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“The Match”: Tiger vs. Phil confirmed for Thanksgiving weekend…on PPV

Published

7 years ago

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Thanksgiving weekend is the date set for Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson, an event being called “The Match.” Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host the $9 million winner-take-all match. And for those not lucky enough to be able to attend the showdown, the match will be shown live on pay-per-view via DirectTV, B/R Live and other on-demand platforms.

The decision to broadcast the event on PPV has unsurprisingly not gone down too well with some golf fans. Many have taken to social media platforms to vent their disapproval.

Hours before the confirmation of the event, Phil Mickelson entered the Twittersphere, the timing unlikely to be a coincidence. “Lefty” took some time out of his day to draw Tiger into what is surely the lightest jabbing a PPV event has ever seen. One can only hope that the trash-talk ramps up a little the closer we get to Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Phil also confirmed via ESPN that the duo and their caddies will be mic’d up:

“With only two guys, we should have a total different experience with fans, because we will have smaller galleries that won’t necessarily have ropes that can walk inside the fairway and up near the greens. We’ll have mics on both us and our caddies and you’ll be able to hear all of the banter as well as commentating that will be more interactive. The idea is not just to have this great match but to have this interactive experience so fans can see something that they’ve never seen in televised golf before.”

While the event is winner-take-all, reports also say that Phil and Tiger will be able to make side bets throughout the match, with the winnings going to charity.

Las Vegas Superbook has released early odds on the showdown, making Woods a -180 favorite over Mickelson (+150).

Does the lack of money being staked personally by either man lessen your interest in the event? Is the decision to air the match on PPV a blown opportunity to grow the game? Will you be purchasing the match? Will Phil hang around on Twitter after Thanksgiving weekend?

Let us know what you think!

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at gianni@golfwrx.com.

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Tom

    Aug 25, 2018 at 1:45 am

    Two more “turkeys” on Thanksgiving..

    Reply Report comment

  2. HDTVMAN

    Aug 23, 2018 at 4:48 pm

    Will be in Vegas next month. WOW, who should I put my $$$ on? Last year I bet on Vegas to win the Stanley Cup at 100:1 and ALMOST won! Guess I’ll have to look at the odds and maybe put a few $$$ on both! Off hand I think Phil will put too much pressure on himself…guess Tiger gets the bets. Should be fun to watch…although I’ll find a bar as I’m not paying!!!!

    Reply Report comment

  3. Mark

    Aug 23, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    PPV and they’re not putting up their own money? No f’n way I’m watching this!

    Reply Report comment

  4. Andy

    Aug 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    In the promo graphic: Did Tiger hit the ball with the back of that left handed driver?

    Reply Report comment

  5. Majduffer

    Aug 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    Evidently these old duffers couldn’t get enough sponsors to fork over the bucks
    as they see this as a revenue loss. I will not pay to see golf on TV especially when these 2 dudes are the richest golfers. If they really cared about their fans, then they would put this on free TV. Shame on you Phil and Tiger.

    Reply Report comment

  6. ~j~

    Aug 23, 2018 at 10:56 am

    Is this thing organized by Dana White? Between holes we get to watch replay rounds of Connor vs Floyd as well?

    I was only mildly interested to begin with. Game changes drastically when its YOUR money on the line. Plus I’m willing to bet Tiger and Phil are already making money on this all kinds of ways before that $9M (what happened to $10M) will be decided.

    I love golf. I DVR every round and save the good ones. But this is tumbling down a major fail.
    Not to mention all the ‘banter’ is sure to curve the aesthetics of the game as well. Do they get to scream ‘Noonan’ on each others putts?

    Reply Report comment

  7. Lobber

    Aug 23, 2018 at 10:19 am

    It’s disappointing to see golf move into the world of pay for view. While it might be entertaining I have no interest in watching if it is priced like some of the PPV fights. If it is priced reasonably I might consider tuning in if I have family around for the holiday.

    Reply Report comment

  8. Kevin

    Aug 23, 2018 at 9:38 am

    I’m a die hard golf fan. i’ll watch pga, european, heck, i dvr’d last week lpga so i could get a look at the Brickyard course….

    i absolutely will not watch this match if its on PPV. This reeks of nothing more than a money grab for everyone involved while scrwing over the fans. i actually think going PPV will end up creating a little more animosity by fans towards tiger and phil.

    Reply Report comment

  9. Matty

    Aug 23, 2018 at 8:42 am

    Tiger or Phil don’t need the money, I think they want to put something on that will be fun to watch where the can be themselves. I bet the all the money either one of them receives will donated to Charity. There is so much hate in this forum from a much of fuddy duddys when ever Tigers name is brought up. I also agree that I would pay maybe 40 max to watch if its more than that then I my have a problem paying to see it.

    Reply Report comment

  10. BettiBoop

    Aug 23, 2018 at 6:35 am

    PPV…not a chance.

    Reply Report comment

  11. Pube-lic

    Aug 23, 2018 at 2:53 am

    PBS?

    Reply Report comment

  12. Robert H Olson

    Aug 23, 2018 at 1:19 am

    No Thanks! They are both worth millions, and they want us to PAY (again) to watch mediocre golf on TV????? None for me.

    Reply Report comment

  13. Rascal

    Aug 23, 2018 at 12:51 am

    This should be aired on the community access channel.

    Reply Report comment

  14. Tom

    Aug 23, 2018 at 12:25 am

    Will Phil be wearing one of those sweet long sleeve dress shirts, maybe with a tie and cuff links?

    Reply Report comment

  15. Wes

    Aug 22, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    I will be buying this 100%!!! I wish they both had to put up a million or so of their own money. All proceeds should be going to charity.

    Reply Report comment

  16. Steve

    Aug 22, 2018 at 10:17 pm

    Horrible decision IMO

    Reply Report comment

  17. KCNM

    Aug 22, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    Everyone needs to relax on the “I’m not paying to watch golf” trip until we see the price. If it’s $9,99, great. $129, not so great and deserving of grief.

    Reply Report comment

    • mike

      Aug 23, 2018 at 8:24 am

      gotta agree, they are trying to do something different, they run their own businesses who are we to tell them to make less money, and they combined have given more money to charity likely then all Golfwrxers combined. Ill happily pay 10-20 bucks for 4-5 hrs of this content, if they are trying to charge $80-$100 then its not too hard to find content for free online.

      Reply Report comment

    • Jlonz

      Aug 23, 2018 at 8:52 am

      I also agree, let’s wait on a price before we start complaining. I won’t mind paying $10-$20 to watch this. Kind of surprising though that this wasn’t just aired for public viewing and charging business $$$ for commercial slots.

      Reply Report comment

    • Kevin

      Aug 23, 2018 at 9:40 am

      When is the last time an event went to ppv for $9.99?

      Reply Report comment

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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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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See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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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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