Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods
- Side bets will be a big part of the $9 million golf match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on Nov. 23.
- Follow all of their bets here to see who's up, who's down and just how rich the challenges get.
Tiger and Phil got the gambling festivities started early, wagering $200,000 on whether Mickelson would birdie the first hole.
How high will their challenges go? What else will they bet on?
We’re tracking every wager from “The Match” here, with the most recent one going on top.
Hole No. 1
- Amount: $200,000
- Wager: Phil will birdie
Mickelson threw down the gauntlet days before the event even started, challenging Woods to a $100,000 bet that he would birdie the first hole. Tiger thought about it for a second, before saying, “Double it.”
From a pure odds standpoint, it wasn’t the smartest bet from Lefty, as oddsmakers set the chances he wouldn’t birdie at more than -200 odds, so he effectively gave Tiger the chance to win an extra $100K.
Phil played the short par-4 perfectly — hitting the fairway with a long iron and knocking it inside 10 feet, but he mis-read the putt and lost a cool 200 grand in the process.
- Result: Tiger +$200,000
- Running tally: Tiger +$200,000
Hole No. 5
- Amount: $100,000
- Wager: Closest to the pin
The second side bet of the afternoon came on the short, 137-yard par 3. Mickelson teed off first and was dead on, skipping 7 feet, 10 inches feet past the hole.
Tiger’s shot never had a chance to compete with that, as he flailed his wedge to the right side of the green.
Woods’ reaction after he hit the ball? “That is so bad.”
Yup.
- Result: Phil +$100,000
- Running tally: Tiger +$100,000
Hole No. 7
- Amount: $200,000
- Wager: Closest to the pin
Tiger had the tee box for the first time in the match and used that opportunity to introduce this challenge on the 190-yard par 3.
Woods’ shot looked to be good, but it caught a ridge and trickled 40 feet away from the hole.
Mickelson’s shot was almost a mirror image, catching the exact same ridge, but Lefty’s ball ended up 2 feet closer.
- Result: Phil +$200,000
- Running tally: Phil +$100,000
Hole No. 13
- Amount: $300,000
- Wager: Closest to the pin
Tiger led off the long par 3 after winning holes in a row and proposed a $300,000 closest-to-the-pin bet. He proceeded to hit a great shot to 15 feet, but Mickelson one-upped him by knocking it inside 10 feet.
That’s three consecutive side action wins for Mickelson, picking up a total of $600K off Tiger.
- Result: Phil +$300,000
- Running tally: Phil +$400,000
Hole No. 14
- Amount: $100,000
- Wager: Longest drive
Phil proposed this challenge after he won the 13th hole to bring the match to all square. Both players ended up within two yards of each other … in the fairway bunker, meaning the side bet pushed.
- Result: Push
- Running tally: Phil +$400,000