Nov 20, 2018

  • Bob HarigESPN Senior Author

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    • Senior golf game author for ESPN.com
    • Covered golf for more than than 20 years
    • Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana University

Phil Mickelson already has "baited" Tiger Woods into a $200,000 side bet as part of their winner-take-all $9 million friction match on Fri in Las Vegas.

During a news conference on Tuesday at Shadow Creek to promote "The Lucifer" between the longtime rivals, Mickelson noted he'south been thinking about the side challenges that are to be part of the pay-per-view upshot.

"I feel like the first pigsty is a keen hole for me," Mickelson said. "And I believe -- in fact I'm willing to take chances $100,000 that says I birdie the starting time hole. And then that'south how good I experience heading into this friction match."

Mickelson made information technology clear to Woods that he didn't have to accept, but the 14-fourth dimension major champion said: "And so you think you can brand birdie on the outset hole?"

"I know I'm going to make birdie on the first hole," Mickelson said.

"Double information technology," Forest responded.

And so at that place immediately will be something on the line Friday when 14-time major champion Forest and v-time major winner Mickelson pace to the first tee at Shadow Creek, a 415-m par 4.

Months in the making, the Tiger-Phil match is gear up to begin at 3 p.m. ET, with Wood favored -- he's -200 at the Westgate -- to prevail but Mickelson relishing the opportunity to agree some bragging rights.

At times forced (they staged a boxing-like stare-down at the stop before both broke up in laughter), the news conference was equal parts banter, hype and back-slapping, as the long-agone adversaries have go far friendlier in contempo years.

Mickelson quipped that Woods, 42, is six years younger than him, "fifty-fifty though he doesn't await it," and so went on to summarize their careers.

"He came forth and broke every unmarried tape I had," Mickelson said. "Junior records, college, U.S. amateur: I won one, he won three. At Shadow Creek, I shot the course-record 61. A couple of years after, you shoot 60.

"But Friday you've got to do it simultaneously. Y'all can't come along and do it later on. Information technology'due south my take a chance afterward losing so many tournaments to you, so many majors, to get something dorsum."

Mickelson was far more into the huckster way, explaining that The Match has motivated him throughout a time when he would generally have put the clubs away.

"This is a unique opportunity to do something that I've had a difficult time doing, which is to go a leg upwardly on Tiger even if it'due south only ane day," Mickelson said. "Information technology's great to win the $9 million, but I but don't desire to lose to him. The bragging rights are the thing. I desire to be able to rub it in; I don't desire it to be rubbed in. I want to sit in the champions locker room at Augusta [National, domicile of the Masters] and talk smack."

Sensing where Woods might get, Mickelson pointed out that there have been some moments for him, including the 2012 AT&T Pebble Embankment Pro-Am, where Mickelson shot a final-round 64 while paired with Woods, who shot 75. Mickelson won his 41st PGA Bout effect at the time.

"I know you're going to bring up the large picture [overall wins]," Mickelson said to Woods. "I have to choice my spots. I have to exist careful. Fri is my adventure to have some fun."

Forest capped a successful season in September by winning the Tour Championship, his 80th PGA Tour title that was the culmination of a surprising comeback season afterward 2017 spinal fusion surgery. He is now ranked 13th in the world later starting the year at 656th.

Mickelson, who won the Mexico Championship in March for his offset win in five years, is 27th in the world afterward beginning the year at 37th.

Forest said he "shut it down for 3 or iv weeks" following the Ryder Loving cup earlier resuming golf game activity. "I've been getting back practicing and playing and grinding and playing golf again," he said. "It's been fun. Gets my juices flowing again."

The winner of the event volition receive $9 one thousand thousand, with nothing going to the loser -- although both players have partnered through their various representatives to stage the event, thus, in theory, profiting, and with hopes of it leading to like exhibitions with other players.

The side bets are supposed to be from the players' own funds, with those proceeds going to charity.

After they settled on the first-hole bet, Mickelson said: "Did you meet how I baited him like that? Yes. $200 [thousand] says I birdie the first hole."