Phil Mickelson Is Using His Power To Ensure He’s Paired With Tiger At Next Week’s Safeway Open

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Tiger Woods is officially back! The PGA announced today that Woods will be playing in next week’s Safeway Open at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California, to kick off the 2016-2017 season of the PGA. You know who else is playing in that tournament? Well, if you didn’t read the headline, then you’d be happy to know Phil Mickelson is also playing and he wants to play with Tiger for the first two rounds.

From ESPN:

Mickelson lobbied for such an occurrence — something that rarely happens at a regular PGA Tour event — when he heard Woods was possibly coming back. Mickelson’s management company, Lagadere, runs the Safeway tournament, and Phil has been known to have some influence.

You kept hearing it over and over during the Ryder Cup that Phil may not have been a captain, but he’s the one running the show behind the scenes. Now we have him using his connections to get himself the pairing that he wants. Phil does what Phil wants and no one can stop him so the Safeway Open really has no choice but to honor Phil’s demands.

Phil and Tiger haven’t been paired together in the first two rounds of a non-major/non-WGC tournament since the 1998 Nissan Open — a tournament in which Tiger lost in a playoff to Billy Mayfair and Phil tied for 52nd. This would be must-see TV. Two of the greats back at it again.

Image via Shutterstock

    1. Larry_Sellers

      He won’t in this first tournament, but he’ll eventually have a top 10 finish in some meaningless tournament and then ESPN and every sports media outlet is going to be hyping the “Tiger’s back!!!” narrative. He’ll then inevitably re-injure his back, knee, or something and miss the rest of the season. I wish he’d just stop and let me remember him as the dominant, intimidating player he used to be.

      8 years ago at 10:22 am
  1. LazyRican

    The legendary cheater and the degenerate gambler back at it again. Can’t wait to see this rivalry again.

    8 years ago at 10:01 am
  2. Tuco_1855

    Love this move. If Tiger hates the move, he’s not ready. The dominant Tiger thrived on pressure. If he doesn’t want to play with Phil, then his confidence is shit.

    8 years ago at 1:29 pm