Tiger Woods confirmed on Wednesday that the long-anticipated match with Phil Mickelson is on for Thanksgiving weekend, with $9 million at stake.
With two simple words, “It’s on,” Tiger Woods confirmed on Wednesday that the long-anticipated one-on-one match with Phil Mickelson is official.
The $9 million match will take place on Nov. 23, Thanksgiving weekend, at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas. Both players will also be allowed to make side bets, with the money going to the charity of the winner’s choice.
Rumors of the match were started by Golf.com’s Alan Shipnuck in July, who reported it was to originally happen on July 3. Phil Mickelson then said they were working on a different date, and revealed earlier in August that it was happening.
“It’s a ridiculous amount of money,” Mickelson told Shipnuck. “No matter how much money you have, this amount will take both of us out of our comfort zone.”
Woods, however, remained silent until Wednesday. After tweeting out that the match is on, however, he and Mickelson didn’t waste any time beginning the trash talk. Mickelson just joined Twitter on Wednesday, probably not coincidentally the same day his duel with Woods became official.
https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1032369578796507136
Think you will earn some bragging rights? 🏆
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 22, 2018
Golf fans have waited a long time for a head-to-head duel between Woods and Mickelson. Now that they both are in their 40s and seemingly at the tail end of their careers, it is finally happening before it is too late.
“It’s an opportunity for us to bring golf to the masses in prime time during a period where we don’t have much going on in the world of golf,” Mickelson said Wednesday after his pro-am round at the Northern Trust.
The match will be streamed live on Turner pay-per-view, the company announced on Wednesday. It will be available on Turner’s B/R Live, as well as DirectTV and AT&T U-verse.
“The iconic Tiger Woods and five-time Major Champion Phil Mickelson are generational talents who have transcended the game of golf and their rivalry continues to be one of the most compelling in sports,” David Levy, president of Turner, said in a statement.
Mickelson says the match will be in match-play format. They will also add a few challenges to the competition, including a long drive competition, closest to the hole and longest putt.
Las Vegas is favoring Woods in the matchup. He opened as a -180 favorite at the Westgate Superbook.