Report: Tiger-Phil match set for week of Thanksgiving

Tiger Woods had nothing to add to an ESPN report that an exhibition match against Phil Mickelson was scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

“We haven’t signed anything,” Woods said after opening with a 66 in the Bridgestone Invitational. “Nothing’s confirmed.”

Golf.com reported last month that Woods and Mickelson, who have combined for 19 majors, 122 victories on the PGA Tour and 90 years on earth, were contemplating a winner-take-all $10 million match.

The ESPN report early Thursday did not mention prize money, corporate support or television details.

Woods and Mickelson played a nine-hole practice round on Wednesday at Firestone. They have the most PGA Tour titles of players from their generation, though they never competed on the back nine with a major championship at stake except for the 2001 Masters and 2002 U.S. Open, both won by Woods.

WGC-Bridgestone: Ian Poulter was annoyed upon realizing he had never finished better than 13th at Firestone, so he took a step toward doing something about it with an 8-under 62 and a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Tiger Woods found himself fighting his swing. He settled for a 66.

Such was the difference of two players with vastly different memories on the stout South course at Firestone in Akron, Ohio.

Woods is an eight-time winner, already a PGA Tour record for most victories on one course. Back at this World Golf Championship for the first time in four years, he made a 50-foot birdie putt and two other long putts to offset some average iron play.

It was his best opening round of the year, and he needed it just to keep pace with everyone else on a soft and vulnerable course that led to 45 players in the 71-man field breaking par. The average score was 68.37, the lowest for the opening round at Firestone since it became a WGC in 1999 and the lowest for the first round of any PGA Tour event this season.

“I didn’t quite hit it as well as I wanted to,” Woods said. “But I fought out a score today, which was good.”

Poulter is playing Firestone for the 14th time, and he came across a sheet showing his yearly results. At least he hasn’t missed the cut, mainly because there is no cut at these tournaments. He tied for 13th his first year, 10 shots behind. It never got any better.

Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley each had a 63, while Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim and Patrick Cantlay were another shot back. Seven players were in a group at 65, including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jason Day.

Women’s British Open: Australian Minjee Lee shot a 7-under 65, including a rightto-left putt for eagle from 25 feet on the par-5 15th hole, to lead by one stroke after the first round at Royal Lytham.

Mamiko Higa was a shot behind after a 66, while five players were a further stroke back. Michelle Wie withdrew after 12 holes because of a right hand injury. She was 7 over.