The future for Tiger and Phil is more uncertain than ever

This is an excerpt from The Buzzer, which is CBC Sports' daily email newsletter. Stay up to speed on what's happening in sports by subscribing here.

Golf's biggest stars are headed in opposite directions

As golf season begins to come into full swing, two of the most famous — and oldest — players on the PGA Tour are surrounded by question marks.

Here's the latest on Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods:

Phil

At 51, Lefty had gained perhaps more popularity than ever in recent years. His televised production "The Match," which started as a game of Phil vs. Tiger and evolved to feature other sports stars like Tom Brady and Stephen Curry, was a breath of fresh air into the sometimes-stuffy golf world. Mickelson became the oldest player to ever win a major when he was victorious at the PGA Championship last summer. His approval rating was apparently confirmed when he tweeted that he was the highest earner from the PGA Tour's inaugural Player Impact Program (PIP), which rewards players mentioned most in the media with a total of $40 million US, $8 million of which supposedly went to Mickelson.

Now, Mickelson finds himself in the deep rough, apologizing for comments he made about getting into bed with "scary mother[expletive]s" in Saudi Arabia who are attempting to build a new league to compete with the PGA Tour by prying away some of its biggest names.

"We know they killed [Washington Post columnist Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay," Mickelson said. "Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates."

Throughout it all, Mickelson contended everything he was doing was for the good of the sport. Other star players like Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau were also loosely connected with the Saudi league — which is funded by the country's government and an investor group led by golf great Greg Norman — but announced their allegiance to the PGA over the weekend, following many other top players. The threat of a new league in recent years coincided with an increase in tournament purses and the PIP — the kinds of changes Mickelson was aiming to make. We may never know whether he had legitimate interest in joining the Saudi league or was simply using it as leverage.

Soon after his Tuesday apology, longtime corporate sponsor KPMG cut ties with Mickelson, who said he needs some time away. It's unclear when his return to the PGA Tour, which could suspend him for his comments, will come. Read more about the Mickelson saga here.

Tiger

It was one year ago today that Tiger endured his latest car crash, driving nearly twice the speed limit in the hills outside of Los Angeles before ramming into a tree. Police said he wasn't drunk, criminal charges would not be pursued, and the crash was "purely an accident." That remains the extent of detail we have today. Woods spent the next three months in the hospital, and later revealed that the injuries sustained to his right leg were serious enough that doctors considered amputation. At the time, Tiger's history of back injuries (he had recently undergone his fifth back surgery) on top of the newest complications made another comeback seem like a longshot.

He still hasn't returned to the tour, but it now seems likelier than not for the 46-year-old. In November, he posted a video of a single swing to Twitter that garnered nearly eight million views. In December, he played a 36-hole tournament with his son, Charlie, finishing in second place — though he mostly rode a golf cart instead of walking the course.

Suddenly, the Masters in April seems like a possibility for Tiger's return. Over the weekend, he confirmed he'd be in Augusta, though he said "a lot has to happen if I start thinking about [playing]." He is among the top 30 favourites to win that tournament — ahead of many established tour players — on multiple betting sites, if you're the gambling type. A Masters comeback for Tiger would just be the latest storybook moment for him at the famed course, following his unlikely 2019 victory. It also might be too good to be true. Some have surmised that an August return at the Open Championship, taking place on the flatter St. Andrews course, would make more sense.

Quickly...

Canada's women's soccer team dropped its final match of the Arnold Clark Cup. Led by young star Alexia Putellas, up-and-coming Spain announced its presence on the world stage by beating the reigning Olympic champions 1-0 and extending its unbeaten run to 19 games. Spain, which didn't qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, last lost against Canada in March 2020. It can now only be caught in the tournament by host England, which needed a win in its final match against Germany that was underway at our publish time. Canada finished the invitational with one win, one draw and one loss — a solid showing considering Christine Sinclair was absent due to the recent death of her mother while half of the team was still rounding into game shape in the midst of the NWSL pre-season. The Canadians would have clinched the tournament title had they beaten Spain. Read more about their loss here.

Alexander Zverev lost his cool. The third-ranked tennis player was kicked out of a tournament in Mexico after smashing his racket on the umpire's chair multiple times at the conclusion of his first-round doubles loss. The defending singles champion in the event, Zverev narrowly avoided making contact with the umpire's feet in his fit of anger. Watch the incident and read more about it here. Meanwhile, Canada's Denis Shapovalov battled some service struggles to win his first-round match at a tournament in Dubai, where Novak Djokovic made his return to the sport after being deported from Australia.

And finally...

Zdeno Chara will soon stand above every defenceman in NHL history. He accomplished that feat, by height, when he debuted in 1997. But Thursday will mark Chara's 1,652nd NHL game — breaking a tie with Chris Chelios for the most ever at the position. Chara returned to the New York Islanders this season after starting his career there before leaving for Ottawa more than two decades ago. The six-foot-nine Slovak sits 30th all time in points by a defenceman and captained the Boston Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup title.

You're up to speed. Talk to you tomorrow.