Phil Mickelson said he’s going to hold back on the trash talk to Tiger Woods ahead of “The Match” scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend (and World Cup of Golf weekend) until after the two (presumably) take on Team Europe together at next month’s Ryder Cup. But Mickelson still told ESPN it would be “the easiest $9 million” he’s ever made. And on Saturday, he couldn’t resist responding to a fan’s Tiger-related comment at the Northern Trust – while his golf ball was in the air.

As Mickelson hit his tee shot on Ridgewood Country Club’s par-3 2nd, someone blurted out, “That’s gotta be better than Tiger’s.” Mickelson’s cocky response? “Oh, it is.” Watch and listen:

And Mickelson was right. His laser iron wound up seven feet behind the hole, resulting in his first birdie of the day. Meanwhile, hours earlier, Woods could only muster a par after hitting a shot to 27 feet. Take that, Tiger.

This won’t quite go down in golf history with Jack Nicklaus saying something similar in response to his son and caddie pleading “Be right” on the 16th hole of the final round at the 1986 Masters, but it’s another reason to look forward to November’s clash between Phil and Tiger. Just, pace yourself guys. We’ve still got three months to go.