An unlikely pairing
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been longtime rivals, rarely friends and hardly ever partners. So when they played together during a practice round at The Masters, it created quite the buzz.
AUGUSTA, GA. — The power off the tee and the sharpness with his short game made him look like the Tiger Woods of old. The smile on his face and the company he kept Tuesday at the Masters — a practice round with Phil Mickelson — suggested someone entirely different.
Woods and Mickelson had not played together at Augusta National since 2009, and even then it wasn’t by choice. They were paired in the final round, and while neither won the green jacket, Lefty shot 67 and got him by one shot.
This time they were partners, and it wasn’t a fair fight against Fred Couples and Thomas Pieters.
Never mind that Mickelson hit his opening tee shot at No. 10 behind a magnolia tree. Unlike that failed foursomes match they played at Oakland Hills in the 2004 Ryder Cup, Mickelson had to play the next shot, too.
The two loudest roars that shattered the morning calm came from Woods making eagle on the two par 5s at No. 13 and No. 15.
“I made a few birdies in there,” Mickelson said. “We had a five-hole stretch. We were 7 under. That was some fun play.”
This was only a snapshot, and it received far more attention because of the stage at Augusta National and the two leading characters. Woods and Mickelson have been longtime rivals, rarely friends and hardly ever partners.
But it’s not just with Mickelson.
Woods has become a mentor to Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler among other youngsters. Long respected by his peers as the greatest player of his generation, he now has formed relationships with them. Padraig Harrington hardly recognized Woods at Torrey Pines earlier this year when he saw him walk onto the range, exchange a few high-fives and stop to chat.
Woods turned 42 at the end of last year. He has been away from golf for much of the last few years because of his four back surgeries. The Masters will be the first major he plays since the PGA Championship in August 2015.
Perhaps, as Harrington suggested, he simply has mellowed.
“I think they just missed my sharp needle,” Woods said. “This is just like a fraternity. When somebody gets hurt and someone gets sick, we bond. We come and try to support them as best we possibly can. Because we all know what it takes to be at this elite level.”
Regardless, he has come a long way in a short amount of time.
Only last year, Woods said he had trouble just sitting through the dinner at the Masters Club of past champions because of pain from his lower back shooting down his legs. That hurt about as much as being at Augusta National without his clubs for the second straight year, not knowing when or even if he would return.
The low point came last summer when he was arrested on a DUI charge in Florida after police found him asleep behind the wheel, his car parked awkwardly on the side of the road with the engine still running. Woods was found to have a mix of prescription pills to help with pain and sleep. He sought treatment, and then perhaps the best therapy was being among players as an assistant captain at the Presidents Cup.
“I don’t know the reasoning, but I think your assertion that he has a lot of great relationship with a lot of players, I think that’s accurate,” Mickelson said. “His relationships with the guys on the team are extremely close.”
That includes Mickelson, of course.
The last practice round they played together, as best as Mickelson can recall, was 20 years ago at the Nissan Open when it was played at the TPC Valencia. Mickelson tricked him into hitting the wrong club late in their match and took $500 off him. If that wasn’t enough, he photocopied the five $100 bills, added smiley faces and wrote, “Just wanted you to know Benji and his friends are very happy in their new home.” And that was their last practice round at a tournament — until Tuesday.