Showdown at Shadow Creek

Late Friday is typically reserved for news that someone wants buried but, thanks to Alan Shipnuck, this was Topic A all weekend:

The greatest match that never was almost took place on July 3 in Las Vegas, a prime-time TV special that was to have pitted Tiger Woods against Phil Mickelson in a $10 million winner-take-all, 18-hole death match. The negotiations, involving a major

television network and various corporate entities, couldn't quite be consummated in time but Woods and Mickelson and their people remain committed to making it happen as soon as it's feasible. "We're working on a different date," Mickelson said on Thursday. "I thought it was done for the 3rd but obviously it wasn't." Woods's representatives declined to comment. 

The seeds were planted back in April, at the Masters, when Tiger and Phil played a much-ballyhooed practice round together. Mickelson has a history of using press conferences to further his business interests, such as at the 2010 Players when he repeatedly raved about Five Guys hamburgers only to have it revealed the following week that he had purchased Southern California franchise rights to the burger chain. 

At this year's Players, a month after the Masters, Wood and Mickelson were paired together and Phil said, "The excitement that's been going on around here, it gets me thinking: Why don't we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head-to-head and just have kind of a high-stakes, winner-take-all match. Now, I don't know if he wants a piece of me, but I just think it would be something that would be really fun for us to do, and I think there would be a lot of interest in it if we just went straight to the final round."

Props to Alan for remembering the Five Guys bit, which had been lost down my memory hole.  At the time, Phil's comments did sound calculating, but then nothing more was heard on the subject.

And here's today's thank God for analysts moment:

'Potential to be huge': Analysts say viewers would eat up Tiger vs. Phil, suggest adding charity angle

Ya think?  The weekly Tour Confidential e-mail confab gets right to this one:

1. Our Alan Shipnuck broke the blockbuster news that a $10 million match play event between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson is in the works (and nearly happened earlier this month). Would a Phil-Tiger showdown immediately become one of the biggest/most-anticipated events of the year? Where would it rank among the others? 

Alan Shipnuck: The intensity of the news coverage and on social media that followed our story tells me how much interest there is for this. It doesn't make sense to rank it in the context of meaningful tournaments — this a lark, just a bit of fun. But it would certainly be anticipated.

Fair enough, though Alan Shipnuck commenting on Alan Shipnuck's scoop might be a little too postmodern for me.

Dylan Dethier: Shipnuck's right; you can't really compare this to a Tour event and it ultimately means nothing in terms of legacy for either of the two. But it's such a simple, digestible concept with exciting characters that I think it would grab the attention of plenty of casual golf fans in a way that only the majors and Ryder Cup currently do.

A topic this weighty can't be limited to a mere single query, can it?

2. Made-for-TV golf showdowns have long been a part of the game's history but faded years ago. Backed by A-list names like Mickelson and Woods, could you see this potential revival having staying power?

Again with that Shipnuck guy:

Shipnuck: One of the keys to Shell's Wonderful World of Golf is that it took viewers to amazing courses around the world they didn't otherwise get to see. That remains integral, I think. Chicago Golf Club, Fishers, Pine Valley, CPC, Tara Iti, Shanqin Bay, Cabot, Barnbougle, Diamante...we can go on and on. The game is so global now so it shouldn't be hard to find places where the course is a star, too. Throw in a bunch of appealing young players with old lions Tiger and Phil and it could be great fun to see a revival of this kind of showdown.

Important point, that one, and I'll note that Shadow Creek fits the bill (and also that we'll have an opportunity to see Chicago Golf Club later this week).

Dethier: For golf fans, this has unbelievable appeal. No weekend golfers play 72-hole stroke play events; how fun would it be to see the game's top stars getting into it in some high-stakes fourball matches on dream courses? Add in the betting possibilities in a simple head-to-head (boxing-style, in some ways) and I think there's plenty of potential to expand.

Would this be a good time for your weekly dose of cold water?  As a segue, there was this from Alan's item on Friday:

This dynamic carried over to the PGA Tour. As Woods was reshaping the sport in his image he had little use for Mickelson. This played out in press conference jabs, a famously frosty pairing at the Ryder Cup and other slights large and small. When Tiger began headlining made-for-TV exhibitions around the turn of the century he tapped not his most talented and popular peer but lesser-lights David Duval, Sergio Garcia…and Karrie Webb? It wasn't until year five that Mickelson became a part of the show, but his chemistry with Woods was so awkward it helped kill the entire "Battle At…" franchise.

A word of caution to all involved....  What killed Tiger's "made-for" series was ultimately the actual golf....  a series of clunkers drove ratings asymptotically towards zero, because it was simply unwatchable.   Tiger and Phil will draw a huge audience, but they'll only stay if the golf is compelling.

Have you ever actually watched any of those old Shell matches?  Nicklaus v. Snead at Pebble was about the best of the bunch, but they were interesting mostly for the venues.

Of course Twitter erupted at the news, and interesting commentary was spawned.  Josh Sens takes a trip down memory lane with his favorite Tiger-Phil moments, including this obvious selection given the current focus on a potential Ryder Cup pairing:

6. A PHIL-AND-TIGER FLOP 

At the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, U.S. captain Hal Sutton paired Woods and Mickelson for the first time, insisting that the two would be "as strong as new rope." Frayed not. Looking sullen in each other's company, the un-dynamic duo lost 2 and 1 to Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington in Friday morning's four-ball session, then fell in afternoon foursomes to Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, who bested Phil and Tiger 1 up.

Better yet, that was only the second stupidest thing that Hal Sutton did that day....  They were so miserable.

Best of the bunch is Dylan Dethier's suggested undercard matches, which includes the expected topical and obvious choices such as these:

25. Joel Dahmen (+120) vs. Sung Kang
After all the "cheating" talk from earlier this week, this frosty face-off will be conducted under the watchful eye of a rules official and several overhead slow-mo cameras.

21. Steph Curry (-250) vs. Tony Romo
The sponsor's exemption showdown, playing for second-sport dominance. 

20. Steve Williams (+2000) vs. Bones Mackay
While we're feeling sentimental about Tiger-Phil, let's throw their legendary ex-loopers in the mix — though Bones may need to give shots. 

19. Harold Varner III (+120) vs. Charles Howell III The young challenger poses an outside threat to CH3's position atop the "best III" throne (winner awarded the Davis Love Trophy).

Good work, Dylan, but readers won't be surprised that this was my fave:

23. Miguel Angel Jimenez (+180) vs. Keegan Bradley
With any luck, this match could mean a very literal brawl.

Best.  Match.  Evah!

For those unfamiliar with the reference, that refers back to a meaningless third-day match the last year at Dove Mountain.  A dispute over a drop ended with Keegs in the fetal position in his girlfriends car petting her dog....  Good times.