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Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: Lefty wins 'The Match' and $9 million in extra holes

Jacob Janower
• 11 min read
Phil Mickelson

It took four extra holes, but Phil Mickelson outlasted Tiger Woods, sinking a birdie under the lights to win their match-play event Friday and earn bragging rights over his longtime competitor.   

Mickelson took home the $9 million pot and will donate $600,000 to charity after winning three of four challenges during the match. He held the lead at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas for most of the round but traded off a few times with Woods. 

McCARTHY: Turner makes winning gamble on 'The Match'

A clutch chip-in on the 17th hole by Woods moved the match back to all square, squashing what looked like a surefire Mickelson win. After missing match-winning putts on consecutive playoff holes, Mickelson was able to claim the victory with a short putt on hole No. 22. 

Neither golfer was on top of their game, as the putting issues extended beyond just the tail end of the round at the challenging course. The struggles did lead to a close match throughout, as neither led by more than one at any point.

Sporting News provided live updates from "The Match" between Woods and Mickelson. (All times Eastern.)

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson score, results, highlights from 'The Match'

Hole (Par) Tiger Woods  Phil Mickelson
1 (4)  Halved Halved
2 (4)  1 down 1 up
3 (4)  Halved Halved
4 (5)   Halved Halved
5 (3)  Halved Halved
6 (4) Halved Halved
7 (5)  All square  All square
8 (3)  1 down 1 up
9 (4)  Halved Halved
10 (4)  Halved Halved
11 (4)  All Square All Square
12 (4)  1 up 1 down
13 (3) All Square All Square
14 (4) Halved Halved
15 (4)  1 down 1 up
16 (5) Halved Halved
17 (3) All Square All Square
18 (5)  Halved Halved
19 (5)  Halved Halved
20 (3) Halved Halved
21 (3) Halved Halved
22 (3) 1 down 1 up

Hole 22: Par 3, 93 yards

Both land tee shots on the green, with Woods facing a longer putt. He misses the birdie and taps in for par. Mickelson makes the birdie putt and comes away victorious in the match play event. Phil Mickelson wins.

Hole 21: Par 3, 93 yards

A stellar first shot by Mickelson gives him an advantage off the tee. Woods just misses the chip but Mickelson misses another match-winning putt. Woods was facing a putt to extend the match, but Mickelson exclaims, "I don't want to win like this!" and concedes the halve of the hole. We will move to hole No. 22.

Hole 20: Par 3, 93 yards

The hole will be re-cut and will turn into a short par 3, with the putting green serving as the tee box. They will play this as many times as they need. 

Woods' tee shot goes long and off a spectator, landing in the rough. Mickelson is on the green with a birdie putt coming up. Woods' chip misses but doesn't land far from the hole. Mickelson has a 17 1/2-foot birdie putt to win but leaves it just short, so we will have a third playoff hole.

Hole 19: Par 5, 529 yards

The first extra hole will be a replay of No. 18. Woods' tee shot lands in the rough and near the trees but he gets out of it nicely onto the fairway. Mickelson — with a much better lie in the fairway — hits shot No. 2, finds the edge of the bunker but is lucky to escape the water. An excellent third shot by Woods puts him on the green with a very good chance at birdie. Long birdie putt coming up for Mickelson but he hits a clean shot out of the bunker.

Mickelson misses the birdie and concedes the par, giving Woods a chance to win it on this putt. Woods' potential winner is no good and we will go to a second sudden-death hole. 

Hole 18: Par 5, 529 yards

Early advantage for Woods after his tee shot lands on the fairway while Mickelson's goes into the rough. Mickelson recovers with a second shot that clears the water and lands on the green, but it will be a 32-foot eagle putt. Woods hits it long and lands on the fringe. He follows it up with a 45-foot eagle putt that rolls by the hole. Mickelson also misses, and his birdie putt will be slightly closer to the hole. Woods sinks the birdie putt and concedes the birdie to Mickelson. We will go to Hole 19! All square. 

Hole 17: Par 3, 151 yards

No challenge on this par-3, although Mickelson winds up closer to the hole. Woods responds with a clutch birdie chip from the fringe accompanied by an emphatic fist pump. Mickelson misses his birdie putt and we are all square heading to 18. All square.

Hole 16: Par 5, 622 yards

The behemoth 16th hole leads to a tough start for both golfers. Mickelson gets up and down for par, and Woods misses another medium-distance putt to halve the hole and keep Mickelson out in front. Woods has been visibly frustrated with putting today. Mickelson is 1 up. 

