Ponte Vedre, Florida …

Tiger Woods did not hesitate for one second in accepting long-time arch rival Phil Mickelson throwing down the gauntlet in a ‘high stakes, winner takes all’ showdown call ahead of this week’s Players Championship at Ponte Vedra in Florida.

Woods and Mickelson find themselves grouped, and along with Rickie Fowler, for the opening two rounds of this week’s Players Championship om the TPC Sawgrass course at Ponte Vedre in Florida.

It will the first Tour occasion since the second round of the 2014 PGA Championship when Woods shot a 74 and Mickelson a 67 that Woods and Mickelson find themselves teeing-off in the same group.

In their respective PGA careers, Mickelson and Woods have found themselves grouped on 32 occasions and where Mickelson has shot a lower round 15 times, Woods 14 times and they’ve tied on three occasions.

Mickelson spoke earlier on Wednesday of a wish that he and Woods simply ‘bypass the ancillary stuff’ of this week’s $11m event and just go head-to-head.

 “I look at the cover of the newspaper and the pairing is on there and the excitement that’s been going on around here, it gets me thinking, why don’t we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head-to-head and just have kind of a high-stake, winner take all match”, said Mickelson smiling.

“Now, I don’t know if he wants a piece of me (smiling), but I just think it would be something that would be really fun for us to do, and I think there would be a lot of interest in it if we just went straight to the final round.”

Woods responded postiveily to Mickelson declaring: ‘I’m definitely not against that and we’ll play for whatever makes him uncomfortable (smiling)”.

And the now 42-year old Woods spoke of his admiration for Mickelson and particularly when Woods was away from the Tour dealing with his reoccurring back concerns.

“Phil and I have always had great banter and we always give each other needle but our relationship certainly has gotten a lot closer with me being a vice-captain on the last couple of (Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup) teams”, said Woods.

“We’ve had very lengthy conversations about things, and not just about pairings, but things in general.

“And when I was trying to deal with a nerve in my back, and trying to come back and trying to play, I wasn’t very good he always texted me some encouraging words”.

Mickelson had earlier also singled out Woods as the most ‘remarkable’ golfer in the history of game and this despite Jack Nicklaus winning 18 Majors and 73 Tour wins.

“I don’t think anybody today who wasn’t there who witnessed Tiger in the early 2000s, or I don’t think anybody before will see that level of play again,” said Mickelson.

“It was the most remarkable golf in the history of the game and I think it’s unrepeatable.  It was that good.

“I go back to 2000 and the U.S. Open and I look at his performance as being the greatest golf I’ve ever witnessed and has ever been played.

“We’ve always had a mutual respect over the years, and I’ve always appreciated what he’s done for the game of golf.

“Fifteen years ago, my record against him sucked, and now it’s okay. I’m doing better as time has gone on.”