Despite Their Long-Time Rivalry, Phil Mickelson Once Disclosed the Effect of Tiger Woods’ ‘Greatness’ on His Golfing Career

Published 11/11/2022, 4:00 AM EST

Tiger Woods has made tons of records on the field and has millions of fans worldwide. Another player who has made it to the list of legends in the sport is Phil Mickelson. Woods and Mickelson have had quite a history together. And there was a time when Mickelson opened up about how Woods had impacted his game.

Phil Mickelson revealed Tiger Woods’ impact on his game

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Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been the biggest rivals for a long time. Things even got to a point where Woods indirectly made some harsh statements about Mickelson and other golfers after the LIV Golf transition. However, Lefty didn’t react the way he usually does to other things. Moreover, he mentioned having immense respect for Woods and his opinions. And there was a time when Mickelson talked about how Tiger Woods helped to bring the best out of him in golf.

In an interview with the ‘Wall Street Journal’, Phil Mickelson gave all the credit to Tiger Woods for bringing longevity to him. “He [Tiger] brought out the best in me and forced me to work harder and focus to ultimately achieve the success that I’ve had…”, Mickelson said.

The golfer also stated that Woods was his inspiration to work out in the gym. He said, “This is another effect that Tiger had on the game of golf as far as being aware of fitness,”.

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The six-time major winner also revealed how he loved to compete against Woods. No matter how things have been between the two in terms of rivalry, Mickelson surely credits Woods big time for his success.

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Did Mickelson feel misfortune playing against Woods?

When the interviewer asked Mickelson if playing against Woods was his “misfortune”, his response brought a wave of positivity. He said, “Had Tiger not come around, I don’t feel I would have pushed myself to achieve what I ended up achieving,”. According to Mickelson, Woods was responsible for bringing out the best in every golfer, including him.

Woods and Mickelson might have been in the news for being against each other on professional grounds. But the two have always been there to support each other during hard times. And that is something that all their fans appreciate about them.

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Written by:

Joydeep Singh is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Management, he possesses a writing experience of more than four years now. Having picked up on following golf for quite some time now, his favorite is the legendary Tiger Woods, whose games he just does not miss.

Edited by:

Rohini Kottu

Despite Their Long-Time Rivalry, Phil Mickelson Once Disclosed the Effect of Tiger Woods’ ‘Greatness’ on His Golfing Career

Phil Mickelson revealed Tiger Woods’ impact on his game

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Did Mickelson feel misfortune playing against Woods?