Tiger Woods admits he left California because of high tax rates after rival Phil Mickelson apologizes for saying he may quit West Coast



Tax increases were approved by California voters back in November

Tiger Woods, who is worth $600million, said he 'understood' why Mickelson might be planning a move from West Coast

Woods lives in $80million estate in Palm Beach, Florida



Tiger Woods said today that the reason he left California in the mid-Nineties was because the state's taxes were too high.

The golfer spoke at a press conference on Tuesday about his decision to move to Florida in 1996.



Speaking at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, Woods said: ' I moved out of here back in ’96 for that reason.'

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Controversy: Tiger Woods today backed fellow player Phil Mickelson's remarks about leaving California because of high tax saying it spurred him to leave the West Coast for Florida in 1996

Lavish lifestyle: Tiger Woods lives on this $80million estate in Palm Beach, Florida after he fled California in the Nineties because of high taxes

Woods, who is worth an estimated $600million, w as referring to comments made by fellow golfer Phil Mickelson on Sunday that he will make 'drastic changes' because of federal and California state tax increases.

Referring to his rival, 37-year-old Woods added: ' I enjoy Florida, but also I understand what he was, I think, trying to say .'



Woods lives on a $80million estate situated in the exclusive Old Gate area of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It is close to the $12 million 'dream home' being built by his ex-wife Elin Nordegren for her and their two children Samantha, five, and three-year-old Charlie.

The couple divorced in 2010 following revelations that the champion golfer was a serial cheater with a string of mistresses.



'Drastic changes': Phil Mickelson pictured during the Humana Challenge golf tournament in La Quinta, California, says the state's tax hikes may force him to either retire or move out

Mickelson, who is worth an estimated $73million, released a statement on Monday saying that he regretted making remarks about his taxes which were a 'personal matter'.

'It's been an interesting offseason,' Mickelson said on Sunday after the final round of the Humana Challenge.



'And I'm going to have to make some drastic changes. I'm not going to jump the gun and do it right away, but I will be making some drastic changes.'

The 42-year-old golfer said he would talk in more detail about his plans - possibly moving away from California or even retiring from golf - before his hometown Farmers Insurance Open, the San Diego-area event that starts on Thursday at Torrey Pines.

In November, California voters approved Proposition 30, the first statewide tax increase since 2004. Mickelson lives in Rancho Santa Fe.

Rolling in it: Multi-millionaireTiger Woods, playing golf in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, said that he understood Mickelson's decision to want to avoid high taxes

'If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate's 62, 63 per cent,' Mickelson said. 'So I've got to make some decisions on what I'm going to do.'

Last year, Mickelson flirted with becoming a part owner of the San Diego Padres, the baseball team that sold for $800million in August.



He was asked Sunday if there was a correlation between the tax increases and what happened to the Padres' deal.