A legendary locker room confrontation between two Masters champions at the 2005 tournament has resurfaced as both players find themselves absent from Augusta National for the second consecutive year.
Phil Mickelson, the three-time Masters winner who has withdrawn from this year's event, and 2000 champion Vijay Singh, who pulled out of last year's tournament, engaged in a heated clash during the second round of the 2005 Masters.
The drama began when Singh summoned an official at the 12th hole to lodge a complaint against Mickelson, who was playing in the group ahead. Singh alleged that Mickelson's spikes were causing significant damage and gouges to the greens.
Mickelson had recently switched from 6mm to 8mm spikes just weeks prior to the tournament. Officials promptly notified him of the complaint and indicated his spikes would be filed down if necessary.
Augusta National competition chair Will Nicholson quickly resolved the spike issue, determining no filing was required.
"One of our officials talked to Phil to see if there was a burr on the side of one of his spikes," Nicholson explained. "He very generously, as you know he would, said he would change them when he got in if there was a problem. There wasn't."
However, the situation escalated dramatically in the locker room following the round. Mickelson expressed his frustration with how the matter was handled.
"I was extremely distracted and would have appreciated if it would have been handled differently or after the round," said Mickelson. "After sitting in the locker room for a while, I heard Vijay talking to other players about it, and I confronted him. He expressed his concerns. I expressed my disappointment with the way it was handled."
Reports from that time suggest the confrontation was far more intense than Mickelson's diplomatic comments indicated. Multiple accounts claim that upon overhearing Singh discussing the incident with other players, Mickelson approached the Fijian golfer and used profanity. Some reports also suggest Mickelson challenged Singh to take their dispute outside the clubhouse.
Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams later verified the altercation occurred, providing insight into the heated exchange.
"I think it was just Phil and Vijay," Williams stated on 'Chasing Majors'. "I understand there was a bit of a heated conversation in the locker room. There's no love lost between those two, that's for sure."
The 2005 Masters concluded with Tiger Woods claiming his fourth Green Jacket, while Singh finished tied for fifth and Mickelson placed tenth.
Interestingly, the relationship between the two champions appears to have mellowed over time. In 2020, Mickelson defended Singh when the Fijian golfer faced criticism for accepting a place on the Korn Ferry Tour.
"It's no secret VJ and I aren't close, but I'd like to say on his behalf that in addition to being a member of the HofF, he's a big part of the PGA Tour's success which financially subsidizes, and always has, the KFT," Mickelson wrote on social media. "He has earned the right to play when and where he wants."
The 2005 incident remains one of the most memorable behind-the-scenes confrontations in Masters history, occurring during the same tournament famous for Woods' iconic chip-in on the 16th hole. With both players now absent from Augusta National for extended periods, the locker room clash serves as a reminder of the intense competitive emotions that can boil over at golf's most prestigious venues.