Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 17 July 2018

Tiger and Phil in prime time? Great idea in 1999

By TIM DAHLBERG 18th green:
AP Sports Columnist “Don’t hit it too hard, Phil.
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland You know what happened
(AP) — As golf exhibitions when you did that at the
go, this probably once U.S. Open and you ran
seemed like a good idea. and hit the ball again while
Tiger Woods and Phil Mick- it was still moving. Does the
elson in a prime-time tele- movie ‘Happy Gilmore’
vision special playing 18 come to mind?”
holes for — and let’s pause “Well at least he hit the
for a moment here — a ball,” Mickelson might re-
cool $10 million. Put it un- ply. “Not like the time the
der the lights in Las Vegas 9-iron went through the
with some cool celebrities windshield of your SUV.”
following inside the ropes, Yes, indeed, nothing like
and it becomes must-see a little friendly banter to
TV. spice things up. If Woods
Back in 1999 anyway. and Mickelson really want-
A concept past its time is ed to go at it, they could
heading to prime time, at turn their exhibition into
least according to hints must-see TV.
dropped by both Woods But while this is about
and Mickelson. The two money and trying to stay
say they are deep into ne- In this May 10, 2018, file photo, Phil Mickelson, left, and Tiger Woods shake hands after the first relevant to a new genera-
gotiations to play a winner- round of the Players Championship golf tournament, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. tion of fans, it’s also about
take-all match with $10 Associated Press image. Woods is work-
million on the line. than a few more tanks of chat with any player — end golfer does. And if ing hard at rehabbing his,
The best part for both play- gas in the Gulfstream. And much less Mickelson — in they really want to needle while Mickelson is surely
ers? Neither will have to it’s enough to get Woods his prime. each other, it wouldn’t more than eager to flash
reach into his own pocket to want to reprise the se- But reality TV isn’t always be hard to come up with his smile and sign some au-
to pay the other off. ries of exhibitions he once real. And the lure of this some zingers. tographs in a prime-time
“I would hope for a spon- did in his prime before the TV special — for die-hard Imagine Woods about to special.
sor,” Mickelson said last unusualness of the event golf fans, at least — would try to reach a par 5 over Between them they’ve
week at the Scottish Open. wore off and the ratings be Mickelson and Woods water in two as Mickelson won only one tournament
That takes some of the dra- went in the tank. finally facing each other looks on. since the end of 2013, but
ma away from the match, Woods may not be the with microphones picking “That shot looks tougher they are arguably the only
mostly because $10 million player he once was, but at up every comment. than trying to pass a DUI two players who can car-
isn’t life-changing money 42 he remains the biggest “We are friends so we are test with five different ry a prime-time match on
for either man. Woods has draw in golf. always trying to make drugs in your system,” Lefty their own.
won $111,878,724 in official Mickelson gets some eye- each other uncomfortable might say. The ratings won’t be as
money in his career, while balls, too, though at the and needle each other,” “What do you know,” spectacular as they were
Mickelson is not far behind age of 48, he’s getting Woods said Sunday after Woods might reply. “I may when Tigermania raged
at $87,533,019, and both more attention lately for practicing a few holes at have had to go to rehab, and Woods faced off
have made many times breaking rules on the golf Carnoustie, the site of this but you could have gone against David Duval in the
more in endorsements. course than winning tour- week’s British Open. to prison with that insider Showdown at Sherwood
It’s not even unheard of in naments. If Woods and Mickelson trading scheme with the nearly 20 years ago, but in
golf, with the FedEx Cup The two were never real really want to make each biggest gambler in Las Ve- today’s fractured media
winner pocketing $10 mil- rivals, and never real other uncomfortable, of gas.” world they don’t need to
lion at the end of every friends. Woods was almost course, they would be Or this, as Mickelson stands be.
PGA Tour season. always the dominant No. playing for their own mon- over a 20-foot downhiller Just more proof that it’s not
Still, it’s enough for more 1, and had little use for chit ey like nearly every week- to win the match on the 1999 anymore.q

Usain Bolt to trial with A-League’s Mariners

SYDNEY (AP) — Eight-time subject to a couple of football and, since his re- League needed a hero can play and if he can go
Olympic gold medalist benchmarks.” tirement from the track, and we got superman.” really, really well,” he said.
Usain Bolt will trial for six Rallis said it would be nec- has trialed with Germany’s Rallis said the owner of the “Beause if he comes and
weeks with the Central essary for the 31-year-old Borussia Dortmund and Mariners would guarantee he’s not up to the level
Coast Mariners from next Bolt to trial and for Foot- Stromsgodset in Norway. 70 percent of his salary and then it actually has a det-
month in a deal which ball Federation Australia to “If he’s competitive, he will the FFA would be expect- rimental effect.
could see him play for a support his salary. lift our A-League profile,” ed to fund the remainder. “But if he comes and he’s
season in Australian foot- “Once the FFA comes Rallis said. Mariners chief executive as good as our reports are
ball’s A-League. back and says that they’ll “He will create dreams for Shaun Mielekamp said saying that he can be,
Australian football agent be part of the process, young people and he will there was still a lot of work then that would be very
Tony Rallis said Monday a we’re going to the trial,” give the A-League a pro- to do and a trial was im- exciting and I’m sure that
“deal between the Mari- Rallis said file no amount of money perative to determine this stadium would be pret-
ners and Usain Bolt in prin- Bolt has a long-held am- can buy. This bloke’s an Bolt’s skill level. ty full every time he put the
ciple has been agreed, bition to play professional ambitious athlete. The A- “It would only be big if he boots on.”q