Re: ShopTalk: Sell Your Nike Stock?

[Webworks]

Perhaps this will clarify what and how Phil said it to Peter Kessler. Regards, Charlie W.   SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Phil Mickelson is the subject of an interview with Peter Kessler in the March issue of Golf Magazine due out next week. In the piece, which runs across seven pages, one line has elicited particular interest: "Tiger is the only player who is good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with." That quote is entirely accurate as written. Mickelson said Wednesday, "I hope that line wasn't taken out of context by some people. It was meant as nothing more than a positive comment on Tiger's incredible talent." By way of background, that line came in an exchange in which Mickelson was praising Woods' abilities and accomplishments as a player. Mickelson was smiling when he said of Woods, "He hates that I can fly it past him now." That was in reference to their shared first round at the Target World Challenge in December and the distance Mickelson was getting with his new Titleist 983 K driver. A third person in the interview session said, "What Tiger hated that day was spending so much time looking for your ball in the weeds." It was in that jocular moment that Mickelson, still laughing, said, "Well, maybe, but Tiger is the only player who is good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with." After seeing the story today and learning of the response it has drawn, Mickelson said, "As I've said many times, I have great respect for Tiger. I also have respect for any manufacturer, particularly those that can put their clubs in the hands of the world's best players. I am thrilled with my Titleist equipment and proud to represent the company but my remark was absolutely not intended as a knock on any other manufacturer." Woods plays Nike clubs and a Nike ball. After two events this season, shares of ninth place at the Phoenix Open and sixth place at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Mickelson is averaging 312 yards off the tee. That is a 24-yard increase over his 2002 season average. Mickelson begins play Thursday morning at Poppy Hills in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and also plans to play the Buick Invitational, World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play and Ford Championship at Doral before taking time off in anticipation of the birth of his third child in March. ----- Original Message ----- From: Pat & Laura Kelley To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 9:16 PM Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Sell Your Nike Stock? Please bring out the stats to support this - there are NO stats from the PGA tour showing Phil longer than Tiger, EVER.... Tiger IMPROVED in EVERY driving catagory since switching to the Nike driver.  Personally, I can't stand the feel and sound of both the commercially available Nikes and the few tour only models I've hit - I'm not trying to sell Nike equipment in any way.  Bottom line is that Phil is full of it, and he's positioned himself as the first golfer ever to publically bash the tools of another player - a line that EVERY previous golfer was wise enough to stay away from.  In 3 years or so when he wants to sign his next big $$ equipment deal, don't you think these manufacturers are going to remember his 'smart and sharp' comments?????  And, Phil was forced to come out today and fly the 'misquoted' flag, which anyone who knows of Peter Kessler and his style understands that Kessler respects these guys more than any other writer - he would not print a quote out of context to potentially make one of them look bad, it's not his style.    Pat Kelley -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Webworks Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 6:54 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Sell Your Nike Stock? I have to disagree with you....Phil told the truth, he is longer then tiger now and Nike equipment is crap and they ( Nike sales ) feel it. Have you seen Tiger hit a fairway with his Nike driver? Was he not driving Nike nuts with re designing his irons so they would look and feel like Titleist?   Remember this is old story and if you read it again it was a " kiss then a kick and kiss again" statement ( a complement to tiger ).   Phil is the one of the smartest and sharpest guys out there and he always toys with the media. I believe the article is written by Peter Kessler ? Charlie W.  ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 10:24 AM Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Sell Your Nike Stock? Interesting, yes, but total BS too.  The only time Phil flew it past Tiger was right before he woke up this morning.  The more quotes from PM that find their way to the public, the more his true a-hole personality becomes evident as well as his growing personal defense to justify why he's never won (nor ever will win) a major.  "Well, at least I can fly it past Tiger...."  I understand that he might have been trying some gamemanship of sort to get under Tiger's skin, but everyone will agree in the business that he crossed big line in going after another player's equipment.  In reality, the only folks with egg on their face now (aside from PM himself) are Titleist for actually paying this bozo to use their stuff. Pat Kelley   > > From: "Donald Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2003/02/06 Thu AM 08:30:36 EST > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: ShopTalk: Sell Your Nike Stock? > > In an interview with Golf Magazine, Mickelson said he and Woods get > along better than people believe and they don't have any issues. > ''Well, maybe one,'' Mickelson said. ''He hates that I can fly it past > him now. He has a faster swing speed than I do, but he has inferior > equipment. Tiger is the only player who is good enough to overcome the > equipment he's stuck with.'' >  > Interesting > Don Johnson > > In an interview with Golf Magazine, Mickelson said he and Woods get along better than people believe and they don't have any issues. ''Well, maybe one,'' Mickelson said. ''He hates that I can fly it past him now. He has a faster swing speed than I do, but he has inferior equipment. Tiger is the only player who is good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with.''   Interesting Don Johnson