Tiger and Phil in their 40s...

+ Q-School update and weekly favorites

Author

Sean Melia
December 06, 2024

Ponkapoag GC in Canton, Mass.

Hey Everyone,

While I didn’t get to play any golf this past week, and probably won’t in the near future looking at the weather, I did get to check off a sports bucket list event in Ohio. I attended the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.

I married into Buckeye fandom, which has been a fun exercise in figuring out when I am allowed to call myself an actual fan. Since 2012, when I hopped on the bandwagon, I have experienced some pretty brutal losses (and some fun wins), and like any proper college fan, I endured a season-long sanction when Ohio State was banned from postseason play in 2012 even though they went undefeated.

I think attending the worst Ohio State loss of this century (and maybe my lifetime) probably puts me into actual fan status. The next level of fandom is yelling “F*ck Ryan Day” on the way out of the stadium. I’m not there yet.

Congrats to Michigan on locking up a meaningless bowl game and getting to watch the playoffs from home.

Oh, and bitterness is a key ingredient to any true fandom recipe.

News and Notes:

Q-School Second Stage: I was sad to see that James Driscoll withdrew from Second Stage of Q-School. No clue why he didn’t play. Friday marks the final round of the second stage, and three Massachusetts golfers are playing.

  • Chris Francoeur (Amsbury, Mass.) is playing at Kinderlou Forest GC. He shot 72-71-73 (E) and sits in 17th place, one spot outside the cutline. That makes for quite a job interview tomorrow… Leaderboard.

  • Jimmy Hervol (Hopkinton, Mass.) is also lined up for a serious job interview. He’s one shot outside the cutline at his site in Alabama. He shot 68-72-71 (-5) in the first three rounds. Leaderboard.

  • Andrew O’Leary (Norfolk Mass.) shot 73, 76, 77 (+10) at Kinderlou Forest GC and is currently in 61st place.

If you have any results or stories that you think would be great for the newsletter. Send them to [email protected].

Comparing Tiger and Phil in their 40s.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will forever be intertwined in the history of golf. They are the two best players of their generation. Phil had a bit of a head start, bursting onto the scene in 1991 when he won on the PGA Tour as an amateur. In the summer of 1991, Tiger Woods won his first U.S. Junior Amateur at the age of 15, making him the youngest winner of the event at the time. In 1992, he defended his title. And then he defended it again in 1993.

Tiger and Phil were like Coke and Pepsi. You liked one or the other.

I was a Tiger Guy. I loved watching him play. I loved watching him dominate. There was a time when I could see clips of Tiger and recall the course, year, tournament, and result of the shot. The things we store in our brains….

On the other hand, I enjoyed watching Phil lose and call himself an “idiot” after blowing it at Winged Foot in the U.S. Open. I enjoyed him living up to the label of choke artist as he missed short putts and took insane risks that didn’t pan out.

Even as Mickelson outdueled Brooks Koepka at Kiawah Island as a 50-year-old and became the oldest major winner ever, I found myself annoyed at his schtick. The slow breathing, the thumbs-up, the sunglasses.

This week, Tiger had a press conference at the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas. Usually, Tiger is in the Hero field, but not this week after he had another back surgery this fall. Now he’s just the host for the week to 20 of the best players in the world.

Tiger scoffed at the idea that he could compete if he teed it up this week. “I'm not tournament sharp yet, no. I'm still not there.”

The lingering question is, when will he be there? Will he ever be there again?

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do have Wikipedia, and I can tell you it’s been a while since he’s been there. We’re coming up on the sixth anniversary of Tiger’s incredible 2019 Masters championship.

Watching Tiger’s press conference got me thinking about something Phil Mickelson has said over the last couple of years; he’s talked about staying healthy and having a strong end to his career (we can litigate if “strong” means taking millions from Saudi Arabia and sending professional golf into a tailspin at some other time).

What Mickelson has been able to do throughout his 40s is compete, and win. And that leads up back to the timeless comparison:

Phil v. Tiger.

It’s not close over the course of their careers. Tiger has 15 majors. Phil has six.

However, there are still comparisons to be made.

Tiger will turn 49 on December 30.

Since turning 40 on December 30, 2015, Tiger has played in 48 events (not including the PNC Championship…). He won three times, including one major - the 2019 Masters.