Hole 15: Par 4, 482 yards

Woods' drives continue to get better as the round goes on as he hits another fairway, but maybe he had the wrong club on an approach shot that landed short. Mickelson, who hit his to the left and in the gallery, finds himself with the better lie and concedes a par. Woods' par putt rims out as his putting struggles continue to outweigh his work off the tee. Mickelson reclaims the lead. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 14: Par 4, 493 yards

After both driving the ball into the bunker, Woods and Mickelson match each other again with shots onto the green to set up birdie chances. Two medium-length putts just miss and the hole is halved. All square. 

Hole 13: Par 3, 220 yards

Mickelson lets out an emphatic "Nice!" as he wins his third straight closest-to-the-pin challenge, this time for $300,000. Mickelson's run continues as he capitalizes on Woods' missed birdie putt with a 1-under of his own to draw even. All square.

Hole 12: Par 4, 405 yards

Early advantage for Woods as he outdrives Mickelson and lands in the fairway. Tiger's approach shot lands right next to the hole, yielding him a conceded birdie and putting the pressure on Mickelson to make a long birdie putt, which rolls past the hole. Woods has his first lead of the round. Woods is 1 up.

Hole 11: Par 4, 303 yards

A short par-4 results in both overshooting the green, which leads to Mickelson issuing a $200,000 bet if either eagles the hole. Once again, it doesn't come to fruition. Woods birdies and Mickelson misses his putt to halve. All square. 

Hole 10: Par 4, 437 yards

Another up-and-down for par by Woods and Mickelson, as the latter keeps his slight lead and his win probability increases by 1 percent as a result. Mickelson is 1 up.

Some entertaining Twitter content as well. Charles Barkley had some not-so-kind words earlier in the match, so Astros pitcher Justin Verlander gave him a challenge of his own, which Barkley accepted.

Hole 9: Par 4, 423 yards

Due to the pin location, Phil challenges $1 million if either one holes out their second shot for an eagle. Unsurprisingly, neither player gets an eagle. Woods' approach lands on the very back of the green while Mickelson's falls short and in the bunker, and both settle for pars. Mickelson's win probability moves up to 60 percent. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 8: Par 3, 183 yards

Another closest-to-the-pin challenge, this time for $200,000, and Mickelson comes away victorious again. Both birdie putts fall short, and Woods' par putt rims out, leading to Mickelson telling him to pick it up. It works out as Lefty sinks a par putt to put him back in the lead. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 7: Par 5, 571 yards

After some failed negotiations for a bet on the hole, Mickelson lands in his first bunker of the round on his second shot. He follows that up with a pitch into the next bunker. Woods' long eagle attempt nearly goes in and his birdie means Mickelson is forced to hole out his bunker shot, which he fails to do. All square.

Hole 6: Par 4, 507 yards

Similar results for both, as each tee shot exceeds 300 yards and Woods and Mickelson hit the green in regulation. Neither birdie putt falls in the cup, though, forcing the fifth halve in six holes. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 5: Par 3, 140 yards

The second challenge of the round will be $100,000 for the closest to the pin on this short par-3, which Woods said was agreed upon by both men. Mickelson's shot stops significantly closer to the pin and he will pocket  $100,000, which will go to charity. "So bad . . . so bad," Woods says about his tee shot. Despite the much easier birdie putt, Mickelson is short and earns a conceded par, while Woods two-putts to halve the hole despite losing the challenge. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 4: Par 5, 581 yards

The conversation between the two remains mostly friendly as Mickelson continues to drive the ball much better than Woods, who winds up in the rough for the second consecutive hole. Woods gains an advantage on shot No. 3 by placing the ball roughly 10 feet from the hole. Both wind up with a birdie. Mickelson is 1 up.

Many people remain less than thrilled with the small talk during the holes.

Hole 3: Par 4, 486 yards

Mickelson hits the ball much better throughout the hole, hitting a fairway on his first shot and a green in regulation, while Woods goes into the rough and makes the green in three. Woods saves par and Mickelson's missed birdie putt leads to a halve. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 2: Par 4, 435 yards

Woods outdrives Mickelson by 10 yards but both nearly miss the green on their approach shots and are forced to pitch. Mickelson saves par but Tiger's putt misses. Mickelson is 1 up.

Hole 1: Par 4, 393 yards

Mickelson won the poker-chip toss and has opted to hit first. Mickelson challenged Woods $200,000 that he will birdie this hole. Both Mickelson and Woods get on the green in two shots, despite the latter hitting his tee shot in the rough. Each misses the birdie put and concede a par, and Mickelson loses his challenge to Woods on the first hole. All square.

1:51 p.m.: Mickelson is in the building.

1:08 p.m.: We know who Shaq is pulling for today.

Author(s)
Jacob Janower
United States
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods
golf
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