The rivalry between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods was more than just a battle of skills – it was a clash of mental toughness. Back in 1998, Mickelson had pulled off a prank on Woods, placing photocopied $100 bills in his locker with a mocking note, which created tension between the two legends. This animosity simmered for three years until it finally exploded at the 2001 Masters.

According to Steve Williams, Woods’s former longtime caddie, the pivotal moment came on Sunday’s back nine at Augusta National’s 13th hole. Woods had been practicing a massive sweeping hook for this hole all year and finally unleashed it on Sunday, outdriving Mickelson’s perfect drive with a 3-wood.

The psychological impact was immediate – Mickelson couldn’t process what had just happened and asked Woods, “Do you always hit a 3-wood that far?” Woods’s response was devastating: “Next time take the headcover off it.” The gallery erupted in laughter, and Williams called it “one of the best lines I’ve ever heard.” This moment completely destroyed Mickelson’s confidence, and he played the remaining five holes on even par while Woods pulled away to win by two shots. And this is not where Mickelson’s heartache ends.

In a similar vein, Grant Horvat recently shared a lighthearted story on his YouTube channel about choosing between Tiger Woods’s and Mickelson’s golf game while on a lie detector test – and his honest answer might surprise you: “I got asked Tiger or Phil on a lie detector… And I picked Tiger.” He further added, “It was like whose golf game would you rather have? I had to, and I was all hooked up… and that’s tough.” Ouch, talk about a tough spot!

The incident apparently put a tiny dent in Horvat and Mickelson’s friendship, but they’re working on mending it. “We’re recovering. We’re recovering. The relationship’s you’re mending it. It was broken for a second there. Strained,” Mickelson said, before repeating the reassuring phrase, “It’s recovering. It’s recovering.”

Mickelson added that the brief strain might’ve even been a good thing, saying, “You come back stronger… through any hardship.” But Mickelson being upset about the can seem ironic because the LIV superstar has stated that Woods’s game was his prime motivator.

Phil Mickelson once revealed that Tiger Woods’s game forced him to play his ‘best’

The six-time major champ has been in a funk lately, with erratic performances and a lackluster stint on the LIV Golf circuit. But could the missing ingredient be the rivalry that once fueled his greatness? For nearly two decades, Mickelson and Woods were like fire and gasoline – their competitive combustion pushed each other to new heights.

As Mickelson himself put it in a 2018 CNN interview, “I saw a level of play that I had never seen before. And I knew for me to be able to compete with that, I had to play my best.” He added, “It took a 100% dedication, and I feel like the wins and the success that I’ve had might not have been, very possibly would not be to that degree had he not come along.”

Their rivalry was the stuff of legend, culminating in a thrilling showdown in Las Vegas in 2018. But with Woods sidelined by injuries and surgeries, Mickelson seems to have lost his spark. Without the measuring stick of Woods beside him, Mickelson appears adrift – like a competitor without a worthy rival. Their rivalry might have mellowed with age, but it once served as the fuel for Mickelson’s greatness. Now, it’s hard not to wonder: can Mickelson reignite his competitive fire without the presence of his longtime rival, Tiger Woods? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comment section below!