On Monday, the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers roll into the Bronx for a World Series Game 3 clash with the big-hitting New York Yankees. It will be more than just another game of baseball, however. It will be a collision of east and west; the latest chapter in a storied rivalry between two of the biggest sports towns on earth. The heavyweight showdown will be a referendum not just on America’s pastime, but on America as a whole. It will pit brother against brother, husband against wife and of course golfer against caddie.

Speficially Tiger Woods and Joey LaCava.

Before the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, Woods, a diehard Dodgers fan, was asked about his on-course relationship with caddie Joey LaCava. Woods spoke at length about LaCava’s friendship through the years, before shifting gears with a smirking taunt that may yet come back to haunt him:

“Our on course relationship. That’s something different. We’re very competitive. I believe, and still will always believe, that LA is better than New York in sports…We certainly have that disagreement about every other hole and we have a good time about it.”

You can watch the excerpt below beginning at the 25:20 mark:

Given Woods’ ear-to-ear grin, we suspect he was twisting the knife a bit here, but we doubt his opinion—nor his banter with LaCava—has changed much since. The year following Woods’ quote, the Dodgers won their 7th World Series title following the COVID-shortened 2020 season (apply asterisks as you see fit). While that pales in comparison to the mighty Pinstripes’ 27 titles, the Dodgers have been the far more successful franchise over the course of the past decade and a half and hold a 2-0 series leading heading to New York.

We’ll see whether or it’s Woods or LaCava who is proven right when the dust on the basepaths settles this week, but one thing is certain: Neither is the type to back down without a fight.

Main Image: Jeff Gross