When it comes to trash talk and mind games, nobody does it quite like Phil Mickelson, especially if Tiger Woods is involved. Back in 1998, the two were actually on friendly terms, but during a practice round at the Nissan Open, things took a turn. They placed a $500 bet, and when Mickelson won, he decided to rub it in. He placed photocopies of the $100 bills in Woods’ locker with a cheeky note that read, “Just wanted you to know Benji and his friends are very happy in their new home.” However, Woods didn’t find the joke funny.
At the time, Mickelson was the more established name in golf, with several wins, having turned pro earlier. But once Woods hit the scene in 1996, he quickly surged past Phil, both in victories and global fame. After that dollar bill incident, the two didn’t play another practice round together for the next 20 years. To this day, there’s still a bit of distance between them. Part of that may be due to Mickelson’s move to LIV Golf, as their paths don’t cross all that often anymore. But that still doesn’t stop Mickelson from poking fun at him whenever he gets the chance.
Mickelson has a putter called the “Tiger Slayer,” and yes, those exact words are stitched right onto its cover. During a recent practice round covered by Grant Horvat over his YouTube channel, some LIV players and Grant Horvat caught sight of it and were quick to react. But Mickelson didn’t flinch. He’d been waiting for that moment. He knew exactly what he was going to say: “You know that I got the name 2012 AT&T, that’s where the putter got the name because we went out and played and I used that putter…I shot 64, he shot 75, and that’s where it initially slayed the Tiger.”
For Phil Mickelson, that putter is a magical sword that gets him victory over Woods. Here he is talking about the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and yep, that’s the day his putter got its now-famous nickname. In that final round, he and Woods were paired together. Phil went off, shooting a 64, while Tiger had a rough day with a 75. And the putter just did not stop there, it kept defeating Woods.
The 55-year-old added, “He owned me the first half of our careers. His record against me head-to-head was dominant. It is now even when we play together.” Just look at the 2001 Masters, where Woods completed the “Tiger Slam” while Phil finished third. Then there’s the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, where he won and Phil was the runner-up again. Over and over, when they were in the same group or chasing the same trophy, he just kept beating him. So yeah, Phil’s not wrong. Woods owned him for a while, and even now he does.
#WATCH: Phil Mickelson tells the tale of how his putter got its name: “Tiger Slayer” and claims he and Tiger Woods are essentially tied when playing head to head.
(Via: @GrantHorvatGolf) pic.twitter.com/3nj126H7Pt
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 9, 2025
“I have seen him do things with a golf ball… I have never seen anybody be able to do His play in 2000 was…is indescribable,” added Mickelson. That year, he won three major championships in a row: the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (by a record 15 shots!), The Open Championship at St. Andrews and the PGA Championship. He also had nine PGA Tour wins that season and finished with the lowest scoring average in history at the time. While Mickelson gave Woods his credit, he made sure to remind everyone he had the upper hand later on, too.
Further, the lefty added, “He owned me the early part of the career, and then the second part I owned him.” It’s classic Mickelson giving Woods props for his insane run but also reminding everyone that later on, especially as Woods dealt with injuries and swing changes, Phil had the upper hand in their matchups. A little humility, a little flex.
And this comment from Mickelson is what got fans talking once again, reigniting the Tiger vs. Phil rivalry.
Fan reactions pour in after Phil Mickelson’s remarks
One fan quipped, “Phil is doing the opposite of “aging gracefully’ since his miracle win at the Ocean Course only 4 years ago.” The fan is referring to Phil Mickelson’s historic win at the 2021 PGA Championship, held at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. At age 50, Mickelson became the oldest player to win a major championship in golf history. After one of the classiest wins of his career, Phil’s been acting like anything but the calm, graceful veteran people expected.
One fan posted, “Mickelson is a clown.” This came after Phil confidently said he owned Woods in the second half of their careers, despite Tiger having more majors and overall wins. Fans saw it as Phil trying too hard to stay relevant. “Tiger owned Phil. This is funny,” another fan added. Between 1999 and 2008, Tiger won 11 major championships, often with Phil in the field, but the 49-year-old was never seriously threatened by him in most of those. While Phil had strong finishes, Tiger was consistently ahead when it mattered most.
Another fan added, “Phil, you’re not as good as Tiger and that’s not close,” and “Tiger has like twice as many wins. Phil didn’t slay s—.” Fans weren’t having any of Mickelson’s bold talk, and the stats make it easy to see why. Tiger Woods has 82 PGA Tour wins to Phil’s 45, and when it comes to majors, Tiger leads 15 to 6. So when Mickelson casually drops the “Tiger Slayer” label, fans are quick to push back. They see it as Phil having fun, but nowhere near slaying anything.
Looks like this playful and sometimes fiery rivalry between Mickelson and Woods isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Mickelson will always find new ways to jab at Woods, never in a harmful way, of course, but just enough to keep fans talking. Now the ball’s in Woods’ court. Let’s see if he decides to swing back.
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