Tiger Woods vs Phil Mickelson: $9m prize needed to replicate the buzz of a Major, says Mickelson

With the $9million winner-takes-all prize on offer, The Match between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods may have an element of the theatre of the grotesque to it.

But Mickelson said such high stakes for Friday’s event in Las Vegas were necessary to help replicate the buzz of a Major for the two dominant players of their generation.

Aside from the prize pot on offer — which works out at about £7m — the American duo will also dip into their own pockets for a series of in-game wagers, starting with a £150,000 bet from Mickelson that he will birdie the opening hole at Shadow Creek.

Mickelson said: “We don’t have the history of a Masters or a major championships, which is why the prize had to be so high because that creates an uncomfortable environment for us and creates pressure.”

Woods boasts 14 Majors to Mickelson’s five and, at the age of 42 and 48 respectively, many argue the lucrative match-up has come a good 15 years too late with both players in the twilight of their careers. Mickelson, however, defended the pay-per-view contest as golf’s attempt to do something different with the game.

“This event is designed to be a unique experience for the golf viewer and to have an insight into what goes on with the players to create a production from drone coverage to on-screen gambling, to live mics and interaction,” he said.

“It’s an insight into the game which you’re normally not able to see. It’s why it’s on pay-per-view because we had to eliminate commercials to have that insight in between the shot.

At the peak of their powers, Mickelson and Woods made no secret of their disdain for each other, even when paired together to play for the United States at the 2004 Ryder Cup.

The frost between them started to thaw back in 2015, when Woods was struggling with his game, leaving what appeared like false needle at yesterday’s pseudo weigh-in, complete with a stare-off akin to the more usual boxing and UFC contests in Vegas.

Mickelson argued that the resulting bragging rights were incentive enough to ensure an occasionally fraught encounter. “He’s the greatest of all time,” he said of his rival. “I’ve seen him do things with a golf ball that have never been done. I just don’t want to lose to him.

“Every time I see you I want to be able to rub it in. I don’t want it to be rubbed in. I want to sit in the champions’ locker room at Augusta and talk smack, I want that. This is my opportunity after losing so many majors to Tiger to get something back."

At times, Woods sounded like someone who had disturbed his holiday for a round of golf rather than preparing himself for the climax to a lengthy golfing rivalry.

“I was really looking forward to the break but I’m really looking forward to playing again,” he said. “I missed competing and being able to go against Phil like this. It gets my juices flowing.

“We’ve gone at it for over two decades and we’ve had our moments where there has either been a regular tour event or major championships where we’ve gone toe to toe with each other.

“I’ve always enjoyed knowing the fact that I was going against Phil over these years because I knew he was going to be tough.”