News
Mickelson rips 17-year-old for revealing wager amount
By now, you’ve probably heard Phil Mickelson offer his take on the Ryan Ruffels story of a gentlemanly wager between the veteran and budding pro.
To recap, Ruffles told the Sydney Morning Herald:
“We get on the first tee, it’s pretty early in the morning and he says, ‘I don’t wake up this early to play for any less than $2500’,” Ruffels recalled of a friendly offer made to him by Mickelson.
The 42-time U.S. PGA Tour winner gave Ruffels 2-1 odds; if Ruffels won, Mickelson would give him $5000, if he lost, Ruffels would have to pay up $2500 when he turned professional.
“I was a few down through nine but then I birdied six of my last seven to win by one shot and took his money, so that was pretty cool,” Ruffels said with a laugh.
And while he backpedaled after the story hit the press, Phil Mickelson was none too happy with the 17-year-old’s loose lips, stating the wager amount had been exaggerated, and adding:
“He’s got some things to learn. One of them is you don’t discuss certain things. You don’t discuss specifics of what you play for. And you certainly don’t embellish and create a false amount just for your own benefit. So those things right there are — that’s high school stuff, and he’s going to have to stop doing that now that he’s out on the PGA Tour.”
Discussing the situation, Trent from Barstool Sports hits the nail on the head:
You pretty much never hear pro golfers discuss how much money they’re playing each other for. Do we wanna know? Of course we do. That’s part of the appeal. Hearing about rich people throwing their money around like it’s nothing always makes for a good story. But that doesn’t mean you go running your mouth to the media about how you took Lefty for four figures. Big no no. Gentlemen’s game means gentlemen’s agreements. You especially shouldn’t flap your gums like that when you indulge how much you actually won off the guy. All sorts of bad ideas from young Ryan Ruffels.
However, in the pantheon of gentlemanly conduct, isn’t there something about not talking about money in general? Or at the very least, not disclosing the ludicrous amount of cash you’re carrying, as Mickelson has done multiple times, most recently telling Golf Digest that he had $8,100 in his pocket.
So, for Mickelson, it’s OK that stories of your gambling are tour legend, just as long as the amounts wagered aren’t public knowledge? Shane Ryan wrote an article for ESPN last year titled “Money Matches with Phil Mickelson,” for goodness sake, detailing Phil’s Tuesday cash games.
Mickelson, as emissary of the tour’s unwritten rules, takes issue with Ruffles for discussing the amount of a wager (and seemingly embellishing that amount). And while from the tour pro’s conduct standpoint, he’s absolutely right that Ruffles talked about something that isn’t talked about, isn’t it somewhat odd and incongruent that stories of cash and gambling are so prevalent (especially involving Mickelson)?
Or am I missing something?
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Aaron Rai upset the odds to win his first major championship on Sunday at Aronimink, firing a final round of 5-under par to see off his competitors and claim the winner’s check for $3,690,000.
Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley were the best of the chasing pack, with both men sharing runner-up spot which was good enough for each to receive a check for $1,804,000.
With a total prize purse of $20.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 PGA Championship.
Players who missed the PGA Championship cut each received $4,300 each.
1: Aaron Rai, $3,690,000
T2 : Jon Rahm, $1,804,000
T2 : Alex Smalley, $1,804,000
T4: Justin Thomas, $843,866
T4: Ludvig Aberg, $843,866
T4: Matti Schmid, $843,866
T7: Cameron Smith, $637,050
T7: Rory McIlroy, $637,050
T7: Xander Schauffele, $637,050
T10: Kurt Kitayama, $496,707
T10: Chris Gotterup, $496,707
T10: Justin Rose, $496,707
T10: Patrick Reed, $496,707
T14: Matt Fitzpatrick, $364,762
T14: Scottie Scheffler, $364,762
T14: Max Greyserman, $364,762
T14: Ben Griffin, $364,762
T18: Maverick McNealy, $229,128
T18: Jordan Spieth, $229,128
T18: Stephan Jaeger, $229,128
T18: Padraigh Harrington, $229,128
T18: David Puig, $229,128
T18: Harris English, $229,128
T18: Min Woo Lee, $229,128
T18: Joaquin Niemann, $229,128
T26: Nick Taylor, $125,523
T26: Alex Noren, $125,523
T26: Cameron Young, $125,523
T26: Andrew Novak, $125,523
T-26: Daniel Hiller, $125,523
T26: Tom Hoge, $125,523
T26: Sam Burns, $125,523
