{"id":53281,"date":"2025-07-10T05:17:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T05:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/53281\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:17:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T05:17:10","slug":"phil-mickelson-claims-he-owned-tiger-woods-named-putter-tiger-slayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/53281\/","title":{"rendered":"Phil Mickelson Claims He ‘Owned Tiger Woods,’ Named Putter Tiger Slayer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods<\/a> are two of the most well-known names in the history of modern professional golf.<\/p>\n

Throughout the early 2000s, those two guys were the faces of the PGA Tour. Now, Mickelson is a LIV Golf captain, and Tiger is taking on more of a leadership role as injuries continue to limit his competitive golf.<\/p>\n

Grant Horvat, the social phenom and avid golfer, posted a golf match video<\/a> with Mickelson, squaring off against Bryson DeChambeau and Garrett Clark. During the round, he noticed Mickelson’s putter cover and its name.<\/p>\n

“You actually have Tiger Slayer written on your putter cover,” Horvat said.<\/p>\n

Mickelson chuckled and said, “Sometimes the truth hurts.”<\/p>\n

The camera cut to DeChambeau and Clark chuckling.<\/p>\n

“He has Tiger Slayer on his putter, that’s funny \u2014 That guy’s a madman,” DeChambeau said.<\/p>\n

Mickelson then asked Horvat if he wanted to know how the flat stick got its name, and of course, the YouTuber was all ears for Lefty’s story.<\/p>\n

He claimed it was from the 2012 AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Mickelson earned his 40th career PGA Tour event that week, but the name came from the final round when he battled Tiger for the victory.<\/p>\n

“We went out and played. I used that putter. I made everything. I shot 64, he shot 75, and that’s where it initially slayed the Tiger,” Mickelson explained.<\/p>\n

From there, Horvat wanted to know if the putter continued to help the six-time major winner achieve success. Most know what kind of opponent Tiger Woods<\/a> was during that time frame, and so did Mickelson.<\/p>\n

“He owned me the first half of our careers,” Lefty explained. “His record against me head-to-head was dominant.”<\/p>\n

\"Tiger
\nLAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: (L-R) Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods face-off during a press conference before The Match at Shadow Creek Golf Course on November 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
\nLAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 20: (L-R) Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods face-off during a press conference before The Match at Shadow Creek Golf Course on November 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
\nPhoto by Harry How\/Getty Images for The Match<\/p>\n

Then he made a bold claim about his and Tiger’s head-to-head record.<\/p>\n

“The second part, I owned him,” Mickelson continued. “After 2007 I started working with Butch [Harmon] and I started doing really well head to head. Our head-to-head record when we were paired together \u2014I believe it’s dead even.”<\/p>\n

Lefty’s claim is not as accurate as he would like you to believe. But he made sure to give props where they were due.<\/p>\n

“It is now even when we play together,” he noted. “His record is his record. He’s the greatest of all time. I’ve seen him do things with a golf ball that I’ve never seen anybody be able to do. His play in 2000 was indescribable, how good it was.”<\/p>\n

Was Phil Mickelson spot on vs. Tiger Woods?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many would think that these two stars often played together, but that is not the case. The two legends only played in the same group 38 times<\/a> during their illustrious careers.<\/p>\n

Tiger recorded the better round 19 times, to Mickelson’s 15. Four times they shot the same number.<\/p>\n

Woods won seven of those events to Lefty’s three.<\/p>\n

However, one must remember that Mickelson said from 2007 onward that he “owned” Tiger Woods when they played together.<\/p>\n

From 2007 to 2020, Mickelson went 10-9-1 in head-to-head rounds. It is hard to call that any sort of domination. Nevertheless, most fans solely remember Woods leaving Phil in his tracks over and over.<\/p>\n

It is hard to believe that, as dominant as Tiger was throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s. But Mickelson was not too far off about the overall numbers.<\/p>\n

Today’s stars play against each other all the time, so it is also wild to see that two of the best players on the PGA Tour have only gone head-to-head 38 times.<\/p>\n

These stats are just a hint at the battle between Tiger and Phil, though. Numerous other statistical categories demonstrate the Big Cat’s dominance since 1997.<\/p>\n

Mickelson can call his putter the Tiger Slayer all he wants, but Woods still controlled golf throughout this period.<\/p>\n

More Golf: Keegan Bradley Praised for ‘Wise Choice’ Sure to Boost Team USA at Ryder Cup<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n