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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?
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
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- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
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See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
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WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
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Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
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The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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.