Opinion & Analysis

Why a furious Phil Mickelson confronted Vijay Singh in the locker room at the 2005 Masters

Published

4 years ago

Apr 6, 2022

The 2005 Masters has gone down in folklore for that chip-in on 16 on Sunday that paved the way for Tiger Woods to end his three-year major ‘drought’ and kickstart his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus.

However, plenty of drama preceded Woods’ stunning victory that week.

At the time, Vijay Singh held the top spot in the World Rankings, followed by Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els – to comprise The Big Four.

Unlike most of today’s elite pros, 17 years ago, there was constant friction between the elite players at the top of the World Rankings.

While Mickelson and Woods’ testy relationship at this period in their careers has long been documented, Singh was another man who had no problem needling any of the other big four. And three weeks before the 2005 Masters, the Fijian did just that.

At Bay Hill, tour player Tom Pernice, a friend of Singh, reportedly asked officials to check the coefficient of restitution (spring-like effect) of Woods’ driver. Many believed the request was a Machiavellian move by Singh, with the club adjudged to be comfortably within the legal limits.

With relations terse between the four alpha players and the intensity of the Masters on the horizon, it’s perhaps, in hindsight, no surprise that there was trouble coming at Augusta National, where Singh decided to ruffle some more feathers.

The controversy began on the 12th hole on Friday, when Singh, playing a group behind Mickelson, called in a rules official. The 2000 champ complained to the official that Mickelson’s spikes were leaving significant marks in the green.

Lefty had switched to 8mm metal spikes from 6mm a few weeks before the event, and when the official approached him on the 13th green regarding Singh’s complaint, Mickelson was told that another official would come and ‘file down’ his spikes.

Mickelson’s playing partner that day was Stuart Appleby, who, per his caddie, hilariously quipped at the time: “What are they going to send? A blacksmith?”

The filing never happened, with Will Nicholson, chair of Augusta National’s competition committee telling media: “One of our officials talked to Phil to see if there was a burr on the side of one of his spikes. He very generously, as you know he would, said he would change them when he got in if there was a problem. There wasn’t.”

The drama, however, was far from over.

Addressing the media following his round, Mickelson revealed that he confronted Vijay in the locker room after he heard him talking to other players about the incident.

“I was extremely distracted and would have appreciated if it would have been handled differently or after the round. After sitting in the locker room for a while, I heard Vijay talking to other players about it, and I confronted him. He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled.’’

According to sources at the time, however, it appears that Mickelson was giving a heavily watered-down version of the confrontation.

Per multiple inside sources, Mickelson entered Augusta’s champions locker room after his round and overheard Singh criticizing him to other champions present. That sparked Mickelson to yell at Singh and call him a “motherf—-r” before asking him if he wanted to settle the issue outside. Singh did not.

Vijay did not speak to media after his round either.

On a recent episode of the podcast ‘Chasing Majors’, Tiger’s caddie at the time, Steve Williams, confirmed that there was a very heated discussion in the locker room but remained tight-lipped on the juicy details.

“I think it was just Phil and Vijay,” said Steve Williams about the whole situation. Williams admitted that the spikes marks were longer than normal ones would leave but that “they were within the… they were certainly legal..

“I understand there was a bit of a heated conversation in the locker room.” Williams added. “There’s no love lost between those two, that’s for sure.”

On Saturday on the range at Augusta, Singh spent a lot of time glaring at Mickelson, who, for his part, refused to look in Vijay’s direction.

Mickelson would finish 10th that year before winning the second of his three green jackets in 2006, while Singh, who was displaced that week as number one in the world by Tiger Woods, ended the event in a tie for fifth.

Has the rivalry between the two softened with age?

Well, in 2020, when Singh caught some heat for taking a spot in a Korn Ferry Tour event, Mickelson sprung to his old foe’s defence, saying:

“It’s no secret VJ and I aren’t close, but I’d like to say on his behalf that in addition to being a member of the HoF, he’s a big part of the PGA Tour’s success which financially subsidizes, and always has, the KFT. He has earned the right to play when and where he wants.”

Following Mickelson’s controversial comments and links to the Saudi-backed golf league this year, Singh, like almost every pro golfer, has yet to offer any public support.

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected]

16 Comments

Pingback: Biographer claims this is the shock real reason why Mickelson and caddie Bones split – GolfWRX
Gunter Eisenberg

Apr 7, 2022 at 9:18 pm

This would have been extremely relevant….17 years ago. Instashank.

