Every golf fan knows about the raging rivalry between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. The two golf legends have time and again exchanged sharp words against each other. Furthermore, their matchups on the golf course were always a spectacle to behold. However, sometimes they had to rely on each other for a win.
This fact may come as a surprise to fans, as many consider golf to be an individual sport. But in the past, Mickelson had to rely on an equipment manufacturer, one which turned out to be the prime choice of Tiger Woods.
A time when Phil Mickelson depended on Tiger Woods’s choice to play
During his final years of competing in the PGA Tour, Mickelson left everyone shocked over his choice of equipment. He was competing in the PGA Championship at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort and opted for a piece of equipment preferred by Woods. By doing this, he proved why he deserved to be at the top as the PGA Tour’s most habitual equipment experimenter.
Lefty brought out a Mini Driver alongside his trustworthy Callaway Epic Speed driver. Surprisingly, his new club was a TaylorMade Original One Mini driver with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7x shaft. “I have been using it [the Mini One] a reasonable amount,” he said. With this new club from TaylorMade in his bag, Mickelson had a smooth run in the PGA Championship.
He shot a final-round 73 to capture the tournament, defeating Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes, becoming the oldest major champion at 50. After winning in May with the TaylorMade mini driver, Mickelson got a TaylorMade 300 Mini Driver for his next major, the US Open. Coincidently, TaylorMade was also the choice of Tiger Woods.
Close relations between Woods and TaylorMade
Since 2017, Woods has been using equipment made by TaylorMade. Apart from his putter, the 48-year-old prefers to use TaylorMade. Furthermore, the two of them are also entering a new phase of their partnership now.
Rumors have it that Tiger Woods is looking to revitalize his Sunday Red brand under the TaylorMade umbrella. If this happens, this will mark another collaboration between TaylorMade and Woods, with them previously coming together to make P7-TW Irons and PopStroke golf.
While the speculations are still running high, one thing is for certain. What in the past was Tiger Woods’s choice of equipment manufacturer played a major role in his rival Phil Mickelson’s record-breaking victory.