T26: Hideki Matsuyama, $125,523
T26: Bud Cauley, $125,523
T35: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $78,805
T35: Patrick Cantlay, $78,805
T35: Ryo Hisatsune, $78,805
T35: Daniel Berger, $78,805
T35: Ryan Fox, $78,805
T35: Haotong Li, $78,805
T35: Aldrich Potgieter, $78,805
T35: Si Woo Kim, $78,805
T35: Martin Kaymer, $78,805
T44: Chris Kirk, $53,743
T44: Matt Wallace, $53,743
T44: Shane Lowry, $53,743
T44: Jhonattan Vegas, $53,743
T44: Denny McCarthy, $53,743
T44: Chandler Blachet, $53,743
T44: Taylor Pendrith, $53,743
T44: Dustin Johnson, $53,743
T44: Nicolai Hojgaard, $53,743
T44: Michael Kim, $53,743
T44: Kristoffer Reitan, $53,743
T55: Collin Morikawa, $34,186
T55: Corey Conners, $34,186
T55: Andrew Putnam, $34,186
T55: Brooks Koepka, $34,186
T55: Mikael Lindberg, $34,186
T60: Sami Valimaki, $29,218
T60: Sahith Theegala, $29,218
T60: Rico Hoey, $29,218
T60: Rickie Fowler, $29,218
T60: Brian Harman, $29,218
T65: Casey Jarvis, $26,900
T65: Jason Day, $26,900
T65: Rasmus Hojgaard, $26,900
T65: Keith Mitchell, $26,900
T65: Sam Stevens, $26,900
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Fran
Jul 25, 2020 at 9:23 am
This is Mr Smith. IRS agent. The bureau would like to sit with you and mr Nickolson to discuss reportable gambling winnings.
BW
Aug 6, 2020 at 3:57 am
Why is Phil mad? It’s because he almost went to jail for insider trading. Why did he engage in insider trading? He owed his bookie money and “for example, according to a sworn statement by Mickelson’s business manager, on Sept. 19, 2012, Michelson paid Walters $1,950,000 to cover a debt ‘related to sports gambling.'” (from GolfDigest).
So why would Phil risk everything for an insider trade that earned him $930,000 when he is worth hundreds of millions? Your guess is as good as mine, but he got off without going to jail (because he ratted out the bookie)–and I imagine the PGA told him “no more gambling.” So now a 17 year old tells the world that Phil is still gambling…and now you know why Phil may be angry…
Dave
Jul 19, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Really this story is what CNN would post and talk about it all day. Goofy
Busterpar
Feb 3, 2016 at 10:27 am
Typical Figjam. Take the kid aside in private and talk to him in a classy manner…..but then there is no cameras around to capture that smarmy public grin.
Benny
Feb 2, 2016 at 7:23 pm
While we all agree if we had the cash Lefty does we would most likely all make bets like this. The issue is Phil made a dumb bet here. The kid is 17, what did he expect, that the kid was gonna keep his mouth shut and there is some code of honor when the kid was just in highschool weeks ago? Seriously Phil, use your brain. You wouldn’t buy a 17 yr old booze, you wouldn’t sleep with a 17yr old girl, you certainly don’t bring a 17yr old to a bar or casino so why in the world would you bet a 17yr that amount of cash and act like a prick about it when he blabs the story. Its a friggen kid guys, for real. Who cares what you “would” or “should” have done, he is a kid and Phil showed his ignorance. Even if the kid lied about the amounts (which we know wasn’t a lie).
mc3jack
Feb 6, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Nailed it. Part of the wager was . . . “and I’m a 17 year old kid who’s gonna crow if you lose, FIGJAM.”
Think anybody kept their mouth shut back in the day when pros like Hagen and everybody else made their living gambling against local Joes?
What a douche.
Other Paul
Feb 1, 2016 at 10:03 pm
Pretty sure if i beat “The lefty” then this lefty would be very ungentleman like and posted it to facebook.
But i probably wouldn’t have mentioned any money. I think the moral of the story is to never bet a cash amount but always a % of taxable income.
Johny Thunder
Feb 1, 2016 at 8:14 pm
I hope some of you are joking – about Phil’s gambling and needing a gun and bodyguard for his wallet. According to Forbes, Phil made $51 million in 2015.
The math is easy – if Phil loses $5000 gambling, that’s the equivalent to a person earning $100k/yr losing $10.
The correct answer is: discussing “money” is something that “gentlemen” do frequently. “Money”, though, more in the abstract. Discussing specific amounts like that is considered impolite. You’ll notice the announcers will say “xxx won a few dollars of xxx in the practice round”, where a few dollars could be over $10k.
Vito
Feb 1, 2016 at 6:18 pm
Calling a 17 year old out in the media is not exactly gentlemanly. Let’s call a spade a spade. Phil has some growing up to do himself.
