Why Phil Mickelson once stood up for Vijay Singh after he was called selfish by another golfer

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Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh have gone down as golfing legends, but intriguingly the pair haven’t always seen eye-to-eye.

Mickelson and Singh were both regulars on the PGA Tour once upon a time, where they both enjoyed huge success.

The American icon boasts 45 PGA Tour wins, while the ​​Fijian ace claimed 34 wins during his fantastic career.

Singh has since moved on to the PGA Tour Champions, while Mickelson is a superstar on LIV Golf.

When Phil Mickelson defended rival Vijay Singh after Korn Ferry Tour criticism

Mickelson and Singh had a famous fallout at The Masters in 2005, with their spat spilling into the locker room.

The Fijian was not happy with the American’s footwear, arguing his spikes were damaging the Augusta National greens, with Mickelson having been playing ahead of Singh.

But in stark contrast, the former once jumped to the defence of the latter, likely much to his surprise and those following the situation.

Back in 2020, Korn Ferry Tour player Brady Schnell took to social media to criticize Singh for entering the inaugural Korn Ferry Challenge.

Schnell believed a younger player was deserving of the 57-year-old’s spot, with Singh committing due to not being eligible to play on the PGA Tour that week, with no PGA Tour Champions event having been scheduled.

Mickelson was firmly on the side of his fellow legend, commenting at the time: “It’s no secret Vijay and I aren’t close, but I’d like to say on his behalf that in addition to being a member of the HoF, he’s a big part of the PGA Tour’s success which financially subsidizes, and always has, the KFT. He has earned the right to play when and where he wants.”

READ MORE: Former world number nine with five PGA wins stripped of full Tour status

Phil Mickelson vs Vijay Singh PGA Tour stats

Both Mickelson and Singh are major championship winners, although the American holds the bragging rights in that regard.

The 55-year-old has six such victories to his name at this stage, while 62-year-old Singh has claimed three such wins.

And while they are no longer in their prime, both players are still doing their thing on LIV Golf and the PGA Tour Champions.

Mickelson is preparing for another season on the former after finishing 24th in the latest individual standings, while Singh has one runner-up finish from his 20 starts on the latter in 2025.