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Tiger hasn't spoken to Mickelson ahead of Phil's 'disappointing' absence

John McCoy / PGA TOUR / Getty

Tiger Woods said Tuesday he hasn't spoken to Phil Mickelson ahead of this week's PGA Championship.

"I have not reached out to him. I haven't spoken to him," said Woods, according to Golf.com's Zephyr Melton.

Woods also discussed Mickelson's decision not to play in the PGA Championship.

"It's always disappointing when the defending champion is not here," the four-time PGA Championship winner said. "Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the TOUR and committed to the legacy of the TOUR have pushed back against.

"I think that some of his views on how the TOUR could be run, should be run - [there have] been a lot of disagreements there. ... Obviously we're going to have a difference of opinion, how he sees the TOUR, and we'll go from there."

Woods made his highly anticipated return to PGA TOUR competition at the Masters Tournament in April. He hadn't played in an official tournament since late 2020 after suffering injuries in a car accident. He opened the tournament with rounds of 71 and 74 to make the cut, ultimately finishing 47th.

Woods, 46, reiterated Tuesday that his biggest challenge playing golf since the accident is walking.

"I've gotten stronger since then, but it's still going to be sore," Woods said about his progress since the Masters. "I can hit golf balls, but the challenge is walking."

Woods won the PGA Championship the last time Southern Hills Country Club hosted the event in 2007, prevailing by two strokes over Woody Austin.

The 15-time major champion is set to play in a group alongside Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds of this week's event - a group with 22 combined major championship wins. They're scheduled to tee off at 9:11 a.m. ET on Thursday.

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