The Match: Tracking the $9 million match between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods

Adam Woodard and Martin Rogers USA TODAY

Published 5:06 PM EST Nov 23, 2018

The Masters is a tradition unlike any other. The Match will be an event unlike any other.

After months of hype and trash talk, it's time for Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to put their money where their mouths are. At an oasis in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, Woods and Mickelson are all set to tee it up at the majestic Shadow Creek with $9 million on the line.

The match-play event is something the golf world - or sports world, for that matter - has never seen. If the $19.99 pay-per-view price tag was too much for you, USA TODAY Sports' Adam Woodard and Martin Rogers are here to track the match and highlight it's biggest moments for you.

Hole 9 - Par 4

They made a $100k side bet if someone holes-out for an eagle (it's a forgiving pin-placement). BUT WAIT. They upped the bet "another 0," and it's now $1,000,000 for an eagle.

Phil: Lefty goes iron off the tee at No. 9 and this one flirts with the creek, meaning he SMASHED it. He's in a prime spot here.

Tiger: A good iron for Tiger here. Not as far as Phil, but he's in the fairway.

Hole 8 - Par 3

Another side bet! $200k for a "closest to the pin." The two also did a 3:2 odds bet on making their birdie putts, Tiger winning $75k if he made it, Phil winning $50k.

Tiger: For the first time today, Tiger gets the honor off the tee. He landed this one about a foot too short on the green and it rolled back a bit. That'll hurt his wallet if Phil doesn't get it inside 40 feet. He left his birdie putt way too short, opening the door for Phil to take back the lead (and some more money). His par putt had too much pace, hitting the right edge and missing. Bogey.

Phil: Lefty did the same exact thing as his ball rolls towards Tiger's. It stops *just short*, about 2 feet inside Tiger. That's another $200k for Phil. His putt goes as long as Tiger's was short. No more money exchanged with the miss. From 5-feet, Phil sinks the par putt to re-claim the lead.

Phil 1-up thru 8, up $100k.

Hole 7 - Par 5

Before we get to the action on at 7, here's Justin Thomas' early thoughts on The Match.

He's not wrong, folks. Tiger tried to coax Phil into a bet, but Lefty didn't take it without any extra odds, saying he was at too-much of a disadvantage. Plenty of people have cut ahead to grab spots on later holes as the back-nine approaches. Our Martin Rogers notes it's 1:37 p.m. in Las Vegas, and there's plenty of tasteful drunkenness in the gallery.

Phil: Phil's tee shot found the first cut rough, and his second shot wasn't any better. He went for the green but came up short, this time finding a bunker. Jungle to Jungle was a great movie, but bunker to bunker is a bad way to play for Phil. His third found a bunker about 10 yards in front. Not good. He had to chip-in from the bunker to halve the hole, but alas he does not.

Tiger: Tiger smoked his drive, his best shot off the day. His second, 40 yards ahead of Phil, missed right and is just off the green. Tiger's putt from off the green was about as good as possible without going in. He cards the birdie to even the match.

All-square thru 7. Tiger up $100k.

Hole 6 - Par 4

Phil: Another great shot off the tee for Phil. He's dominating this match early on. "Come on baby" says Phil as his approach shot goes long, but perfectly funnels back towards the hole. Useful shot from Lefty there setting up a birdie chance. After Tiger's miss, Phil had a chance to take a 2-up lead with a birdie and he left it short. Par.

Tiger: Cart golf for the boys as Tiger's drive goes just a few yards past Phil. Tiger plays his shot short and rolls it towards the green, about the same distance away for birdie. "Blocked it" says Tiger, who misses a little long and right. Another 4-footer to save par for Tiger and he cashes it. Another halve.

Phil 1-up thru 6. Tiger up $100k.

Hole 5 - Par 3

And we have our first side bet! Phil and Tiger are doing "closest to the pin" on the first par 3 for $100,000.

Phil: Not too shabby here from Lefty, getting this one to 7-feet. He wins the "closest to the pin," but is still down $100k in bets. He lightly tapped his putt but left it short. Blown chance their for Phil who picks up for par.

