Task For Bros: Tiger And Phil Show They're Friends, But Will They Hang Around When The Other Wins (Again)?

Of course not, but it's still nice to see these two rivals and Task Force partners sharing in the celebratory mood and no doubt thanking their bud Tom Watson for helping bring everyone closer together. Next thing you know they'll be hanging out by the 18th green the next time one of them wins a golf tournament.

This big hug followed Team USA's 2017 Presidents Cup win.

After play, the two insisted it's the media's fault for not seeing what friends they are, reports Will Gray for GolfChannel.com. Tiger:

“I think the press has made it out to be more than what it has been. We’ve been friends for a very long time,” Woods said. “We’ve had some tough moments where we’ve lost some cups, and also the flip side is we’ve had some great success. Hopefully, going forward, we can continue doing it.”

Comments

[SportsDoc]

BTW, Phil said virtually the same thing ... first. Tiger just echoed his comments.

Quite honestly, not much different than the Jack vs. Arnie climate back in the day. Except the internet didn't exist then. And then they became good and genuine friends. No reason Phil and Tiger can't do the same thing.

Much of their "perceived" animosity was, in no small part, due to the mouth of Stevie Williams.

[V.Lind]

Tiger has no-speak down to a fine art. His usual meaningless drivel.

[BrianS]

Haney's book had a lot of good stuff (from Tiger's perspective anyway) relating to the Tiger/Phil relationship at that point in time. Their personalities are pretty different, Tiger never liked over talkative extroverts like Phil, he gravitated towards the quieter guys that would interject a sarcastic comment or two. Pre 2004, there was also a lack of respect in terms of his golf - but Tiger changed that view as Phil started winning majors. I do genuinely think they have evolved as time and circumstances have changed for both of them.

[Tighthead]

Phil and Tiger had front row seats for each other's careers. They likely understand each other very well, and everything mellows with time.

I remember literally butting heads with guys for years in rugby and dislike evolved into respect, which often evolved into genuine friendship. As you age and deal with in-laws, taxes and prostate exams, those old rivals don't seem so bad after all.

[Martin Davis]

If I may, Arnold took Jack under his wing when Jack first came on tour. Ask Jack about it sometime.They were friends from the beginning. Arnold knew exactly where Jack was headed and that was for Arnold's crown. Arnold had a glimmer when Jack almost beat Arnold in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. And Jack was still an amateur then. He definitely knew it when Jack beat him in the playoff in the 1962 US Open at Oakmont. At the presentation ceremony Arnold said, "now that the big boy is out of his cage, we all better head for the hills."

And yes they did grow closer after both had retired, but continued to compete fiercely with each other designing and building golf courses.

Martin Davis
Author
"Jack Nicklaus: Simply the Best!"

[BrianS]

@ Martin, thanks !

Keep in mind, Arnold was 11 years older than Jack, and when Jack came on the scene, Arnold had already won 4 majors and was clearly the top American golfer. Phil is only 5 years older than Tiger, and had only been on Tour for 3 years when Tiger turned Pro. He was still very much a young up and comer (albeit one with 8 or 9 Tour wins, in August 1996, Phil had not yet cracked the top 10 in the world) vs. an established superstar. Tiger, quite naturally, turned to older guys like O'Meara to the extent someone was going to take him under their wing, but I think the ethos provided by his father did not really see him as anyone's protege or what have you. So quite a different dynamic in the early years, and of course then Tiger ran off many majors before Phil even won his first in 2004.

[digsouth]

Unless one does something underhanded to the other, it seems that in most cases, foes become friends, or at least offers quiet respect to the other side. How can they not, unless their is contempt for the ''natural'', who does not practice nearly as much, or who disrespects the game that is played.

Then a dislike would seem natural, or deserved.

we all ''know'' Tiger's work ethic, and it became obvious that for all his natural talent, Phil has to work his butt off to be as sharp as he has shown, and when he doesn't put in the time, he doesn't make the shots. It would be a good thing for them to be close, but I don't think they will ever be ''friends'', just too different a mindset and history. IMO.

[KG]

Just part of growing up, you understand people outside of the competition. When I first started in business I had no time for competitors. Later in my career many became great friends and still are.

[OWGR Fan]

@Brian S - Phil tuned pro in 1992 and was in his 5th year as a pro in 1996 when Tiger turned pro. Phil was in top 10 in OWGR when Tiger turned pro in September 2006. Phil won the NEC WSOG (4th win in 1996) which put him in the top 10 (#9) in the rankings. Phil was 7th in world rankings at end of 1996.

[ol Harv]

“We’ve had some tough moments where we’ve lost some cups,"

None tougher than 2004 RC when Tiger looked disgusted at some of the shots Phil was hitting and attempting. And there was always the Phil comment about Nike clubs. Yeah, it was the media Phil.

[Jupiter]

I'm no Phil fan but... Tiger is a shell of himself and has done everything he can to tarnish his reputation; i.e. Pancake House waitress and many others, Dr Galea, etc. Phil is still competing at the highest level and skipped the US Open to be at his daughter's graduation.

I don't see these guys ever being BFF's.

[BrianS]

thanks for that info OWGR, all I had to go by was Wikipedia !