Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are among the biggest players of their generation, winning a combined 126 PGA tournaments in almost 25 years. Their achievements are only made greater considering they were competing against one another. In half of these tours, one of them was the runner-up, but how many times did Phil finish second?
Phil finished second to Tiger 4 times in PGA Tournaments, in 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2005. One of the most memorable occasions is the 2002 US Open, the first and only time Tiger beat Phil in a Major Tournament. On the other hand, Tiger has finished second to Phil five times.
In the rest of this article, I will mention all the occasions when Phil Mickelson finished second to Tiger, as well as when Tiger finished second to Phil.
Times Tiger Won and Phil Came Second
In total, the number of times Phil Mickelson has finished second to Tiger Woods is four. Of these four occasions, only one is part of a major tournament. Let’s check all the separate occasions one by one:
The World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational (1999)
In 1999, Tiger beat Mickelson by one stroke at the Firestone course in Ohio. Tiger won at 270 shots (10-under), while Mickelson was behind at 271 shots (9-under). This was the first year of the WGC Invitational tournament, which continued to be held until 2021. Tiger’s win this year was only the beginning. Afterward, he would continue to win another four tournaments in a row.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational (2001)
At Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge course in Florida, Tiger Woods scored an important win at 273 shots (15-under), against Mickelson at 274 shots (14-under). Phil had taken the lead earlier but soon Tiger took the lead. Tiger Woods is the only player to have won this tournament eight times.
The U.S. Open (2002)
In the 2002 Open at Bethpage Black, New York, Woods was triumphant at 277 shots (3-under), ahead of Phil Mickelson at 280 shots. This was the first Major win against Mickelson and the eighth overall Major in Tiger’s career up until that point. 2002 was the year Tiger won both the US Open and the Masters.
The Ford Championship at Doral (2005)
Tiger’s fourth and last win over Mickelson took place at the Blue Monster course in Florida. Tiger won at 264 shots (24-under), while Phil Mickelson was runner-up at 265 shots (23-under).
This win put Tiger back at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking after being replaced the previous year by Singh. He would go on to win this tournament the next year as well, with David Toms and Camilo Villegas coming second.
Number of Times When Phil Won and Tiger Was Second
Phil Mickelson records five wins in PGA championships where Tiger Woods has come second:
- The 1998 Sentry Tournament of Champions in California, at 271 shots, 17-under.
- The 2000 Farmers Invitational in California, at 270 shots, 18-under.
- The 2000 TOUR Championship in Georgia, at 267 shots, 13-under.
- The 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship in Massachusetts, at 268 shots, 16-under.
- The 2009 TOUR Championship in Georgia, at 271 shots, 9-under.
Conclusion
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were great rivals for over two decades in different PGA tournaments. They both have had extraordinary achievements, often with the other close behind.
Phil has finished second to Tiger on four occasions, notably the 2002 US Open, where Tiger managed to win both the Masters and the US Open. Tiger has finished runner-up to Phil on five occasions.