Removing the whiff of vulgarity will be no mean feat as “The Match” tees off on Friday in Las Vegas. Those already offended by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson playing off in an exhibition match that cannot even be deemed glorified will not have been placated by the promotional images of them surrounded by bundles of banknotes that emerged in recent days. Harry Enfield’s Loadsamoney immediately sprung to mind. Enfield was at least garish as a comedy routine as opposed to partaking in a tawdry marketing exercise.

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With Samuel L Jackson joining Charles Barkley as part of the coverage team, US residents will be charged $20 should they choose to take in this matchplay contest, in which participants will wear microphones, the public cannot gain entry and $9m (almost £7m) is available to the winner. That pot was reduced by $1m after a quiet appeal by the PGA Tour, keen to protect the, ahem, authenticity of its FedEx Cup playoffs bonus.

It was revealed this week that side-bets between the players, running heavily into six figures, will also be in play. Unlike the prize fund, this at least is the competitors’ own money.

The imminent American explosion in sports gambling is an important subplot as, indeed, is whether two of the game’s biggest names should be so publicly advocating an occasionally problematic concept. Golf should be careful, given in theory it was wide open to betting manipulation even before legislation began to break down on the other side of the Atlantic. Mickelson’s penchant for a bet is legendary; his role in the Billy Walters inside-trading scandal such that he, too, should be treading warily.

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“I have a unique opportunity to do something that I’ve had a hard time doing in my career, which is get a leg up on Tiger in anything,” said Mickelson. “It’s great to win the nine million. I just don’t want to lose to him and give him the satisfaction because the bragging rights are what’s going to be even worse than the money.” This raises the question as to why $9m is needed at all.

A recurring theme has been the lukewarm reaction elsewhere in golf. Rory McIlroy spoke only partly in jest when stating Woods versus Mickelson might have been valid 15 years ago. Denis Pugh, coach of the Open champion, Francesco Molinari, and a successful TV analyst, branded the tie a “hyped up sideshow”. Eddie Pepperell branded it “putrid” and “pathetic”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will both wear microphones as they make their way around Shadow Creek on Friday. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images for The Match

There is also a misconception, that Woods and Mickelson have been fierce career rivals. Mickelson’s first marquee success was the Masters of 2004, by which time Woods had collected eight of his 14 majors. Mickelson did not hold off Woods when winning any of his subsequent four, a matter partly linked to the apparently temporary – if still serious – decline of the latter. Mickelson has never been the world’s No 1 ranked player; Woods held that position for a combined and remarkable 683 weeks.

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“It’s my chance after losing so many majors to you and so many tournaments to get a little something back,” said Mickelson, publicly, to Woods this week. This notion, that glory at Shallow Creek would somehow offset trailing at Augusta National, is faintly ludicrous.

There is a charitable element to the joust that is worthy of commendation. So, too, is the fact Woods in particular has generated fortunes for golf by virtue of his very presence in the game. If he sees exhibition matches as a commercial avenue worth exploring, perhaps nobody has the right to castigate. At base level, The Match does not cause any harm. There will inevitably be intrigue – including from other sports – surrounding two players of such standing going head-to-head in a manner far from customary. “To be able to go against Phil like this gets my juices flowing for sure,” said Woods.

Those in charge of distributing the event were still scrambling around on Thursday in hope of finding a UK outlet for coverage. Sky Sports, a specialist in pay-per-view boxing, had initially baulked at the figure quoted, with a last-minute deal agreed on Thursday allowing no real scope for promotion.

Woods and Mickelson’s relationship was more polar ice cap than frosty for so long, which rendered the sudden chumminess between them as, at face value, extraordinary. Cynics will suggest the realisation of joint fiscal value may have been useful to build bridges. Dousing those dissenting voices looks a monumental task.