Mickelson working on potential rematch with Woods

NEW YORK: American golfer Phil Mickelson got fans excited in the midst of a virtual halt to live sports by the coronavirus pandemic when he hinted at a rematch with longtime rival Tiger Woods.

Mickelson was asked on Twitter about the possibility of a round of golf against Woods being live streamed in the near future, and the left-hander replied here: “Working on it.”

When another fan tweeted to Mickelson asking him not to “tease”, the 49-year-old responded: “I don’t tease. I’m kinda a sure thing.”

Woods and Mickelson first squared off in an exhibition match under the floodlights at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas in November 2018.

Mickelson, whose tally of five major championships is well shy of the 15 held by Woods, ended up winning the match and the $9 million payout on the fourth playoff hole.

Last October, Mickelson said he would be interested in playing with Woods again.

“I really enjoyed it,” he told South China Morning Post.

“I hope that Tiger and I will do more events like that in the future with partners, because we didn’t have enough talking between us and I think that a partner will have more interaction.

“(The partners) could be other athletes, that would bring a certain element, too.”

The PGA Tour season currently remains suspended until the end of May, while the Masters and the PGA Championship have both been postponed over coronavirus concerns.

Elsewhere, Augusta National golf Club said on Monday it is donating $2 million to assist the Augusta area in the fight against the coronavirus that has already forced it to postpone the Masters tournament it typically hosts every April.

The club, the only permanent home for one of golf’s four majors, said $1 million would go to Augusta University to help expand coronavirus testing, while another $1 million would go to the Central Savannah River Area’s recently-launched COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

“It is our hope these gifts will help address the many challenges brought about by the coronavirus throughout the city of Augusta and the greater region,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in a new release.

“We believe Augusta National has an important responsibility to support and protect the community who has so generously and consistently supported us for many years.”