Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s £7m money-spinning match off is embarrassing
Long-term rivals went head-to-head in 'The Match' with Phil coming out on top - but the whole spectacle was not worth watching and was a horrible advert for pay-per-view
TIGER WOODS’ $9million shootout ‘The Match’ with long-term rival Phil Mickelson has been slammed before a ball was hit.
But was the ‘spectacle’ worth watching? SunSport golf fan DEAN SCOGGINS took a look . . .
EMBARRASSING. And I’ve seen (and played) some pretty woeful stuff on a golf course.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more toe-curling than two mega-rich golfers doing a face-off and posing with piles of cash, the ‘action’ started.
A horrible advert for pay-per-view including Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jnr opened the show. Money talks.
It’s ‘intense rivalry, trying to win at all costs’, says Mickelson.
‘It’s like Tyson v Holyfield’, says Tiger.
And it got worse. The pair start with comments on each other’s clothes — as they are wearing mics throughout.
On the first hole, actor Samuel L Jackson introduces the players. Of course he does.
At least I didn’t have to pay the $19.99 the Yanks had to, as Sky Sports Golf showed it last night.
Golf? This isn’t REAL golf. Otherwise we’d be watching the likes of Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy booming it.
MOST READ IN SPORT
It’s just a shame that the man who elevated golf to new levels, winning 14 Majors, has now lowered himself to this one.
The coin toss involved a poker chip with the players’ faces on.
Phil won and teed off first — snatching the chip for good measure.
It’s a match play format and Mickelson smoked a two iron down the middle on the first but Woods’ trademark stinger ended up in the rough.
What followed was the most shamelessly forced ‘chat’ as the two old timers walked the fairway.
‘Oh Samuel L Jackson is cool.’ ‘Yeah, he’s cool’. ‘So cool’. ‘Did you hit two iron?’ ‘Three.’ ‘I’m hitting first.’ ‘I’m glad.’ ‘Me too.’
Spare me. Hang on, then they talk about the weather! Is this the world’s best or Derek and Dave in the Wednesday roll up?
The funniest part is that Mickelson is out of breath doing all that ‘trash talk’ down the first fairway. Not been on the treadmill, Phil?
It’s quite appropriate this sickening, money-flaunting marketing exercise was being held at Shadow Creek (or should that be Shallow Creek).
A course carved into the Nevada desert outside of Las Vegas, costing £350m to build, is stunning but it is as shamelessly manufactured for the rich as this ‘shootout’.
Just think, $9m that could be spent on charities like the On Course Foundation, who aim to aid the recovery of sick and injured servicemen and women through golf.
Yes, some money is going to charity — starting with the $200k for Tiger’s chosen destination after Mickelson wagered he’d birdie the first.
He missed a 12-footer for birdie and will have to cough up. Much to Tiger’s amusement.
Mickelson has earned in excess of $600m in his career, Woods’ estimated at more than a billion.
So do the decent thing, lads, donate the lot to charity and save face from this debacle.
What followed was, er, golf but not as we know it.
Who won? Phil on the FOURTH extra hole.
Who cares. Golf lost.