Rahm slams Tiger shootout
RYDER CUP star John Rahm is the latest big-name golfer to criticise Tiger Woods’ Las Vegas showdown with Phil Mickelson.
Woods and Mickelson will go head-to-head in the match play shootout at Shadow Creek tonight.
A cool £7m will go to the winner with the proceeds from lucrative side bets, including one of £155,000 on the first hole, reportedly going to charity.
The event is not open to the public but will be available on pay-per-view with both players wearing microphones so that viewers can listen in.
Sixteen years ago, Woods and Mickelson were ranked first and second in the world. But they are now 13th and 27th respectively, have a combined age of 90 and were last seen together scoring no points from six matches at the Ryder Cup.
Interest from fellow players has been lukewarm with Justin Thomas saying there was, “Zero per cent chance” he would be watching.
Rory McIlroy added: “Fifteen years ago it would have been great but I think nowadays, it missed the mark a little bit.”
Rahm says he will be tuning in. But the Spaniard, who beat Woods in the singles to help Europe to Ryder Cup glory in Paris, claimed: “I feel like this match is 10 years too late. Maybe when they were both in their prime it would have been amazing.”
Englishman Eddie Pepperell went even further labelling the event “pathetic”. He said: “This is everything golf shouldn’t be doing right now. One man earning £7m isn’t attractive.
“This putrid attempt at attention will turn out futile for everyone.”
Rahm is at least looking forward to the banter between the former foes, who have long since buried the hatchet.
He said: “The funny thing is that Phil can trash talk to anybody and back it up with his career accomplishments.
“The only thing he has on Tiger is that he won on the PGA Tour as an amateur – 1991 Tucson Open – but 14 Majors and 80 PGA Tour events are a lot more valuable than that.
“I think Tiger’s always going to have the upper hand there and, knowing
Phil, it will bother him that he’s not the man in power.”