Tiger: He's on the green, but nowhere near 7-feet. "That is so bad," he says standing on the tee box. Tiger was a mile away on the green here and he lags this to inside 5-feet. He drops the putt for another halve.

Phil 1-up thru 5. Tiger up $100k.

If the gallery looks light for the next couple of holes you can blame the 4th green refreshment tent, stocked with fresh gourmet tacos and enough free beer to populate a fraternity party.

Hole 4 - Par 5

Phil: Driver is useful here for Phil, and he may just have the green-light to go for this one in two. A 2-iron from 253-yards out runs short of the green into the rough, just missing a bunker. Phil told Tiger his putt was good, but he elected to putt. Tiger disagreed, good-good and they're both in for birdie.

Tiger: "No" said Tiger after contact, as this drive lands in the fairway but runs right into the gallery. His second shot comes up well-short in the first-cut rough, 107 yards from the green. He stuffs his third short right next to the cup for a great birdie chance, should be a gimme and it is. Birdie.

Phil 1-up thru 4. Tiger up $200k

Hole 3 - Par 4

Phil: First driver of the day and Phil crushed this one down the fairway. His approach "came off low and spinning" and lands left of the cup, around 20-feet away. "Dive, dive, dive" he says as his putt just slides by left. Par.

Tiger: The Big Cat pulls driver as well, but misses right. 165-yards to the green on a hill in the rough, Tiger planned on leaving this short and it is. His chip gets up and close, right around the same distance from where he missed on No. 2. Par (but this one rolls around the cup, too).

Phil 1-up thru 3. Tiger up $200k

Hole 2 - Par 4

Phil: Another iron for Lefty right down the middle off the tee. The second shot misses a little right, but he's just off the green, pin-high. Known for his short game, Phil's chip ran long and left, leaving a difficult 4-footer for par, which he converted.

Tiger: Tiger's 3-wood goes a bit further, also in the fairway. The door was open for Tiger, who flew his approach off the back of the green. It's a back pin-placement, so no real harm with Phil also off the green. Tiger left his chip short, and then lipped-out his 3-footer for par. He was reaching into the cup before it kicked out. Yikes. Bogey.

Phil 1-up thru 2

Hole 1 - Par 4

Cupcakes and muffins are neatly arranged on a table by the first tee box, just in case Tiger or Phil - or anyone else - gets hungry. As if we didn't already eat enough yesterday. Phil won the coin toss - and took the coin after - and will get us started here on No. 1.

With $200,000 on the line here at the first tee, Phil ripped a 2-iron down the right-center of the fairway. Woods followed suit with an iron of his own, dead straight, but it ran through the fairway and just into the rough.

As they walked towards their balls, the two talked about how "cool" Samuel L. Jackson is, marveled at the course, and even talked about how special it is for their kids to join them.

Tiger's second shot nestles up just short of the cup, setting up a great look at birdie. Phil's landed just inside of Tiger, but rolled a bit left. They're both inside 10 feet.

"Didn't break" said Tiger, who missed just right. Phil's didn't either.

"That hurts the pocket," said Tiger with a grin. All-square thru 1, except in the wallet, where Tiger's now plus $200,000.

Fun fact: two Taiwanese businessmen gambled $2,000 with each other on the hole, as well.

Pre-match

No tickets were made available for sale but around 400 people are on the grounds and will follow the match, many of them through affiliation with either sponsor Capital One or broadcaster TNT/BR Live.

Woods showed up to Shadow Creek at 8:56 a.m. local time, with Mickelson arriving just over an hour later at 9:53 a.m. The trash talk began on the putting green, with Tiger showing up in his classic Sunday red.

"You decided to go with red today?" asked Mickelson.

Woods' response to Lefty, who is wearing his signature all-black: "Black's very slimming."

Both Woods and Mickelson were fiddling with the mic sound pack on the back of their trousers during their putting sessions. Could be a comfort issue and will likely take some getting used to.

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