Phil Mickelson wins $9M against Tiger Woods in pay-per-view game marred by technical problems

The $9 million pay-per-view match between two of golf’s biggest stars on Black Friday ended with Phil Mickelson beating Tiger Woods in overtime, while many viewers managed to watch the game for free due to a technical problem.

Mickelson won on the 22nd hole under floodlights at the Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, making a four-foot birdie putt on a specially set up 93-yard, par three.

"Just know I will never let you live that down,” Mickelson told Woods after the match. “It's not the Masters or the U.S. Open, but it is nice to have a little something on you."

Technical difficulties, however, marred the match. Despite paying $19.95, some viewers were unable to watch the game on their televisions. Both Turner and its sports site Bleacher Report shared links on social media, allowing people to stream it for free on their computers or phones.

Comcast also said after the match that it would refund the money to any Xfinity TV customers who purchased it.

“We hope Turner and Bleacher Report will do the same given that the event was made available by them for free on The Bleacher Report website,” the company said in a tweet.

Fans complained online about the streaming problems, with some sharing images of the error image they were receiving.

“First and last time I consume anything via B/R. What a joke,” one user wrote. 

In a statement to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Turner said they experienced some “technical issues” that temporarily impacted users’ access to the game.

“We’ve taken a number of steps to resolve the matter, with our main priority being the delivery of content to those that have purchased the PPV event,” she said.