Phil Mickelson story...

[joelq]

I do notice alot of players seem to be annoyed with him. Its well known Tiger doesnt like Phil.. but Phil, being the bigger man gives Tiger and Elin a kids ping pong set for their new born. I've never heard anything bad about him either.. other than players/people thinking he's weird or fake.

"....being the bigger man..." - c'mon now - do we really think we have a good picture of how these guys really are? I read the same article about Phil and Amy giving Tiger and Elin a kids ping pong table, but does that necessarily mean Phil's "the bigger man"? Take anecdotes like this for what they are but don't assume so and so is a better person than so and so. Besides, I'm sure you could list what Tiger does with his Tiger Woods Foundation (or any other PGA Golfer, for that matter), and you could come up with good anecdotes about just how "great" all of these guys are.

[iacas]

I also don't think giving gifts to someone you don't like (and who doesn't like you) could be seen as the "fake" stuff people typically tag Phil for doing. I don't go around giving presents to people who aren't my friends. Why would I? So why does Phil?

I don't think, too, that Phil and Tiger hate each other. They just aren't buddies. I also think Phil thinks about Tiger MUCH more than Tiger thinks about Phil.

[ettsn]

Phil is one of the few players that pose any kind of challenge to Tiger, so naturally the competitive nature could impede a tight friendship. Human nature. In team sports, you can absolutely hate another rival team, then you get traded to them and they're great. The fire inside is what makes champions. It's extremely rare to be both a champion and everybody's buddy. That doesn't make Tiger or Phil a bad person (for the record, I think they're both excellent human beings as well as superb golfers).

[Clubswinger21]

No doubt, i've always thought he was mis-understood. I think alot of the "phil hate" comes from the fact that alot of the charity work he does, and nice guy role he plays, makes alot of PGA players feel undermined like he is trying to appear better than them by doing more. Im sure they do stuff that doesnt get noticed because they're not in the spot light like Phil is.

"....being the bigger man..."

In my oppinnion it does mean that Phil sort of just squashed any tension between them by doing that. And i stated in my post which you qouted how im sure alot of PGA tour players do alot of charity work etc. which doesnt get seen or heard of.

I also don't think giving gifts to someone you don't like (and who doesn't like you) could be seen as the "fake" stuff people typically tag Phil for doing. I don't go around giving presents to people who aren't my friends. Why would I? So why does Phil?

Maybe Phil knows the joy of having a baby so he felt obligated to give them something.. i see how it could appear overly nice to someone though.. especially since they're not even friends. I never did say they hate eachother though (at least in this thread).

[hammer84]

Phil, being the bigger man gives Tiger and Elin a kids ping pong set for their new born. I've never heard anything bad about him either.. other than players/people thinking he's weird or fake.

Ping pong ??? Should have given Tiger's kid a drum set. Maybe that would keep Tiger up at night

[Undr Par]

"....being the bigger man..."

funny thing is, was it ever mentioned if Tiger bought any of Phil's children a gift? nobody is saying Phil is God or even a Saint, but to many people come across as acting if Phil is fake, (when by your own statement) nobody really knows that at all, now do they?

[Sowbug2000]

I haven't seen the article....but from all other indications I get from watching golf and reading mags, I think Phil is a great guy! And I love it when he wins, cause we get to see Amy!!! He seems to be a genuine guy who respects/appreciates the fans. He's a regular guy....who isn't perfect, makes mistakes (ahem, U.S. Open).

IMHO, Tiger is a robot....he's like Ivan Llendl to throw out an old tennis reference. Don't get me wrong, Tiger is the man and practically unbeatable when he's on....but he seems extremely guarded with fans, in interviews, showing hardly any emotion.

With that being said, I'm a Phil Fan!

[NM Golf]

Basically it comes down to this, if you like Phil Mickelson then you will be able to find many accounts of things he does that will make you like him more. The same is true for people who don't like him, look hard enough and there's a lot out there to support your opinion.

I truly like him, I know lots of people who have met him or know him personally they really like the guy. I like the fact too, that everyone has an opinion about him. It means he is out there. Tiger is so guarded, careful, and private that he's not like a real person to me. He is a great golfer for sure but other than that I have no real opinion on the guy. He is like a movie star or something, totally out of touch with the everyday person.

[Finn07]

Ping pong ??? Should have given Tiger's kid a drum set. Maybe that would keep Tiger up at night

The ping pong table was in reference to the fact that at each Ryder Cup they play Ping Pong against eachother and Phil whips Tigers ass in it.

[iacas]

The ping pong table was in reference to the fact that at each Ryder Cup they play Ping Pong against eachother and Phil whips Tigers ass in it.

Actually, Tiger won the last several matches.

The ping pong table is so Sam can practice and try to some day beat Phil's kids, which he said already had a head start (cuz they're, you know, not newborns).