ShankN3Jack
Feb 1, 2016 at 10:24 am
The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.
Bob
Feb 1, 2016 at 9:39 am
Shady middle aged golf shark challenges teenagers to money games cries foul after they beat him.
Jeff*
Jan 31, 2016 at 4:19 pm
I have to say, first article that makes me feel old. There’s a clear generation understanding gap going on here. If you don’t see why Phil wasn’t pleased, you’re a child. If you sided with Phil, grown-up. Uh-oh, that’s gonna be trouble.
Jeff*
Jan 31, 2016 at 4:17 pm
All the Mickelson hate doesn’t change the fact that you just can’t buy cool, can’t buy class or “it.” I don’t read the same things in these articles most of you seem to anyway. If I won some money of a legend of the game, you’d simply never, ever hear me confirm or deny it. Let everyone else guess the numbers. The kid should have said, “I just played a round of golf with Phil Mickelson.” The money was Phils way of making him feel included, like a member of the club, and the kid blew it.
I would wager that all the Phil backlash comes from Ryan Ruffles aged kids who simply have no idea what he did wrong. You don’t have to exclude folks to have class. Like I was saying, it just can’t be taught. I guarantee Jordan Split never had the problem with keeping his mouth shut around the big boys.
ooffa
Jan 31, 2016 at 2:46 pm
Phil = degenerate gambler
moses
Jan 31, 2016 at 2:10 am
Poor form on the kid to reveal the bet amount etc but hey he’s 17. How mature were we at 17?
Really poor form on Phil betting $5000 with a minor.
jakeanderson
Jan 31, 2016 at 5:15 pm
no. very poor behavior from mickleson. first he forces a wager upon a kid (is it even legal?), then the kid wins, tells the story and mickelson rips him? i say that shows what mickelsons values are.
Shawn M
Sep 16, 2020 at 9:03 am
Totally agree
jakeanderson
Jan 30, 2016 at 5:56 am
very poor form from phickleson. first he takes a gamble and then he feels embarassed by it. boo!
christian
Jan 30, 2016 at 5:18 am
Isn’t gambling wholly un-gentlemanly in the first place?
K
Jan 30, 2016 at 2:31 am
Not a big deal. Good story, and Phil saying this is the worst thing he could have done. People make bets. Casino’s exist because of it.
Secondly, the amount? Not major. I played with a couple members who had $5000 presses going on.
Phil, if someone tells a story about you. Dear god, go with it.
Double Mocha Man
Jan 29, 2016 at 11:33 pm
If Phil is carrying $8000 cash I hope he’s also carrying a pistol and/or has a bodyguard.
Cares
Jan 29, 2016 at 10:28 pm
Ben,
I’ve ripped your articles before…but this was a good one. Keep up the good work
Lob Wege
Jan 29, 2016 at 7:57 pm
Another great rip off article. C’mon GolfWRX!
MarkB A
Jan 31, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Typical Ben stuff.
alexdub
Jan 29, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Good on Phil. I like that he took the time to educate the youngster. Once bitten, twice shy; right? Every tour player—Woods and Phil included—had to go through the learning process.
I don’t see the position he took as contradictory. Remember, cash gambling between individuals is against the law. From a legal stand point, saying ‘I have XXXX amount of money on me’, or, ‘I play cash games on Tuesdays’ is far different that saying ‘I played for $5k against this person on this day.’
Mike
Jan 29, 2016 at 2:01 pm
“Gentlemen’s game means gentlemen’s agreements.” Weird, wasn’t he was almost banned from Augusta National for not paying up on a bet to a member? Wonder where that falls in the “gentlemen’s rules”?
Nick
Feb 8, 2016 at 1:54 pm
He was. My favorite Phil story of them all.
Yikes
Sep 22, 2020 at 10:45 am
Wasn’t that Augusta story an April Fool’s hoax?: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/phil-mickelson/
Keith
Jan 29, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Kid has a lot to learn about the PGA tour, and of all people to have loose lips about it is Phil. He’s notorious for money matches, I’ve even heard stories of him making bets during tournament rounds with other pros. The thing is that they all do it, for them its like an average guy playing a 5 dollar Nassau but the kid needs to be hush about it. As far as amount bet on that round Phil is probably the one downplaying it he definitely won’t show up for less then 2500 lol
Matt
Jan 29, 2016 at 11:53 am
Doesn’t surprise me, Lefty’s had a gambling problem for years.
Jay
Jan 30, 2016 at 7:28 pm
It’s not a problem if you’re worth millions. $5000 is loose change to him
Mike
Feb 8, 2016 at 1:56 pm
What about the money laundering charges? Probably not related, I guess.