Phil Mickelson opens up on Tiger Woods exchange at The Open and offers merger hint

Phil Mickelson has revealed very few words were shared when he bumped into his old rival Tiger Woods at The Open Championship's practice range.

The two golf legends, who shared epic showdowns in the past, were seen hitting balls side by side at Royal Troon as they geared up for Friday's action. While their glory days may be behind them, Mickelson managed to outshine Woods this time around, making the cut with a five-over-par, as opposed to Woods' 14-over-par which saw him miss the weekend play.

After wrapping up his second round, Mickelson, now a member of LIV Golf, was quizzed about his brief exchange with Woods. "We said hi. Yeah, we said hi, but we were both preparing," Mickelson shared. "It's not like we're going to sit there and chat. But we said hello, yeah."

READ MORE: Skip Bayless sends fresh retirement plea to Tiger Woods after The Open 'embarrassment'
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy shows true colors with reaction to missing The Open Championship cut

Mickelson, 54, who played a key role in the controversial LIV split two years ago, was also probed on whether he could join forces with Woods to mend the rift in professional golf. Woods is currently a leading figure on the PGA Tour's transaction committee, which is in talks with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) the financial muscle behind LIV Golf about a potential merger.

"I don't know. We'll see. We'll see," Mickelson responded, adding that despite his early involvement in the LIV movement, he's not actively engaged in the ongoing discussions with the PGA Tour aimed at bringing together top players from the competing circuits.

"Look, I don't know about that stuff," the six-time major champion said. "I'm not involved. I'm not sitting in those rooms. I am enjoying where I'm at and what I'm doing and playing. I'll let other people figure that stuff out."

Mickelson marked down a one-over-par in the third round as relentless rain hammered Troon to fall to a six-under-par, finishing the day 10 shots behind leader Billy Horschel.

Despite having not tasted victory since his unlikely triumph at the PGA Championship held at Kiawah Island back in 2021, "Lefty" has thoroughly savored his time on the course at Troon despite not being in the running for the Claret Jug. This was notably the site of an intense rivalry between him and Henrik Stenson in 2016, which saw the Swede eventually clinch the top spot.

"I enjoyed the round," he shared. "I had fun. I didn't score the way I wanted to, but I always enjoy playing here, and there's a lot of great memories for me from around this golf course from 2016 but even going back to 2004 when I missed the playoff by a shot. I just really love Troon golf."