For as many years as can be remembered, you were either a FOT or an FOP.
As in Friend Of Tiger or Friend Of Phil.
You couldn’t be both on the PGA Tour.
If you were friends with Lefty, you get to play practice rounds with him.
Friends Of Tiger get to play practice rounds with El Tigre.
You couldn’t play practice rounds with both. No love between Tiger and Lefty back then.
But this apparently is a new era of love at Augusta National. This seems to be a new, people-friendly version of Woods — he’s signing autographs and actually smiling at folks.
Which brings us to Tuesday at the 82nd Masters.
Freddie Couples let the cat out of the bag on Monday — there’s going to be a little practice foursome that includes Couples, Thomas Pieters and (drum roll please) — Woods and Mickelson.
Talk about cats and dogs living together.
This will be Masters history. No one can recall Woods and Mickelson ever practicing together.
Think this nine-hole deal will attract some patrons?
It attracted a huge number of patrons who saw Woods eagle both back-nine par fives — the 13th from 15 feet and the 15th from just four feet.
The game was a mis-match. Couples and Pieters took on Lefty and Tiger.
Wipe out.
Mickelson birdied the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.
“They enjoyed beating us badly, I will say that,” Couples said after the nine hole shellacking. “I feel bad for Thomas because I couldn’t have helped Jack Nicklaus in his prime today. Thomas had a lot on his shoulders.”
It was obvious both Mickelson and Woods played well although Pieters added a little something to describe Woods when their nine was over:
“Tiger was brilliant.”
