Tiger Woods has without question been the biggest name in the sport of golf over the last 30 years. His is arguably the most important figure in the whole history of our game. But Phil Mickelson has also been a hugely influential player since he burst onto the scene as an amateur in the early 1990s. Both men have been popular and both have had controversies surrounding them, but both have played a key role in keeping golf in the public eye over the last three decades. Here we take a look at their careers in more detail and compare the numbers and stats that demonstrate their achievements.
Amateur Careers
Both men excelled in the unpaid ranks and possess exceptional records from their amateur golfing days.
Woods won the US Junior Amateur three years straight and then won the US Amateur Championship three years consecutively after that. He is the only man to win the US Amateur three years in a row. He played in the Eisenhower Trophy and the Walker Cup (although the US team lost in 1995) and was a six-time Junior World Golf Champion.
Phil Mickelson was a three-time NCAA individual champion and won first-team All American honours all four years he spent at Arizona State University. Phil won the US Amateur title in 1990 – he became the first player with a left-handed swing to claim the national amateur championship (it should be remembered Mickelson is actually right-handed, despite swinging it lefty.) Mickelson played in the 1989 and 1991 Walker Cups – The US were winners in '91 and Mickelson won three of his four matches.
Phil can boast one success as an amateur that Tiger can’t – He won a PGA Tour event before turning pro. In January 1991, aged just 20 and still at college, Phil won the Northern Telecom Open in Tuscon.
Although Tiger probably edges it given his six straight years of national success, Phil certainly comes close to Woods for amateur glory.
Majors
Tiger’s Major record is second only to Jack Nicklaus. He has secured 15 Major titles. He has completed the Career Grand Slam three times over. Tiger has had 26 further top-10s in Majors, seven of which have been runner-up finishes. Tiger’s first top-10 in a Major was his victory in the 1997 Masters, his last was his win in the 2019 Masters, a gap of 22 years.
Phil has won six Major titles but has never been able to get the job done in the US Open, despite six runner-up finishes. Lefty has had 34 top-10 finishes in Majors – eight more than Tiger and 12 of those have been runner-up placings. His first top-10 came in the 1993 PGA Championship and his most recent in the 2023 Masters (where he was tied 2nd) – a gap of 30 years. Mickelson has displayed incredible longevity at the highest level of men’s professional golf.
Tiger was 43 when he won the 2019 Masters but Phil was 50 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island – He is the oldest player to win a Major.
Tiger certainly takes it on Major victories but Phil’s Major performances have been consistently excellent over a 30 year stretch.
Tournament Victories and Orders of Merit
Woods has 82 PGA Tour wins and 110 in total as a professional. His 82 victories on the PGA Tour ties him with Sam Snead for the most titles on the circuit.
Phil has won 45 times on the PGA Tour between 1991 and 2021. He has a total of 57 tournament victories as a professional.
Tiger topped the PGA Tour money list on 10 occasions and has earned over $110 million in prizemoney on the circuit. Phil never managed to lead the money list. He is second in all-time earnings on the PGA Tour though, having picked up almost $95,000,000 in winnings. Although... the PGA Tour no longer recognise him on their lists, following his move to LIV Golf.
This category is clear-cut, Tiger spent some 15 years as a dominant force. He has played 358 times on the PGA Tour and has 82 wins – That’s an incredible winning % of 23%!
Professional Team Golf
Phil has played in the Ryder Cup on no fewer than 12 occasions – Nobody has played in more. But his overall record isn’t great – 18-22-7. He does have a winning record in the singles – 8-6-1. He has also played in 12 Presidents Cup where his record is considerably better – 26-16-13.
Mickelson was part of the winning USA team in the Alfred Dunhill Cup of 1996.
Tiger played in eight Ryder Cups and has only once been on the winning side – 1999 at Brookline. Tiger’s Ryder Cup record is 13-12-3. That’s a win % of 46%, better than Mickelson’s 38%.
Tiger and Phil played together on the first day of the 2004 Ryder Cup – A supposed “dream team” they lost to Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington in the morning then to Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood in the afternoon.
Tiger has played in nine instalments of the Presidents Cup and has been playing captain once. His playing record is 27-15-1.
Tiger played for the USA in three World Cups and was on the winning side twice. He won the individual title once.
Tiger’s pro team record is the more impressive.
Tiger and Phil have been the two biggest names in golf from the early 1990s onwards. Clearly Tiger has achieved more, won more, picked up more titles and more prizemoney. One can’t really compare their careers too closely as Tiger is arguably the greatest player of all time while Phil is just a great, great player. But Mickelson does have some notable achievements that Tiger doesn’t – winning as an amateur, winning a Major after 50 and playing in 12 Ryder Cups and 12 Presidents Cups… Those are impressive facts that will see Phil Mickelson’s name solidified in golf’s history books alongside… actually maybe just a little under… Tiger Woods.