Thirty of those events came in a span of two years, when he was 41 and 42. Since turning 44 in 2019, he has played in 14 events.

That’s staggeringly sad stuff.

On the other hand, after turning 40, Phil played in 251 PGA Tour events and won eight times, including three majors.

Holy shit. Maybe I should buy some of his coffee for wellness.

If we zoom out a bit farther to 2004 and compare Tiger and Phil once that fateful putt drops at Augusta National, and Phil wins his first major, the tale of the tape is also interesting.

Phil won six majors starting in 2004.

Tiger won seven. (also.. Tiger won eight majors from 1997-2003. Insane.)

However, since 2004, Tiger has won 42 PGA Tour events, and Phil has won 22. 

That number made me feel better.

If you took Phil Mickelson’s career in his 40s (and early 50s) and gave it to Tiger, he would hold the record for most wins on the PGA Tour. He is currently tied with Sam Snead at 82. He’d also have two more majors, giving him 17. ONE SHY OF JACK NICKLAUS.

Tiger lost so much time to injury. Maybe he should have tried Phil’s coffee.

Over the next decade or two, Mickelson’s longevity will be revered more and more. Partly because Tiger’s injuries held him back and let Phil chip away a little bit in the comparison.

However, Phil is also a dying breed. He’s a golfer who has been relevant (and good) across four decades. He won majors in three decades. Future pros will likely have shorter careers because of the force they swing the club and the money they will earn. (Phil would like you to think the increase in money is because of him and him alone…).

Both golfers had vices and issues. Tiger’s desire to destroy his body physically and participate in Navy Seal-level training made it impossible for him to play golf for years at a time. Oh, and the sex scandal.

Mickelson’s gambling vices might have left him broke and in need of a big loan from a Middle Eastern government in exchange for playing golf and sportswashing.

The story goes that Tiger Woods had all of Jack Nicklaus’ records on his bedroom wall as a child as a form of motivation.

One has to wonder if Tiger might be motivated by Mickelson. Maybe there’s a photo of the 50-year-old on the 18th green at Kiawah Island surrounded by adoring fans as the oldest golfer to ever win a major championship posted on a wall in his house.

During his press conference on Tuesday, Tiger said, “The fire still burns to compete.”

If Jack’s major record is out of reach, there has to be a world where he thinks, after the age of 50, he could steal one more major championship and dethrone Mickelson one more time.

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When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

⚾️ This Major League Baseball “Golden At-Bat” idea that was floated this week is pretty wild. One time per game, a team can pick any hitter they want. Insanity. I kinda dig it, but I think it needs to be limited to extra innings or something. Imagine Juan Soto (in a freaking Red Sox uniform) getting two at-bats in a row with the bases loaded because he came up in the order, struck out, and then just stayed there to replace the next guy in the lineup. Golf can’t even have a conversation about a shot clock, and MLB is considering this change; the NFL changed the kickoff, and the NBA has an in-season tournament. 

🏃 Runners Use Secret Ingredient to Win N.C.A.A. Race: Olive Oil… might have to keep a little bottle of olive oil in the golf bag for winter golf…

🏌️‍♂️ I’ve been in a book-reading funk, picking up a lot of books I’ve already read and trying to hold myself over until something strikes my fancy. Grand Slam: Bobby Jones, America, and the Story of Golf is my book of choice right now.

I’m listening to…

👂️ I always love listening to Bill Simmons and Chuck Klostermann chat about various topics. Last week’s episode was long and they hit on a bunch of different topics. Listen here.

🧛 My Spotify Wrapped was pretty heavy on Vampire Weekend, and by heavy, I mean my top 5 songs were all by Vampire Weekend. Also featured in my wrapped: Maggie Rogers, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Noah Kahan. A goal in 2025… maybe branch out musically?

I’m eating…

🍔 We went to The Rusty Bucket in Columbus, and I had one of the best turkey burgers I’ve ever had.

🍰 Tiff made this Whiskey Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt cake for Thanksgiving… it was delicious.

I’m drinking…

🍺 I discovered Aurora Brewing's “Reindeer Breath.” A solid winter stout.

I’m watching…

📺️ I thought the European Ryder Cup documentary Una Famiglia was… pretty good. It’s a little self-aggrandizing, but I did like that half the 90-minute documentary focused on the preparation for the first tee shot on Friday.

New here? Reached the bottom?

Hell Yeah.

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