The Phil Mickelson-Tiger Woods rivalry has dominated golf headlines for years. But there’s another side to that story, an inspirational one about how competition creates greatness. Former LIV golfer Pat Perez added to it, sharing how Woods not only dominated Lefty, but he transformed him into a Hall of Famer, as we all know now.
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“The intimidation factor that Tiger had is like nothing; you know, you might not see it again,” Perez told hosts on the Golf Subpar Podcast on February 5th. “As great as Phil is, Tiger pushed him right here. He’s got 46 wins, six majors, and won one at 50.”
Between the two of them, they have 127 PGA Tour wins and 21 major championships. The last major came in 2021 when Mickelson won the PGA Championship at 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days, becoming the oldest major winner.
In their early pairings from 2006 to 2009, Woods consistently edged Mickelson by narrow margins—71 to 73, 68 to 75, and 72 to 71. Overall, in rounds where both played in the same group head-to-head on the PGA Tour, the stats were as follows:
Woods shot a lower round 19 times
Mickelson shot lower 15 times
They tied 4 times.
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Mickelson hired swing coach Butch Harmon in 2007, the same coach who had worked with Woods; he overhauled his fitness routine and sharpened his short game. The move paid off immediately, as Lefty won his first Players Championship that spring.
At the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Mickelson shot 64 to Woods’ 75, an 11-stroke demolition that earned him the nickname “Tiger Slayer.” It wasn’t luck. It was the result of years spent responding to Woods’s game.
“He owned me head-to-head until ’07. Over the course of my career, I believe that he pushed me to achieve a higher level of play,” Mickelson admitted in 2015. It wasn’t just respect; it was recognition that his entire career trajectory had been shaped by one rival’s dominance.
Five years later, at the 2017 PGA Championship, Mickelson revealed just how profound Woods’s influence was.
“He forced everybody to work a little bit harder. He forced everybody to look at fitness as a big part of the game of golf, and I think that’s actually helped me with longevity,” Mickelson said. “I don’t think I would have had the same level of success had he not come around.”
Tiger Woods also helped Phil Mickelson elongate his career by pushing him to do better. He even said that the 15x major winner pushed him to swing harder. It was not just Mickelson who felt this. Ernie Els, who finished second to Woods multiple times in majors, echoed the sentiment.
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AKRON, OH – AUGUST 01: Phil Mickelson (L) and Tiger Woods pose for a picture during a preview day of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club South Course at on August 1, 2018 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
“This guy was so special, and he absolutely changed the game. He got us to really elevate our games,” Els said.
The respect was mutual, though, as Tiger Woods also acknowledged how Phil Mickelson’s success pushed him.
“It has always pushed me,” Woods admitted of Lefty’s success in 2019. “My entire career, and Phil will probably attest to this, we’ve always looked at the board to figure out where one another are. So we’ve always had that type of enjoyment of competing against one another.”
The rivalry that defined an era continues to shape both legends. Today, their paths have diverged, but the transformation Woods sparked in Mickelson remains his lasting legacy.
Absence now, return expected—Phil Mickelson still wants to play
Phil Mickelson is still very committed to competing, even though he missed the first two LIV Golf events because of a family health issue. He stressed that he and his wife needed to stay home, but he also said he was looking forward to getting back to work and competing again soon.
Mickelson’s announcement made it clear that there is a balance between personal priorities and professional passion. Although family matters forced him to leave Riyadh and Adelaide. The HOF later stated that he “can’t wait to compete again” and looks forward to rejoining his teammates as soon as possible.
Mickelson’s drive won’t go down because he isn’t playing. The six-time major champion has shown time and again that he loves to compete, whether on the PGA Tour or in LIV Golf’s ever-changing landscape. This suggests that his competitive fire is still strong, even though he took a break.
Mickelson will be back soon, possibly as soon as LIV Golf Hong Kong. That way of thinking shows both his personal strength and his desire to compete at the highest level. It shows that the “push” that drove him earlier in his career still drives him now.
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