Mickelson catches him on the back nine.
Right after Woods asks Mickelson about the second-place prize, Mickelson immediately birdies the 10th hole to cut the lead to one. No words are exchanged, but you see the look on Phil’s face and know he’s doing everything in his power not to say anything — especially when he’s still trailing.
They trade pars on the 11th and 12th holes, but Mickelson makes birdie to Woods’ par on 13 and then again on 15 to regain a one-shot lead.
Now he says something.
“Ohhh,” Mickelson says to him on the 16th tee, breaking a six-hole string of silence between them. “Now I get why you were asking about second-place money.”
FREE BET — UP TO $500!Bet any golf major at FanDuel and get your first wager 100% risk-free, up to $500.
Don’t poke the bear. Or wake the sleeping giant. Or tug on Superman’s cape.
You figure one of those terms is applicable in this situation. For his part, Woods ignores the line, hitting a dart to three feet and making birdie to tie things up again at the top.
They each make par on 17 but now need birdie on 18, as Jon Rahm finishes with a flurry of birdies on his last four holes to jump out of nowhere and take the lead.
Instead, Woods and Mickelson can only manage par.
A tie for second place.
It’s the 12th career runner-up for Mickelson at a major and the eighth for Woods. As it turns out for each of ‘em, second place was no joking matter.
