PONTE VERDE BEACH, US: Tiger Woods did not hesitate in accepting long-time arch rival Phil Mickelson throwing down the gauntlet in a “high stake winner-take-all” showdown call at this week’s US PGA Players Championship.
Woods, a 14-time major champion, and Mickelson, a five-time major winner, are paired along with fellow American Rickie Fowler in the opening two rounds of this week’s event at TPC Sawgrass.
It marks the first time they have been paired together since the second round of the 2014 PGA Championship, when Woods shot 74 and Mickelson 67.
Woods and Mickelson have found themselves grouped together on 32 occasions. Mickelson has shot a lower round 15 times, Woods 14 times and they have matched scores on three occasions.
Mickelson spoke Tuesday of his wish that he and Woods simply “bypass the ancillary stuff” at the Players in favor of a head-to-head matchup.
“I look at the cover of the newspaper and the pairing is on there and the excitement that has been going on around here, it gets me thinking, why don’t we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head-to-head and just have kind of a high stake winner-take-all match,” Mickelson said with a smile.
“Now, I don’t know if he wants a piece of me,” the left-hander added with a grin. “But I just think it would be something that would be really fun for us to do, and I think there would be a lot of interest in it if we just went straight to the final round.”
Woods responded to Mickelson, declaring with a smile of his own: “I’m definitely not against that and we’ll play for whatever makes him uncomfortable.”
Woods, 42, also spoke of his admiration for Mickelson and particularly his attention when Woods was away for most of the past two years dealing with his nagging back injuries.
“Phil and I have always had great banter and we always give each other needle but our relationship certainly has gotten a lot closer with me being a vice-captain on the last couple of (Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup) teams,” Woods said.
“We’ve had very lengthy conversations about things, and not just about pairings, but things in general.
“And when I was trying to deal with a nerve in my back, and trying to come back and trying to play, I wasn’t very good. He always texted me some encouraging words.”
Mickelson singled out Woods as the most “remarkable” golfer in the history of game and this despite Jack Nicklaus winning a record 18 majors.
“I don’t think anybody today who wasn’t there who witnessed Tiger in the early 2000s, or I don’t think anybody before will see that level of play again,” Mickelson said.
“It was the most remarkable golf in the history of the game and I think it’s unrepeatable. It was that good.
“I go back to 2000 and the US Open and I look at his performance as being the greatest golf I’ve ever witnessed and has ever been played.”
Woods won that US Open at Pebble Beach by 15 strokes and the record-shattering romp launched a run forever known as the “Tiger Slam” in which he also captured the 2000 British Open, becoming at 24 the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam, the 2000 PGA Championship and 2001 Masters to hold all four major titles at once.
“We’ve always had a mutual respect over the years, and I’ve always appreciated what he’s done for the game of golf,” Mickelson said. “Fifteen years ago, my record against him sucked, and now it’s OK. I’m doing better as time has gone on.”
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Phil Mickelson lauds ‘remarkable’ Tiger Woods ahead of Players Championship showdown
Phil Mickelson lauds ‘remarkable’ Tiger Woods ahead of Players Championship showdown
- Paired together for the first time since second round of the 2014 PGA Championship
- 'It was the most remarkable golf in the history of the game'
Decision to boycott India match puts pressure on Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup
- Pakistan government has instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be in the spotlight more for its decision to boycott its marquee Twenty20 World Cup group-stage game against India rather than how well the team performs in the 20-team tournament starting Saturday.
The Pakistan government instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival, a decision that shook the cricket world. It was announced moments after Pakistan had swept title contenders Australia 3-0 at Lahore in its final preparation for the tournament.
“It’s not our decision, we can’t do anything,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said in reference to Pakistan’s boycott. “We will do whatever our government and the chairman (Pakistan Cricket Board) tell us.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday confirmed the boycott was a way of showing solidarity with Bangladesh after it was ousted from the tournament.
One of the three Pakistan opponents in Group A is the United States, which eliminated Pakistan after the group stage of the 2024 tournament in Texas with its thrilling win in a super over. Netherlands also has a history of surprising much tougher opponents when in 2022 it beat South Africa.
Six current players — Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi — were in the playing XI in that game against the US.
Namibia is the other Associate country in the group, and Pakistan can’t afford a loss against any of its opponents after already conceding two points to India if it proceeds with the boycott.
Pakistan opens its tournament against Netherlands at Colombo, Sri Lanka on Saturday. It plays the United States next Tuesday, Feb. 10, then potentially has an eight-day break — the India game was scheduled for Feb. 15 — until it takes on Namibia on Feb. 18.
