Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods square off for $9 million.
The stakes are high in the Tiger vs. Phil matchup as the winning golfer earns $9 million. There is no prize for second place as it is a winner-take-all format per Bleacher Report. The match is taking place at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, but it will be closed to the public. The only way for fans to watch is by ordering the pay-per-view for $19.99.
Similar to friends enjoying a round of golf, there will also be side bets made during the match. Woods and Mickelson already have $200,000 at stake for the first hole. During the press conference, Mickelson challenged Woods to take him up on a bet that he would birdie the first hole. CBS Sports described the exchange.
“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.”
Woods and Mickelson Can Make Side Bets During the Match
The exchange felt a bit staged, but these are the kind of conversations that will likely happen during the match. It is part of the unofficial rules of the match with the money all going to charity as Blecher Report explains.
During the live event competition, both Tiger and Phil will selectively make side challenges against one another. For instance, they could raise the stakes by challenging the other to a long drive, closest-to-the-pin or similar competition during a hole as they play their match, with money being donated to the winning golfer’s charity of choice.
During the press conference, Mickelson admitted he wanted to win the $9 million, but the match is also about bragging rights for the upcoming year.
“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 explained to ESPN. “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 purse may be winner-take-all, but both golfers are assuredly getting a share of the pay-per-view sales. If the pay-per-view sales are high, we are likely to see more of these showcase events in the future.