The view from the ninth tee is picture postcard stuff. The Nevada desert glistening in the distance. Right about where both Mickelson and Woods land their balls on the fairway of the par four.

Phil's chirping up...

There was also some wagering going on there. Woods was given 3-2 odds on making that 40-footer on the seventh green. That didn't strike me as a good deal...

Mickelson isn't going to miss this. Nope. Phil is back ahead!

A swear jar would have been a more productive way of raising cash for charity.

Tiger drops another bomb to leave the commentators apologising but he can't drop his putts. He lags his first well short and then lips out his effort for par.

Phil has a five-footer for the hole...

On to the eighth... another par three, another nearest-the-pin challenge.

This one has $200,000 riding on it after Tiger lays it down... Phil accepts it in a blink. Ahhh, that's more like it.

Mickelson knocks on inside Tiger and is two from two in nearest to the pin.

Tiger's in Phil's head! Mickelson goes from bunker to bunker, meanwhile Tiger knocks a chip and run within a few feet for birdie.

Leftie needs to knock it in from the sand, nowhere near. All square!

The live in-play stats tell us that the probability of Tiger winning has shot up to 57% now...

Image source, Getty Images

Before their second shots Woods offers a bet to Mickelson, who refuses. Thought Mickelson liked more of a flutter than Raymond from Rainman?

"The way you're swinging?" asks Tiger, rather shocked Leftie didn't bite.

"It's intimidating, huh?" comes the response.

Woods is interviewed as he walks up the fairway, explaining he offered straight odds to Mickelson.

"Usually I would bite but that was a big advantage.

"I get it, you didn't fancy it," comes Tiger's curt response.

Both men end up on the seventh fairway - a 557-yard par five - after rather different journeys.

Mickelson cuts his ball to leave his ball tracker looking like a boomerang, while Woods's looks like the jet stream from one of the Red Arrows.

Now we get to hear some trash talking...

If Pat Perez was involved here then a dollar for every cuss picked up by the mics would easily top the amount raised by Mickelson and Woods' side bets.

JT wants a bit more entertainment...

"Blocked it," is Tiger's response to his opening salvo. He pushed it right and has about four feet back.

Phil for the hole... nope, his ball squirts left.

Tiger for the half, confident putt, no signs of any hangover from that miss on the first.

..and these two boys know how to play. They aren't the best two players of their generation for nothing you know.

And they've still got it. Both men nail their approach shots to the sixth green, both within 10 feet and both putting for birdies...

Say what you like about this event but one thing is for sure: people are talking about it. And isn't that what golf needs?

On Twitter, #TheMatch is trending top worldwide and in the United Kingdom...

Mickelson is nailing his driver. Leftie lumps another tee shot on to the fairway. That's four in four.

Woods, this time, follows suit and is a few yards ahead.

No spectators were allowed to buy tickets for the event, but there is a healthy number of people milling about on the course.

Family, friends, sponsors, Willy Wonka golden ticket winners...

Thoughts so far? Still better than Harry Redknapp being showered in cockroaches in my opinion. But maybe not as entertaining as a Friday date night...

Tell me what you think #bbcgolf. Please.

Tiger is doing more sighing than someone with a heavy hangover. The former world number one has a monster of a birdie putt, reaching for the course card to work out what the read is.

It's not a bad effort but leaves Mickelson with a golden opportunity to go two up...

He's got the line but he hasn't hit it. "Oh my gosh! I didn't think that was possible," says Lefty.

Tiger for the half... nailed it. "Solid."

Image source, Getty Images

Vince Kenny: Always liked Eddie Pepperell. He is now in my top three. As long as charities do benefit this "event" can't do harm really. I love the fact he voiced his true thoughts. I now look forward to Eddie, Phil and Tiger on the 1st at Augusta. I WOULD pay to watch that!

"Be the right club today!" Mickelson channels his inner Hal Sutton. He likes it. Leftie is about seven feet away. Over to you Tiger...

Woods hits the dancefloor, but is shyly tapping his foot on the edge of it, rather than busting out some shapes alongside Mickelson.

That's the $100k sidebet going into Phil's pocket.

Let the games begin! Our first par-three of the day sees the players lay down a challenge.

"Let's put 100 on it."

That's $100,000. Closest to the pin on 137-yarder... Imagine if one of them aces it!