Almost every golf fan would know about the iconic rivalry between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Former PGA Tour pro and Golf Channel reporter Brandel Chamblee poked at that very subject when speaking about a completely different topic. Chamblee painted a picture that sharply contrasts Woods’ guarded public persona with the version fellow players experience on the course. Yet within that praise, he revealed Woods’ feelings about Lefty.

“I can tell you this, everybody who plays with him on the PGA Tour loves playing golf with him. He is respectful. He’s nice. He doesn’t big-time people. He doesn’t do little things to intimidate you. He’s not obsequious, but nor is he overtly disrespectful,” Chamblee said on the Indo Spot podcast.

“He’s to the person, maybe other than Phil Mickelson, but everybody who’s played with him comes away and says I can’t believe you know what a good dude he is and he’s a dude, you know, he’s a cap on backward video game playing guy, but everybody I know likes him. The combative relationship he has with the media would suggest otherwise, but he’s a completely different person inside the ropes to his peers. And they all respect him, and they all love him, and they all look up to him.”

Many professionals have shared their experience of playing with Tiger Woods. Bubba Watson, for example, said that it was the “thrill of a lifetime” after he played with the Big Cat during the 2007 Torrey Pines practice round. Woods joined casually and later invited him to dinner. This reflects exactly the kind of gesture Brandel Chamblee is talking about.

The same goes for Geoff Ogilvy, Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, and many other professionals. Even today, many professionals, including Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and others, spend a lot of time with the 15x major champion.

However, his treatment of Phil Mickelson is slightly different because of their long-standing rivalry. It started in 1998 when Mickelson won a practice round bet worth $500 and teased Woods by leaving photocopied $100 bills in his locker. And even after all these years, their relationship has not improved much. When Lefty wrote a note for Woods after his 2019 Masters win, the 82x PGA Tour winner never replied.

Brandel Chamblee himself isn’t too fond of the 45x PGA Tour winner. He once said that Mickelson’s choices, especially around LIV Golf, tilted golf toward “catastrophic greed.”

Yet, it would be wrong to say that Woods and Mickelson do not hold mutual respect. They even warmed up to each other in 2016 during the preparations for the Ryder Cup. Mickelson was participating in the tournament, whereas Woods was serving as one of the assistant captains. The phone calls regarding strategies brought both closer. After that, their first practice round together came at the 2018 Masters tournament after a two-decade gap.

Now, Phil Mickelson was never a part of Tiger Woods’ inner circle. However, they did play many events, especially majors, together. But even that record is now being broken.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are both absent from the 2026 Masters

In 1994, Phil Mickelson skipped the Masters Tournament because of a skiing injury. At the time, Tiger Woods had not debuted; he did so in 1995. Thus, neither of the two veterans was in the field at the 1994 Masters.

Since then and until 2025, either of the two has always played the season’s opening major. After making his debut, the 5x Masters champion didn’t play in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2025, but Phil Mickelson did. Now, after 32 years since 1994, the two will be absent from the field together for the first time at the 2026 Masters.

Phil Mickelson released a statement on April 1, 2026, saying he couldn’t participate for personal reasons. Although the reasons are not clear, many people are speculating that his wife, Amy Mickelson, is struggling with cancer.

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, has stepped away from public life after his latest DUI arrest on March 27, 2026. He gave a statement through social media on March 31, 2026, saying he will focus on his health and come back stronger.