OK, there’s definitely some bad blood going on between Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Even before last year’s much publicized row over the length of Mickelson’s metal spikes at the Masters and the mess he was leaving on the greens with them, inside sources had been whispering that the two just didn’t like each other. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’ve been battling it out to be Tiger’s shadow, which would understandably grate on any pro golfer who is used to being at the top. Or, it might just be a case of two completely different personalities that don’t mesh. We all know co-workers or friends of friends or family members we are forced to be around, but who we just do not like.

Whatever the underlying cause, it has flared up again this year. Earlier, at the FBR Open in Arizona, Singh challenged Lefty’s driver, asking the PGA Tour to test his Callaway FT3 for rules compliance. Seems Mickelson outdrove Vijay both days they played together by an average of 6+ yards. Guess Singh doesn’t think Mickelson should be able to do that. Or maybe it was just another attempt to poke a stick in the eye of a guy he just doesn’t like. Anyway, the driver was in compliance, so Vijay was just not as long as Lefty that week.

It would be very interesting to learn the entire backstory here, but I suspect we never will know. As an avid PGA watcher, it’s these behind-the-scenes stories that keep the game interesting on a human level.

Quick personal anecdote. I attended the 2000 PGA Championship in my hometown of Louisville, KY (Valhalla hosted it). Tiger won in a playoff over Bob May (remember him?). Anyway, I spent one day of the tournament (Saturday) paying more attention to how the pros treated the fans as they walked from hole to hole than how they were playing. It was most enlightening. Tiger was all business and ignored everyone (literally). Guys like Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank were cordial and smiled a lot at the people. The worst pro I saw? Bob Tway (surprisingly). He was rude several times. The best? John Daly (not surprisingly). He was a huge hit with the kids. I mention this only because I think we often only see the business side of the pros when we watch on TV. Go to a pro tourney in your area at least once in your life and watch how they interact with the fans. It’s eye-opening.