Last Sunday, on a warm spring day in Augusta, Georgia, Phil Mickelson stood on the 18th green after The Masters to accept his third green jacket. Mickelson was the most consistently great player throughout the week, proving he was worthy of his fourth major title. Although Mickelson dominated the headlines after the tournament, another golfer was the center of attention coming into Augusta: Tiger Woods. As Tiger and Phil became the central figures of the weekend, sports fans were reminded of the contrasts between the two athletes in terms of their lives and careers, all set against the difficult year they had both endured.
Tiger’s troubles were of his own making. Early on Thanksgiving morning, Tiger Woods crashed his car into a tree in his Florida suburb. Soon after, Tiger’s world crashed down around him. Tiger’s problems first started when details about the accident were neither confirmed nor denied, but instead left to fester in the pages of tabloids. Woods eventually came out with a statement that alluded to “personal transgressions.” What followed was a cascade of confessions, as mistress after mistress came out, claiming that they had all been with Tiger at some point in the past three years.
Following a lengthy exile, photos were released showing that Woods was at a sex-rehab center. Woods was soon seen jogging and preparing his golf game for a return to the sport. On February 19, Tiger gave his first press conference in front of a select group of reporters, one more PR mistake in a long line of them since the scandal. Tiger then announced he was returning to golf at the Masters, and the media awaited his arrival at Augusta.
Mere months before Woods took an extended leave of absence from golf, Mickelson declared he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the game. Mickelson’s wife, Amy, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he decided to spend his time with her and their children instead of competing on the PGA Tour. After doctors confirmed Amy’s cancer was treatable and that they had detected it early, he returned to golf.
Just over a month after returning to the tour, Mickelson received more devastating news, causing him to withdraw from the sport again. His mother, Mary, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and would be treated at the same hospital as his wife. Mickelson missed the British Open, but eventually returned to win the Tour Championship, the final FedEx Cup event of the season.
So, Woods and Mickelson entered The Masters under wildly different circumstances.
Woods was returning to competitive golf after well over 100 days in self-imposed exile. He is now the poster boy for scandal, infidelity, and the abuse of privilege. Mickelson came into Augusta as the sentimental favorite, with a heavy heart and lofty expectations. As the tournament progressed, it became clear that Tiger and Phil would be major contenders into the final round.
On Sunday, Woods could not recover from a poor start, and Mickelson played a nearly flawless round to win the title. Seeing Mickelson embrace his wife after winning the tournament is a scene sports fans will not soon forget. Had Woods won, it would have been a celebrated accomplishment, but his wife would not have been there on the 18th. Phil and his wife deserved that victory.
With his win, Mickelson showed us that nice guys don’t always finish last. Sorry Tiger, but last Sunday, the better man won.
