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SPORTS Wednesday 21 november 2018

The real measure of Tiger vs. Phil is how many watch

By DOUG FERGUSON against Duval, Sergio Gar-
AP Golf Writer cia and then a team for-
The winner between Tiger mat that ended — thank-
Woods and Phil Mickelson fully — when it had Woods,
might be the least relevant Mickelson, John Daly and
aspect of their Friday night Retief Goosen.
match in Las Vegas. “It’s very tough for me to
Far more compelling was criticize it, but it’s very tough
the outcome of a 72-hole to praise it,” Johnston said.
exhibition played over two That covers a lot of territory
courses for an obscene for a lot of golf fans. Those
amount of money — Harry who live to criticize will be
Vardon received nearly reaching for low-hanging
seven times more than fruit. Those who want to
what he had won from his watch Woods and Mickel-
one-shot victory over Wil- son go head-to-head will
lie Park Jr. in the 1898 British have no trouble finding en-
Open. tertainment.
That next summer, Vardon “I’ll be interested, from a
and Park played an exhi- professional standpoint, in
bition billed by the British how many viewers it gets,
press as the greatest golf how many pay,” Johnston
competition ever. Vardon Phil Mickelson, left, and Tiger Woods speak during a news conference at Shadow Creek Golf said. “How many people
won 100 British pounds Course in North Las Vegas Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018. The golfers will face off in a match play event actually care to spend
with his 2-up advantage on Friday. money on that, and does
at North Berwick before Associated Press it lead to other opportuni-
10,000 spectators, and an- “Um, no,” Rory McIlroy said Mickelson had, not the oth- of what makes this differ- ties and different delivery
other 100 pounds for com- when he was asked last er way around — has been ent from the “Showdown systems? Golf hasn’t been
pleting the 11-and-10 rout week in Dubai if he would dormant for five years. This at Sherwood,” a Monday tested like that. That’s what
at his home course of Gan- pay to watch. “I contem- feels old, and the relent- night exhibition between intrigues me.”
ton. So Woods vs. Mickel- plated it. I was having less promotion at times has Woods and David Duval The PGA Tour has approved
son is nothing new, except lunch with Phil at one of made it feel contrived. in 1999 when they were in only one of these matches,
the public is not allowed at the FedEx Cup events and Is it a bad idea? Not at all. their prime and battling for even as there is talk of a
Shadow Creek. I said, ‘I might watch it.’ He There is no downside to No. 1 in the world. franchise.
What’s unique about this took $25 out of his pocket Woods and Mickelson The question is whether it History suggests this won’t
exhibition, with $9 million and said, ‘No, here’s $25, squaring off in a pay-per- has a future. That’s about have much staying power.
supposedly going to the I’ll pay for it for you.’ Thank view event on a beauti- the only thing that piques The Skins Game was ideal
winner, is the delivery. This you.” ful golf course at Shadow the interest of Alastair John- for Thanksgiving weekend,
is golf’s first venture into McIlroy says it might have Creek that everyone seems ston, vice chairman of IMG and there was plenty of
pay-per-view, and orga- been worth it 15 years ago, to know but hardly anyone who knows a little about star power among Jack
nizers were smart to keep but that now it has “missed has seen. But when the big- these golf exhibitions. Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer,
the price at $19.99, which the mark a little bit.” gest upside is that there’s Johnston was deeply in- Gary Player, Lee Trevino,
is about 25 percent of what Woods and Mickelson no downside, selling it be- volved with the Skins Game Tom Watson, Fred Couples
a compelling heavyweight remain the two biggest comes an uphill battle. when it began in 1983 until and others.
fight would command. names in golf even in this There will be plenty of talk- it had run its course in 2008. Golf has that now with a
How many people care tidal wave of youth, but ing, and Mickelson is rarely In the midst of that run were strong core of young major
enough to sign up on Black their one-sided rivalry — without words. There will the Monday night match- champions, and perhaps
Friday? Woods was the only rival be side action. That’s part es that featured Woods that’s in the future. q

Singh settles anti-doping lawsuit with PGA Tour

By DOUG FERGUSON ment to move forward “as decided to drop its case.
AP Golf Writer we put this matter behind During the appeals pro-
Vijay Singh has settled his us.”Singh was approaching cess, then-Commissioner
lawsuit against the PGA his 50th birthday when he Tim Finchem said the World
Tour over how it investi- said in a Sports Illustrated Anti-Doping Agency said
gated his use of deer antler article at the start of 2013 it no longer considers deer
spray, ending more than that he used deer antler antler spray prohibited ex-
five years of litigation less spray, which was said to in- cept for a positive test result
than a week before the clude an insulin-growth fac- because it contained such
case was to go to trial in tor that was on the tour’s list a tiny amount of IGF-1.
New York. Terms of the set- of banned substances. The next week, Singh sued
tled announced Tuesday The tour sent a sample from the tour, claiming “public
were not disclosed. Singh to be tested, and humiliation and ridicule”
Rosenblum declined further it returned small amounts during the 12-week investi-
comment because of a of IGF-1. Under the tour’s gation. Singh’s lawyers said
confidentiality agreement. policy, admission of using a the tour “rushed to judg-
In this Friday, May 12, 2017 file photo, Vijay Singh, of Fiji, hits
from the ninth tee during the second round of The Players The PGA Tour said in a state- banned substance is a vio- ment in accusing one of
Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. ment that the settlement lation even without a test. the hardest-working play-
Associated Press reflects a mutual commit- Two months later, the tour ers in golf.”q