PARIS -- Tiger Woods has barely had time to soak in all that came with his Tour Championship victory in Atlanta on Sunday, his first win in five years and one that garnered immense attention and reaction.
Among those who took notice was Phil Mickelson, who on Tuesday during a practice round at Le National Golf said he jokingly tried to get some more favorable terms for their November $9 million winner-take-all match.
"I was talking about it today,'' Mickelson said after a practice round with Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed in advance of the Ryder Cup. "Tiger striped it today. I think he missed one fairway for the round, and I'm trying to negotiate a shot a side. It didn't go over well. We've got some negotiating to do, given how well he played last week.''
Woods captured his 80th PGA Tour title with a two-stroke victory over Billy Horschel and comes to the Ryder Cup playing as well as anyone in the competition. He's still trying to get a handle on all that occurred over the past two days.
"I haven't really had a lot of time to soak it in,'' said Woods, who with the rest of the U.S. Ryder Cup contingent, left Atlanta on a charter flight late Sunday night and saw the golf course for the first time Tuesday morning. "I will post-Ryder Cup. I'll take a look back and reflect on it. I saw a couple of [videos] on some French news channel, the people rushing behind me [on the 18th hole at East Lake], but I haven't sat down and watched it yet. I still have this event to do.''
Woods' victory was still a big part of the discussion Tuesday, when the first practice rounds took place for the Ryder Cup that begins Friday.
"That is what Tiger has done over the course of his career,'' said Mickelson, who is playing in his 12th Ryder Cup. "It's been remarkable as far as making golf popular and exposing it to so many more people outside the golf world It was evident when he won, to see the response and the way the people responded to him and the way that people responded to the game, and the excitement level, the energy that he brings. He's been playing some remarkable golf.
"This is the best I think I've ever seen him swing the club, even going back to 2000, when I thought he was at his best. He's striking it so solidly that nobody was surprised who has played with him that he won, and I think that now the the first win is out of the way [since his comeback], I think he's going to start rattling off some more.''
Even the European team took notice -- and was impressed.
"Honestly, I think you just literally had to get lost in that moment that was happening,'' said England's Tommy Fleetwood, who played with Woods during the first round and watched the ending from the clubhouse. "I stood on the balcony, I got to watch Rosey [Justin Rose] two-putt and win the FedEx Cup; and then watched Tiger win on his comeback. In the space of 10 minutes, it was just such a great time in golf, and I really thought it was amazing. You're watching something very, very special.''
Ian Poulter, who is playing in the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2014 after an injury battle and his game falling out of form, said Woods' comeback has given him inspiration.
"To win the way he did was extremely impressive,'' Poulter said. "As a golf fan perspective, I think it's great. For the Ryder Cup, I think it's great. It's good to have Tiger Woods playing the type of golf he's playing because he certainly makes the Ryder Cup even more special.''
Unfortunately for Woods, the Ryder Cup has not been very special to him. He is playing for the first time since 2012, having played on just one winning U.S. team in 1999 and sporting an overall personal losing record.
In his last appearance at Medinah, a crushing U.S. defeat that saw the Americans squander a 10-6 lead, Woods went 0-3-1, losing all three team matches with Jim Furyk and getting a half with Francesco Molinari in singles. He is 13-17-1.
"Looking back on my Ryder Cup career, it's not something that I have really enjoyed or liked seeing,'' Woods said. "I've played a lot of the matches. Of those previous seven Ryder Cups, I've sat out one session (at Medinah). Otherwise I've played every single match. We haven't done well.''