Depsite Admitting Tiger Woods Destroyed His Win Rate, Phil Mickelson Once Revealed His True Feelings About Their Fierce Rivalry: ‘Wouldn’t Have Pushed Myself as Hard’

Published 10/22/2022, 6:00 PM EDT

Phil Mickelson is known for his fearless attitude. Being probably one of the most straightforward players of all time, Mickelson was once questioned about how his rivalry with the golfing legend, Tiger Woods, affected him.

Lefty was quick to address this rivalry against Righty, a.k.a, Tiger Woods. He viewed the issue in a positive tone and made all of us think of it in a completely different light than most would imagine.

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‘I probably would have won some more tournaments’ Phil Mickelson on rivalry with Woods

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are both two of golf’s most popular faces, in contemporary times. This duo, however, has not always been on friendly terms.

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There was a time when the two had a rivalry against one another. Things were just not the same for the pro golfers and the rest of the golfing world around this time.

However, with time, their relationship has evolved through thick and thin. Mickelson was once asked what he thinks of his old rivalry with Woods.

As a matter of fact, against all our apprehension, Phil actually decided to show the world the brighter side of the matter at hand. He appreciated Tiger Woods for pushing him to work harder and be better at the game.

Lefty said, “He brought out the best in me because he forced me and everybody else to get better. That type of challenge, that type of drive, he instilled in a lot of us. I really enjoyed the fact that I had a chance to play against him, and granted, I probably would have won some more tournaments. But, I wouldn’t have pushed myself as hard.”

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Phil was not far behind in giving the young generation of golfers a piece of insightful advice. He described the importance of multiple aspects of one’s health and well-being that help improve their game. Mickelson also continued to appreciate Woods for his contribution to the game of golf.

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He said, “To be the greatest or to be the best at your sport it has to be all-encompassing. You have to have the physical skill, and the work ethic obviously. But you also have to have the mental focus- the ability to be calm and the ability to hyper-focus on your task. As well as, the nutritional part-the part that I lacked. Because of Tiger, we, as a tour, have grown exponentially greater than I ever imagined. He brought us from the back page of USA today to the front page. That was really a big thing for the sport of golf.”

Mickelson and his move to LIV Golf

Phil Mickelson is one of the most well-known golfers of our time. His skill is unmatched by probably anyone in this generation. So obviously, when he defected to LIV Golf, it made heads turn.

Phil Mickelson explained the reason for his move by saying, “This new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative…”

Phil also pointed out how this allowed him to introspect and be present for the people he cared about. However, Phil did not give up on his lifetime membership and is fighting hard to not do so.

What do you think about Phil Mickelson’s views on Tiger Woods? Share your views in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Daiemah is a golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having been writing since the age of 12, she has had a keen interest in Golf. Daiemah admires Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, and would love to see more women excel in the sport.

Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

Depsite Admitting Tiger Woods Destroyed His Win Rate, Phil Mickelson Once Revealed His True Feelings About Their Fierce Rivalry: ‘Wouldn’t Have Pushed Myself as Hard’

‘I probably would have won some more tournaments’ Phil Mickelson on rivalry with Woods

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Mickelson and his move to LIV Golf