Until a decade or so ago, very few things in golf were as thrilling as the on- and off-field rivalry between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Two of the biggest sensations of the game in their eras, both Woods and Mickelson boast 21 major victories and several other unparalleled records between them.

Many times, however, the duel swung heavily in Woods’ favor, and a recent social media post is proof! Let’s dive in to learn more.

The legendary Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson rivalry comes to light once again

Currently, both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are shadows of their former glorious selves. While Woods’ struggles with injuries continue to persist, Mickelson has become a polarizing figure in the golf community as a result of his LIV defection and recent online sparring. Recently, however, the interest surrounding their former rivalry got reinvigorated thanks to a recent Instagram update.

On Monday, Golf Digest shared an interesting post on the app, throwing light on all the male golfers who have been number one on the Official World Golf Ranking since it was launched in 1986. The list features a total of 25 players, including the likes of Sir Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler, and more.

However, what caught many by surprise was that Mickelson’s name was nowhere to be found on the list. Before jumping ship to LIV Golf, the 53-year-old had scripted a jaw-dropping 45 victories on the PGA Tour. He has even won a total of 6 majors, with the last one coming just over two years ago!

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Despite his stellar achievements, Lefty has never reached No. 1, mainly due to his rival, Woods’ sheer dominance. The 15-time major winner has had 11 spells at the top and has spent a whopping  683 weeks in total as World No. 1!

Fans react to Phil Mickelson’s misfortune

In his career, Phil Mickelson has spent 775 weeks in the top 10, a record bettered by only Tiger Woods (906 weeks) and Ernie Els (788 weeks). However, the elusive World No. 1 rank has always evaded him. Despite his controversial social media presence of late, many couldn’t help but lament his bad luck. “It’s kinda crazy Phil was never #1,” commented one fan under the Golf Digest post. “I never knew Phil was never number 1. That’s wild, also was playing some of his best golf while the big cat was doing his thing,” said another. “Insane Phil never made it.”

While he never got the top spot, Mickelson holds the record for the most weeks (270) spent at World No. 2. In fact, he is miles ahead of the next player on the list, Jim Furyk (39). “It’s crazy, hard to believe and quite a shame that Phil was never number one in the world,” read another comment from a disappointed golf fan.

“It’s pretty crazy how many guys made it to number 1, but perhaps crazier that Phil never did it and is better than everyone on this list except Tiger,” commented another. “Tiger made it impossible for Phil to ever get there.”

One of Tiger Woods’ most insane and genuinely unbreakable records is that he spent 281 consecutive weeks between June 12, 2005, and October 30, 2010, as No. 1 on the OWGR. No other player in the history of the sport has spent more than 100 continuous weeks at the top!

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Do you think we will ever get to see any golfer catch up with Woods’ inhuman record? What is your favorite Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson rivalry moment? Tell us in the comments!