Pakistan’s squad has been transformed under coach Mike Hesson, a New Zealander who took over last year, and has since introduced an aggressive brand of cricket to compete against stronger T20 nations.
In the last two series, captain Agha showed plenty of intent to score at a brisk pace at No. 3 in Sri Lanka and at home against Australia.
Babar’s strike rate of 128.38 saw the leading run-scorer in the shortest format missing out on a large part of Pakistan preparations for the T20 World Cup before he was recalled in the home series against South Africa in late October.
Babar’s experience of batting on slow pitches earned him a place in the squad despite a below-par run for Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he scored 202 runs in 11 games.
Pakistan plans to continue with its tried and tested opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan while Babar could anchor the innings at No. 4.
Pakistan is scheduled to play all its games in Sri Lanka, including semifinals and the final if goes that far in the tournament. And with the wickets expected to help the spinners, Pakistan has loaded its 15-member squad with variety of slow bowlers.
Spinner Usman Tariq has a unique bowling action and his long pause just before delivery of the ball surprised the Australians. Leg-spinners Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed; left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and the offspin of Ayub in the power play will give Pakistan plenty of options.
Pakistan left out Haris Rauf, despite the fast bowler finishing among the top wicket-takers in Australia’s BBL, because selectors believe it’s the spinners who will be playing a dominant role in Sri Lanka.
Shah, Afridi and Salman Mirza are the three specialist fast bowlers in the squad with all-rounder Faheem Ashraf the other seam option.
Pakistan has a rich history in the T20 World Cup and it could be a team to watch despite the off-field distractions. It has featured in three finals, winning the title in 2009, and also reached the semifinals three other times.
The Pakistan government instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival, a decision that shook the cricket world. It was announced moments after Pakistan had swept title contenders Australia 3-0 at Lahore in its final preparation for the tournament.
“It’s not our decision, we can’t do anything,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said in reference to Pakistan’s boycott. “We will do whatever our government and the chairman (Pakistan Cricket Board) tell us.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday confirmed the boycott was a way of showing solidarity with Bangladesh after it was ousted from the tournament.
One of the three Pakistan opponents in Group A is the United States, which eliminated Pakistan after the group stage of the 2024 tournament in Texas with its thrilling win in a super over. Netherlands also has a history of surprising much tougher opponents when in 2022 it beat South Africa.
Six current players — Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi — were in the playing XI in that game against the US.
Namibia is the other Associate country in the group, and Pakistan can’t afford a loss against any of its opponents after already conceding two points to India if it proceeds with the boycott.
Pakistan opens its tournament against Netherlands at Colombo, Sri Lanka on Saturday. It plays the United States next Tuesday, Feb. 10, then potentially has an eight-day break — the India game was scheduled for Feb. 15 — until it takes on Namibia on Feb. 18.
Pakistan’s squad has been transformed under coach Mike Hesson, a New Zealander who took over last year, and has since introduced an aggressive brand of cricket to compete against stronger T20 nations.
In the last two series, captain Agha showed plenty of intent to score at a brisk pace at No. 3 in Sri Lanka and at home against Australia.
Babar’s strike rate of 128.38 saw the leading run-scorer in the shortest format missing out on a large part of Pakistan preparations for the T20 World Cup before he was recalled in the home series against South Africa in late October.
Babar’s experience of batting on slow pitches earned him a place in the squad despite a below-par run for Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he scored 202 runs in 11 games.
Pakistan plans to continue with its tried and tested opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan while Babar could anchor the innings at No. 4.
Pakistan is scheduled to play all its games in Sri Lanka, including semifinals and the final if goes that far in the tournament. And with the wickets expected to help the spinners, Pakistan has loaded its 15-member squad with variety of slow bowlers.
Spinner Usman Tariq has a unique bowling action and his long pause just before delivery of the ball surprised the Australians. Leg-spinners Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed; left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and the offspin of Ayub in the power play will give Pakistan plenty of options.
Pakistan left out Haris Rauf, despite the fast bowler finishing among the top wicket-takers in Australia’s BBL, because selectors believe it’s the spinners who will be playing a dominant role in Sri Lanka.
Shah, Afridi and Salman Mirza are the three specialist fast bowlers in the squad with all-rounder Faheem Ashraf the other seam option.
Pakistan has a rich history in the T20 World Cup and it could be a team to watch despite the off-field distractions. It has featured in three finals, winning the title in 2009, and also reached the semifinals three other times.
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