Advertisement
Phil Mickelson at the start of 'The Match' with Tiger Woods
hole in the pocket

Mickelson fails with $200,000 birdie bet as 'The Match' with Tiger begins

Tiger Woods had a smile on his face – and $200,000 for a charity of his choice – after Phil Mickelson failed to birdie the first hole.

PHIL MICKELSON IMMEDIATELY found himself $200,000 down at the start of his lucrative head-to-head match with Tiger Woods, after failing to birdie the first hole at Shadow Creek.

An eye-catching reward of $9million was on offer for the winner of Friday’s much-hyped showdown in Las Vegas, broadcast as a pay-per-view event in the United States.

Yet Woods and Mickelson were also set to engage in a number of side bets, with the winnings from those going to charities chosen by the respective players.

The first side bet was agreed ahead of the contest when Mickelson said: “I feel like the first hole is a great hole for me. I’m willing to risk $100,000 that says I birdie the first hole.”

Woods promptly urged his rival to double the bet, which Mickelson agreed to.

The five-time major champion looked well placed to back up his confident talk when he stuck his approach to nine feet after finding the opening fairway.

Mickelson’s birdie putt slipped by, however, meaning he joined his opponent in settling for a par, with a smiling Woods saying: “That hurts the pocket.”

Both players were introduced on the first tee by Hollywood superstar Samuel L. Jackson.

- Omni

Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:

Lowry and Dunne slip back after struggling in wet and windy conditions at World Cup of Golf

Your Voice
Readers Comments
8
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel