Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson locker room clash resurfaces after Masters fallout
vijay singh is back in the spotlight as a long-buried Masters argument between two champions returns to view. The dispute, tied to a 2005 second-round incident, centered on complaints about Mickelson’s spikes and escalated after play ended on Friday.
The confrontation unfolded at Augusta National after Vijay Singh raised concerns that Phil Mickelson’s spikes were leaving damage on the greens. An official was summoned at the 12th hole, and Mickelson was told his spikes could be filed down if needed, though that step was not required.
Former Augusta National competition chair Will Nicholson said an official checked the issue and found no problem that needed correction. Mickelson later said he was “extremely distracted” and wished the matter had been handled differently or after the round.
What happened after the round
In Mickelson’s account, he sat in the locker room for a while, heard Vijay Singh speaking to other players, and confronted him directly. He said Singh explained his concerns and that he then expressed disappointment with how the situation was handled.
Other accounts from that period describe a more intense exchange, including claims that Mickelson used insulting language and suggested the matter be settled outside. Those claims were not put into action, and the confrontation ended without any physical fight.
Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ former caddie, later confirmed there was a heated locker room conversation. Speaking on Chasing Majors, Williams said, “I think it was just Phil and Vijay. 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. ”
Officials, complaints, and the locker room tension
The dispute began when Singh, who had earlier stirred controversy that year by asking officials to inspect Woods’ driver at Bay Hill, complained that Mickelson’s spikes were gouging the greens. Stuart Appleby, Mickelson’s playing partner, responded with a sharp joke: “What are they going to send? A blacksmith?”
Will Nicholson’s intervention kept the issue from becoming a rules flashpoint on the course. Nicholson said one of the officials checked for a burr on a spike and that Mickelson agreed to change them later if there was a problem, but there wasn’t.
Two champions, one long memory
The episode remains notable because both men are Masters champions, and the clash came at the same event forever linked to Tiger Woods’ iconic chip-in on 16. In the final standings, Mickelson finished 10th, Singh tied for fifth, and Woods won his fourth Green Jacket.
The feud has softened over time. Mickelson later defended Singh in 2020, showing that the old tension did not last in the same form forever. Even so, vijay singh still draws attention whenever the 2005 incident is revisited, because the locker room argument captured a raw moment in major championship pressure.
What happens next is simple: the story will keep resurfacing whenever Masters history is discussed, especially while the two champions remain absent from the same event. For now, vijay singh is once again linked to one of golf’s most memorable post-round confrontations, and the details still carry the force of a live dispute.
