Remember 1998. Back when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were friends? A misplaced bet and an unintentional prank resulted in a silent Cold War-type feud between two great golfers of their generation. During a practice round ahead of the Nissan Open, the duo had placed a $500 wager on their respective victories. Mickelson won, and took the humiliation a notch further, putting photocopies of the bills Woods gave him inside the Big Cat’s locker with a note that said, “Just wanted you to know Benji and his friends are very happy in their new home.”
It was nearly twenty years later when we got a glimpse of the two coming together for a practice round a few months back in December 2024. But again, you know once Tiger distances himself from someone, things are never quite the same. So when asked if Mickelson and Woods talked to each other during their practice at Royal Troon ahead of the Open Championship, the 3x Masters winner’s response was a clear indication that some things just don’t warm up with time.
“Yeah, we said hi, but we were both preparing. It’s not like we’re going to sit there and chat. But we said hello, yeah,” Mickelson said. Not to forget that it was Woods who remained firmly aligned with the PGA Tour during its standoff with LIV Golf, where Mickelson was a leading figure in its recruitment push. However, just a few months after practicing together for the Royal Troon, the recently concluded Masters Tournament has offered that rare chance when we can finally see Woods and Mickelson agree on something.
Rory McIlroy’s victory has delighted both multiple Masters winners. Tiger Woods’s official congratulatory statement read, “Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory. Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”
McIlroy and Woods have been very close friends. The duo were co-founders of TMRW Sports, the company that runs TGL, the newest tech-based golfing competition in town. McIlroy has also been very appreciative of Woods’s friendship, stating that the pair talk to each other, “Every other day almost”. McIlroy went on to add, “He’s the biggest golf nerd I’ve ever come across. He knows everything about everything, he watches everything. He lets on that he doesn’t but he watches so much.” McIlroy also thanked him after his win.
Not to be outdone, Phil Mickelson also took to X to share a congratulatory message for the Northern Irish golfer. “What an incredible Masters. Congrats to Rory on his win and for completing the career grand slam. Amazing.”
McIlroy and Mickelson, on the other hand, have been part of an ongoing feud when Mickelson left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. His comments then had been disturbing, and McIlroy, who was a very vocal LIV Critic, had stated then about Mickelson, “I don’t want to kick someone while he’s down obviously, but I thought they were naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant.”
The Northern Irish golfer has since then softened his stance on LIV seeing them as part of the golfing world. Could this tweet from Phil Mickelson mean that a truce could happen? Safe to say, McIlroy’s victory at Augusta is doing a lot of good for the world of golf, but it was not without its climax that put the golf world on the edge of its seats.
Rory McIlroy’s grand finish at Augusta
McIlroy started the day with a solid 2-stroke lead over second-placed Bryson DeChambeau. He started with a difficult double bogey on hole 1 itself, leading many to believe that the Northern Irish golfer could choke again. But he fought back into the game, registering 4 birdies from holes 3 to 10, taking what looked like an unassailable lead.
DeChambeau had slipped meanwhile, allowing Justin Rose, who led the pack on day 1 and day 2, to make a bid for the Green Jacket. McIlroy, however, was competing against himself and slipped yet again. Over the next 4 holes, the 29-time PGA Tour winner carded a double bogey and two bogeys, putting himself in a precarious position. He fought back yet again with two birdies and headed to the last hole with a one-stroke advantage over Rose.
Another difficult bogey tied the game between him and the Englishman, which meant that the 2025 Masters will be decided by a playoff. The Holly, the 18th Hole at Augusta, was the stage, and McIlroy, after nearly 11 years of waiting, clinched his fifth major and his first-ever Masters title thanks to a birdie. Rose could only make par.
