"I really didn’t expect him to win" – When Phil Mickelson boldly took on the red-hot Tiger Woods at the 2000 Tour Championship

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are among the greatest golfers of their era. The two superstars also shared one of the biggest rivalries which intensified at the 2000 Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mickelson started the tournament strongly by carding 3-under 67 with four birdies against a bogey, while Woods scored 2-under 68 in the first round. However, Mickelson had an underwhelming second round, scoring 1-under 69, as Woods carded 4-under 66.

Woods continued his momentum in the third round and carded another 4-under 66. However, Mickelson topped it with 5-under 65. With the final 18 holes to be played, Woods and Vijay Singh were tied for first position with an aggregate score of 10-under 200. Mickelson was trailing by one shot.

In the final round, Mickelson performed splendidly as he notched six birdies against two bogeys, while Woods had an average round with four birdies against three bogeys. Mickelson won the tournament by two strokes over Woods. After winning, he said (via ABC Sports):

"I really didn’t expect him to win. I thought I had a pretty good chance. And I really liked the position I was in, one group in front and having them watch me make birdies. To shoot 4 under on the front can be difficult to follow."

Mickelson finished with a score of 267 (−13). Woods was in sensational form in 2000, winning nine times on the Tour. However, he struggled with accuracy and missed seven of 14 fairways. It was his third defeat as a professional after leading a tournament in the third round. Talking about it, he said:

"I've had a loot of good things go my way. I've been able to make key shots at the right times, and it has added into victories. Sometimes, I have played poorly coming down the stretch and have somehow snuck out a win."

Overall, Tiger Woods has competed in 378 PGA Tour tournaments while Mickelson has competed in 666 PGA Tour tournaments. Woods has 82 wins and 199 top-10 finishes on the Tour while Mickelson has 45 wins and 198 top-10 finishes.

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A look at Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods' record at Tour Championship

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have a great record at the Tour Championship. Mickelson won the tournament twice — in 2000 and 2009. In 2000, he won the tournament by two strokes over Tiger Woods at East Lake Golf Club. In 2009, he won the tournament, edging out Woods again by three strokes.

Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship thrice — in 1999, 2007, and 2018. In 1999, Woods finished with a score of 269 (−15) and won by four strokes ahead of David Love III. In 2007, he won his second title with a score of 257 (−23), which remains the lowest winning score in tournament history. He won by a huge margin of eight strokes over Zach Johnson and Mark Calcavecchia.

In 2018, he scored 269 (−11) and won by two strokes over Billy Horschel. He has been runner-up four times — in 2000, 2004, 2005, and 2009.