The Match: Tracking the $9 million match between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods

Adam Woodard and Martin Rogers USA TODAY

Published 3:48 PM EST Nov 23, 2018

The Masters is a tradition unlike any other. The Match will be an event unlike any other.

After months of hype and trash talk, it's time for Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to put their money where their mouths are. At an oasis in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, Woods and Mickelson are all set to tee it up at the majestic Shadow Creek with $9 million on the line.

The match-play event is something the golf world - or sports world, for that matter - has never seen. If the $19.99 pay-per-view price tag was too much for you, USA TODAY Sports' Adam Woodard and Martin Rogers are here to track the match and highlight it's biggest moments for you. The fun begins at 3 p.m. ET.

Hole 3 - Par 4

Phil: First driver of the day and Phil crushed this one down the fairway. His approach "came off low and spinning" and lands left of the cup, around 20-feet away.

Tiger: The Big Cat pulls driver as well, but misses right. 165-yards to the green on a hill in the rough, Tiger planned on leaving this short and it is.

Hole 2 - Par 4

Phil: Another iron for Lefty right down the middle off the tee. The second shot misses a little right, but he's just off the green, pin-high. Known for his short game, Phil's chip ran long and left, leaving a difficult 4-footer for par, which he converted.

Tiger: Tiger's 3-wood goes a bit further, also in the fairway. The door was open for Tiger, who flew his approach off the back of the green. It's a back pin-placement, so no real harm with Phil also off the green. Tiger left his chip short, and then lipped-out his 3-footer for par. He was reaching into the cup before it kicked out. Yikes. Bogey.

Phil 1-up thru 2

Hole 1 - Par 4

Cupcakes and muffins are neatly arranged on a table by the first tee box, just in case Tiger or Phil - or anyone else - gets hungry. As if we didn't already eat enough yesterday. Phil won the coin toss - and took the coin after - and will get us started here on No. 1.

With $200,000 on the line here at the first tee, Phil ripped a 2-iron down the right-center of the fairway. Woods followed suit with an iron of his own, dead straight, but it ran through the fairway and just into the rough.

As they walked towards their balls, the two talked about how "cool" Samuel L. Jackson is, marveled at the course, and even talked about how special it is for their kids to join them.

Tiger's second shot nestles up just short of the cup, setting up a great look at birdie. Phil's landed just inside of Tiger, but rolled a bit left. They're both inside 10 feet.

"Didn't break" said Tiger, who missed just right. Phil's didn't either.

"That hurts the pocket," said Tiger with a grin. All-square thru 1, except in the wallet, where Tiger's now plus $200,000.

Fun fact: two Taiwanese businessmen gambled $2,000 with each other on the hole, as well.

Pre-match

No tickets were made available for sale but around 400 people are on the grounds and will follow the match, many of them through affiliation with either sponsor Capital One or broadcaster TNT/BR Live.

Woods showed up to Shadow Creek at 8:56 a.m. local time, with Mickelson arriving just over an hour later at 9:53 a.m. The trash talk began on the putting green, with Tiger showing up in his classic Sunday red.

"You decided to go with red today?" asked Mickelson.

Woods' response to Lefty, who is wearing his signature all-black: "Black's very slimming."

Both Woods and Mickelson were fiddling with the mic sound pack on the back of their trousers during their putting sessions. Could be a comfort issue and will likely take some getting used to.

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