Reply Report comment
Chris

Apr 7, 2022 at 1:58 pm

Cancel culture sucks.

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Apr 6, 2022 at 8:05 pm

Recall the anonymous poll of Tour players a few years ago, in which one of the questions was, “If you were in a bar fight, which Tour player would you want on your side?”
The reportedly unanimous answer was Ernie Els.
Which is additionally funny, because among the so-called Big Four of the early 2000’s, Ernie Els has practically zero “friction” with the others. (Well, maybe not Mickelson who found friction with everyone, but not on Els’ part.)
I think this was a mostly-accurate recounting of Spikegate, but with two omissions.
One was the egregiousness of what Mickelson was doing back then. The greens were quite wet, and the surfaces of that era were really susceptible to spike marks, which by rule could not be touched. And Mickelson in those days where he looked at the cup from four sides, standing about four feet away from the hole. It was sort of outrageous.
The second omission was the rumored role of Fred Couples, who apparently got in Mickelson’s face during the locker room confrontation and said something to the effect of, “You just got here, and you’re already being an a—hole.”

Reply Report comment
Professor

Apr 6, 2022 at 11:09 am

Phil doesn’t want any part of Vijay! It’d be hard to even call it a fight. Phil would have absolutely no chance. No chance.

Reply Report comment
- Phil Fan
  
  Apr 30, 2022 at 12:42 pm
  
  I think you would be surprised. Phil would be a tough out. He’s tenacious.
  
  Reply Report comment
Gary Ahlert

Apr 6, 2022 at 10:38 am

The way the PGA has treated Mickelson has been nothing less than a disgrace. The hypocrisy and dishonesty of the PGA tour is stunning. Their relations with China are now under investigation and rightly so. Phil’s language regarding the Saudi’s many have been rough, but the nonetheless correct. I have made it a point to watch less and less of PGA events. How dare the Master’s dis-invite Phil from playing. Who are these pompous phonies kidding?
Phil should be screaming from the rooftops over the injustice of what has happened to him and filing an massive lawsuit against the PGA for restraint of trade as well as slander and libel.

Reply Report comment
- Jim K
  
  Apr 7, 2022 at 2:19 pm
  
  First of all, Mickelson wasn’t disinvited to the Masters. It was his decision not to play. As far as the Saudi thing, it wasn’t that he didn’t correctly describe them as murderers, it was that he’s perfectly willing to jump in bed with them as long as it puts more money in his pocket.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Hulieo Aeglesis
    
    Apr 11, 2022 at 9:16 pm
    
    The bottom line with Philgate in 2022 is that IT’S a FACT the the PGA Tour management are a bunch of tyranny lovin’ leftist control freaks and very much like corporate America as a whole. IMHO, the PGA shouldn’t have ANY control over ANY player’s media rights, PERIOD. The PGA doesn’t OWN golf, just like NASCAR doesn’t OWN stock car racing, hence TWO monopolies creating disfavor for themselves…
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Hosay Louis Hola Thimble
      
      Apr 27, 2022 at 10:22 pm
      
      Cancel everyone with the FACTS
      
      Reply Report comment
GaryA

Apr 6, 2022 at 10:36 am

The way the PGA has treated Mickelson has been nothing less than a disgrace. The hypocrisy and dishonesty of the PGA tour is stunning. Their relations with China are now under investigation and rightly so. Phil’s language regarding the Saudi’s many have been rough, but the nonetheless correct. I have made it a point to watch less and less of PGA events. How dare the Master’s dis-invite Phil from playing. Who are these pompous phonies kidding?
Phil should be screaming from the rooftops over the injustice of what has happened to him and filing an massive lawsuit against the PGA for restraint of trade as well as slander and libel.

Reply Report comment
El Hijo de Phil

Apr 6, 2022 at 10:33 am

I guess Phil loves to call people M’Fers, lol….

Reply Report comment
Amy

Apr 6, 2022 at 9:59 am

FREE PHIL
Lift the BAN USGA who host a Saudi tournament
PHIL >>>

Reply Report comment
grammarian

Apr 6, 2022 at 8:56 am

correction: ruffle some feathers

Reply Report comment
Mo

Apr 6, 2022 at 8:04 am

I 100% got my money on former bouncer Vijay if it had ever come down to it.

Reply Report comment
- BJ
  
  Apr 6, 2022 at 9:16 pm
  
  Yup…
  
  Reply Report comment

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