In what can only be billed as a “gambler’s dream,” golf icons Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have agreed to an 18-hole duel over Thanksgiving weekend at Shadow Ridge Golf Club here in Las Vegas. The match, which has yet to be finalized, will be a winner-take-all for a $10 million pot.
Ticket information is unavailable, at this point, and it has not yet been revealed who will be coming up with the money for the event. Both can afford it. Tiger’s net worth is estimated to be $740 million while Lefty’s is roughly $365 million. The match is expected to take place either Nov. 23 or 24 at the North Las Vegas golf course.
“We’ll have more (details) shortly. As we firm up more and more details, we’ll let everybody know,” Mickelson said, following first-round play in the World Golf Classic-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. “Right now we just know that it’s going to be Thanksgiving weekend for sure.”
In other words, golf and gambling fans, it is going to happen!
For golf fans like me, this is enough to make your head explode. Two of the most iconic golfers, who both have made Las Vegas a second home, putting it on the line for more money than I’ll ever see in my lifetime. The World Series of Poker is exciting but this raises the stakes to unprecedented levels.
“I have nothing further to add to it,” said Woods, who is focused on getting his career back on track. “I haven’t signed anything. Nothing is confirmed. When it is, I’ll let you guys know.”
Key word is “when.” Not “if,” but “when.”
Forget LeBron James playing one-on-one against Kevin Durant. Never mind Clayton Kershaw facing Mike Trout. Pay no attention to Conor McGregor fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov. Forget a young Floyd Mayweather actually fighting any great fighter in their prime (since he likes to duck until they age out, then poach the victory after they’re washed up). This is two of the most iconic and marketable golf stars in modern history, with six green jackets between the two of them. They are ranked No. 1 and 2 on the PGA’s All-Time Earnings List, with a combined $200 million earned on the links alone.
This doesn’t include marketing and endorsement deals, much like this awful commercial released by the Mickelson camp yesterday.
Tiger has regularly hosted his own charity celebrity golf tournament, Tiger Jam, here in Vegas since 1998. Mickelson frequently visits Vegas for its amenities like gambling and, well, more gambling. Of course, Vegas has its own drawbacks for both golfers.
Arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Woods — who was married at the time — and his perfectly crafted public image was destroyed back in 2009 when he was linked to at least 13 young women here in Vegas. It started the drastic downfall of Nike’s top earner, and derailed a career many expected to be long, successful and dominant. Nothing was more frightening than a Sunday with Tiger in his traditional red shirt.
Fast forward to today, and the gifted former prodigy has battled injuries (a few of which may or may not have come from his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, when she learned of his cheating ways), Nordegren left him soon after and was awarded a $100 million settlement, and Woods hasn’t won a PGA tournament since the Bridgestone Invitational 2013. Coincidentally, Woods is competing in the Bridgestone this weekend, a tournament he has won eight times.
Perhaps the announcement is no coincidence. A good showing this weekend mixed with an announcement of this magnitude, can’t help but boost his social media mentions and notoriety. And, let’s be honest: Golf is always better when Tiger Woods is in the hunt and the PGA conversation.
It’s not like Las Vegas doesn’t have any demons for Mickelson either. The gifted left-hander was investigated by the federal prosecutors, who broke down a series of stock trades made by “Lefty” in 2012. The investigation also identified an alleged $1.9 million debt related to renowned local Vegas gambler William “Billy” Walters. It’s not like Mickelson’s gambling was a secret. Golfers gamble. It’s part of the unreported aspects of the game within the game, with golfers frequently upping the ante and living for the gambling rush, even in practice rounds.
His gambling exploits are epic. The man likes action, and — here in Vegas — so do we. Eventually, Mickelson was forced to pay a $1 million fine to the SEC after he paid back said gambling debt using earnings gained via insider trading. Like always, Lefty dodged the bullet and gave up what amounts to a drop in the bucket for him just to move on.
Make no mistake about it: This will be the biggest duel in golf history. It’ll make Rannulph Junuh’s three-man duel with Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen in “The Legend of Bagger Vance” seem like a tea party. There is more than money at stake. These two have been dueling for decades now on the links and neither has been following a life path Bagger Vance would approve of. Plenty of ego and pride will be on the line.
None of that matters. Come Thanksgiving weekend here in Vegas, two of the greatest golfers of all-time are going to finally give what so many have tried to simulate on the EA Sports game “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” for years.
Tiger vs Lefty: Is there anything more exciting in modern golf history? Highly doubtful, but I guess we’ll have to wait for Turkey Day to find out. I’d “bet” dollars to donuts it will most definitely be one for the ages.
