Tiger Woods, Who Initially Emerged From Phil Mickelson’s Shadow, Looked at Him in “Disdain” Because of the Wasted Talent

Former No.1 Tiger Woods is admired by his fans for his consistency and game. The second name who is loved by fans is Phil Mickelson. But these two names do not go hand in hand, at least not before they found the path of friendship. There was a time when Woods had a feeling of Disdain for a former PGA Tour member. Alan Shipnuck testified to this in his documentary ‘Tiger’.

In the documentary he wrote, he explained how Woods had contempt towards the LIV Golf members, even though Woods was growing up under Mickelson’s shadow only. This was during the initial days of Woods’ career, but the question is why?

Despite Woods’ coming out of Mickelson’s shadow and becoming the No. 1 golfer, his feelings towards the former PGA Tour member were not pleasant. He used to look at Mickelson with disdain.

The disdain of Tiger Woods

Although the LIV golf and PGA tour rivalries began recently, Woods had disdain for Mickelson long before LIV entered the picture.

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In the documentary, Shipnuck said that former PGA Tour members had the same great skills as current PGA Tour members, but Mickelson did not put in the required effort or hard work. This was the reason Woods used to look at him with contempt. Shipnuck said, “Tiger knew Mickelson was the most naturally gifted player ever to hold a golf club. But Tiger looked at him with disdain. “The reason for such a feeling was even though Mickelson was full of potential, he was not putting enough effort into making his game better.

In the documentary, Shipnuck revealed the real reason behind disdain. It was Mickelson’s physical appearance. Yes, you read that right. Mickelson was gaining around 20 pounds, whereas Woods was resembling Mr. Universe. The same feeling was passed on to Woods’ family too as his mother, Kultida, used to call Mickelson hefty, instead of his real nickname, lefty.

The rival days of the golf legends

The rivalry between Wood and Mickelson was old, but it took fresh turns during the 2001 Masters. The major championship winner Woods was trying to win and defeat Mickelson. Because the only two golfers who had any chance of winning Augusta National in 2021 were Woods and Phil Mickelson.

The former caddie of Woods, Steve, can testify to that, as he mentioned in the documentary and revealed about the mind games that Woods played. He used to trick Mickelson during the tournaments. For instance, during the tournament, Mickelson would hit an amazing tee shot. But Woods would surpass him using just a three-iron, leaving him in shock. Then Mickelson would ask Woods if that was his farthest shot. Woods would reply by saying that he normally hits far.

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What are your thoughts on the disdainful look and their rivalry? Please share your views in the comment section.