‘That hurts the pocket’: Phil loses $200K to Tiger with missed birdie at 1st

It didn’t take long for Phil Mickelson to get a good look at some big bucks in his Vegas clash with Tiger Woods. Mickelson had wagered $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole of The Match, and Tiger Woods happily agreed to the bet — so much so that he doubled the wager to $200K.

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Mickelson hit two-iron off the 1st tee and found the fairway, leaving just 133 yards to the center-left hole location. He hit a fine approach shot, too: Mickelson’s wedge landed just left of the hole and spun in close, leaving just more than nine feet for his birdie. Woods just missed his putt, leaving Mickelson with a $200k putt that would also put him one-up for the day.

But Mickelson’s putt never had a chance. It started just left of the hole and stayed there, finishing hole-high. Woods looked on from behind the green. “That hurts the pocket,” he said with a grin.

Mickelson was understandably dismayed on his walk to the 2nd tee. “I didn’t see that happening there,” he said.