Woods, Mickelson plot $10M showdown

If they can’t make it happen in a tournament, they will make it happen for television.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are planning to face off in an 18-hole match in which the winner takes home $10 million, Golf.com reported. The showdown between two of golf ’s most popular athletes was originally scheduled for July 3 in Las Vegas, but the details surrounding the match’s TV rights and corporate sponsorships reportedly weren’t settled in time.

Mickelson confirmed the two sides are working to get it back on the calendar.

Mickelson floated the idea of going head-to-head with Woods after the two were paired for the first two rounds of the Players Championship in May. It’s clear now that Mickelson knew his words likely would soon come to fruition, after the rivals first discussed the matchup during a practice round ahead of the Masters in April, according to Golf.com.

“Why don’t we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head to head and just have kind of a high-stakes, winner-take-all match?’’ Mickelson said after a practice round in the week leading up to the Players.

Mickelson, who turned 48 in June, and Woods, 42, have been battling each other on the PGA Tour for years, but only recently have they been open about their appreciation for each other as competitors and friends.

“Nobody respects and appreciates what he’s done for the game more because nobody’s benefited from what he’s done for the game of golf more than I have,’’ Mickelson said of Woods at the Masters. “I’ve always had that appreciation and respect for him. To see him back out playing is incredible. We all feel that.”

Mickelson said he envisions the head-to-head debut blossoming into a handful of exhibition matches each year, so he, with his four major championships, can get a piece of the 14-time major winner.