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Phil Mickelson admitted that he and Tiger Woods acknowledged each other earlier this week while practicing at Royal Troon ahead of the Open Championship.
On Saturday, the 54-year-old confirmed that he and Woods traded hellos on the range as they hit balls from neighboring stalls.
While admitting that they were civil toward each other, Mickelson added that they were too focused on their respective preparations to be friendly past their greetings.
‘We said hi,’ Mickelson shared after making the cut a the third-round 72 at The Open. ‘Yeah, we said hi, but we were both preparing.
‘It’s not like we’re going to sit there and chat. But we said hello, yeah.’
Phil Mickelson admitted that he and Tiger Woods acknowledged each other at Royal Troon
The rivals practiced next to each other on the range ahead of The Open Championship
The veteran golfers have been rivals on the course and have never been close as individuals. Furthermore, personal relationship between them also appears nonexistent.
Mickelson became one of the chief recruiters for Saudi-backed LIV Golf League while Woods advocated for the PGA Tour policy board to ward off the threat. This was before the recent potential of reunifying the game was put on the table.
While their interaction at Royal Troon could signify water under the bridge, Mickelson remains unsure if they could collaboratively solve the tours’ issues.
‘I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see,’ he said.
Mickelson became one of the chief recruiters for the LIV Golf League funded by Saudi Arabia
Woods advocated for the PGA Tour policy board to ward off the threat of LIV Golf
Woods also appeared to reconcile with Bryson DeChambeau during the Open Championship
‘I don’t know about that stuff,’ Mickelson continued. ‘I’m not involved. I’m not sitting in those rooms. I am enjoying where I’m at and what I’m doing and playing. I’ll let other people figure that stuff out.’
Woods’ interaction with Mickelson was not his only peacemaking effort this past week. On the practice putting green, he approached Bryson DeChambeau to congratulate him on his recent US Open win.
Speaking to the media, DeChambeau appeared appreciative of the first exchange of pleasantries between him and his former friend in a year.
‘It is the first communication,’ DeChambeau said Thursday, ‘but I’ll say that he’s a competitor and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m sure that winning two U.S. Opens definitely helped, I guess, for him coming up and saying congrats. I don’t know what his position is, but it was very thoughtful and I was appreciative of it.’
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