Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, as far as golf fans know, have a pretty good relationship after a rivalry spanning decades.
But that doesn't mean they don't trash-talk each other, and Woods' latest needling might add plenty of insult to injury for the down-on-his-luck Mickelson.
The PGA Tour on Wednesday announced Woods finished first in the inaugural "Player Impact Program" (PIP) and was awarded $8 million.
The PIP, designed to measure who "generated the most positive interest in the PGA Tour," considered five metrics in its calculus: internet searches, earned media, social media, TV sponsor exposure and awareness. That Woods could finish first despite not having an official start since the 2020 Masters is insane.
As it pertains to Mickelson, though, the legendary left-hander finished second behind Woods and will take home $6 million for his efforts. Woods (again) beating out Mickelson on its own would be boast-worthy, but Woods' Wednesday trash talk was especially eye-popping for how he, frankly, made Mickelson look like a fool.
Back in late December, Mickelson bragged on Twitter he won the PIP. When asked about Tiger, Mickelson offered up a solid self-aware joke.
Regardless, Woods was ready to come off the top rope Wednesday afternoon once the news of his "win" became official.
All in good fun (we think?), but it's been a rough few weeks for Mickelson. He's currently on a hiatus (or a suspension?) after his attempts to create and join a renegade golf league backed by Saudi Arabia blew up in his face. Mickelson's explosive comments about the efforts for a new Saudi league went viral, leading the second-best golfer of his generation to offer a half-hearted apology. That wasn't enough to keep sponsors from jumping ship, though, as Mickelson lost a handful of business partners in the process.
Woods, meanwhile, looks and sounds good in his ongoing recovery from a near-fatal car crash a year ago. Woods probably won't be ready for the Masters in April, but a comeback can't be ruled out at this point. At this rate, his return to golf this year seems more likely than Mickelson's.
