Tiger Woods’ arch rival Phil Mickelson reveals interaction they had during the Open Championship: “It’s not like we’re going to sit there and chat”

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson took different paths at the Royal Troon Golf Club. While Mickelson is still playing in the Open Championship, Woods missed the cut. But the course was also the site of another event that affected both stars.

Mickelson and Woods were spotted warming up side by side on the Royal Troon range during the Open Championship. Although they seemed to be ignoring each other, that wasn't quite the case.

Phil Mickelson spoke to Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated about the incident. He confirmed that he and Woods had a little interaction at the time:

"We said hi. Yeah, we said hi, but we were both preparing. It’s not like we’re going to sit there and chat. But we said hello, yeah."

The reporter noted that this is probably the first interaction Mickelson and Woods have had in years. It is well known that the two have had a fierce rivalry for virtually their entire careers, which has led to a distant, almost non-existent relationship.

Moreover, the two stars represent the two extremes of the current controversy in men's professional golf. While Mickelson is one of the most important players in LIV Golf, Woods is a player director and part of the PGA Tour's negotiating team in the talks with the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: The Rivalry

Woods and Mickelson began their respective careers in the 1990s. By the time Woods arrived on the PGA Tour, Mickelson was already a star, but Woods quickly joined him in golfing stardom.

Since then, the two have faced off in countless tournaments, mostly on the PGA Tour. However, according to NUCLR Golf Stats data, they have only finished 1-2 in official tournaments nine times.

In those events, Mickelson leads with five wins to Woods' four. Let's take a look:

1998 Sentry Tournament of Champions: Phil Mickelson
1999 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: Tiger Woods
2000 Farmers Invitational: Phil Mickelson
2000 Tour Championship: Phil Mickelson
2001 Arnold Palmer Invitational: Tiger Woods
2002 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods
2005 Ford Championship at Doral: Tiger Woods
2007 Deutsche Bank Championship: Phil Mickelson
2009 Tour Championship: Phil Mickelson

Mickelson has been playing golf professionally since 1992. His career includes 57 victories, 45 of them on the PGA Tour. He has won six major championships and is one US Open victory short of a career Grand Slam.

Woods, on the other hand, has been a professional since 1996 and has won 110 tournaments, 82 of them on the PGA Tour. He has won 15 major championships and is one of only two players (along with Jack Nicklaus) to complete the career Grand Slam three times.