“I’m grateful for all that the PGA Tour has given me, but I’m excited about this new opportunity as well,” Mickelson said of the Saudi-financed rebel golf start-up.
BROOKLINE, Mass. — He was unwavering. He has made peace with his decision. For someone with a reputation as a gambler, on and off the golf course, Phil Mickelson played it as straight as a Ben Hogan 1-iron on Monday.
Speaking to an overflow crowd of reporters at the Country Club, site of this week’s U.S. Open, Mickelson stayed on message throughout a 25-minute news conference. He reiterated his commitment to the LIV Golf Invitational Series, which he called “transformative.” He used the word “respect” more than 15 times, including three times in one sentence, to describe his feelings toward those who opposed his decision. He made no apologies.
The players who have left the PGA Tour to play for the Saudi-backed LIV series and the players who have remained loyal to the PGA Tour began to gather on Monday for the U.S. Open and for the first time since Mickelson and the other players who jumped to LIV were suspended by Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner.
Many of the golfers who chose to play in LIV’s inaugural event last week outside London resigned from the tour to avoid being suspended, but Mickelson did not, and he expressed hope that he could one day return to the tour, twice citing his lifetime membership to the organization.
“I’ve earned that lifetime membership, so I believe that it should be my choice,” he said.
The LIV series events are the richest tournaments in golf history — last week’s total purse was $25 million, with a $20 million pot for the individual event and $5 million more to split in team competition. Charl Schwartzel, 37, finished first in both the individual and team competitions, earning $4.75 million. The last-place finisher at each event is guaranteed $120,000. Mickelson finished in a five-way tie for 33rd place at 10 over par for the no-cut, 54-hole tournament. He received around $150,000.
LIV Golf will hold its next event in the United States. It begins June 30 outside Portland, Ore., and is one of five U.S. events.
Mickelson was paid a reported $200 million to take part in the series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player to participate so far, was reportedly paid up to $150 million. The former Masters champion Patrick Reed and the 2020 U.S. Open champion, Bryson DeChambeau, are expected to officially join LIV Golf soon.
The United States Golf Association, which runs the U.S. Open, allowed Mickelson and any of the other suspended players to participate in this week’s event provided they met the organization’s qualifying rules. Mickelson did. Other LIV players in the field include Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, Talor Gooch and Louis Oosthuizen.
But as players descended on suburban Boston and the history-rich venue, Mickelson was the indisputable attraction on Monday. He had not held such a news conference in the United States in four months. He hasn’t spoken to Monahan since October. He had been out of touch over that span by design, to work on personal and family issues.
One of the issues was his gambling.
“I continued to work on some areas that I’m deficient of in my life. I mean, the obvious one is gambling,” he said. “I’ve been working on that for years, and I’m very happy with where I’m at with that. But I’ll have to continue to work on that the rest of my life.”
Mickelson was asked numerous times about negative reactions from fans and fellow players about his decision. He said he had the “utmost respect” for players on the tour and that the friendships he had forged over his professional career will remain intact. He also stressed how much he had boosted the tour.
“I feel good about the efforts I put in to try to give back to the game of golf as well as the tour,’’ he said. “I’m excited about the opportunity that LIV Golf presents for me and the game of golf going forward.”
Mickelson said he planned to play in the rest of the LIV events as well as next month’s British Open at St. Andrews.
“Anything other than that would be pure speculation,” he said. “I don’t know how this is all going to play out.” He added: “My preference is to be able to choose which path I would like, one or the other, or both.”
A Quick Guide to the LIV Golf Series
A new series. The new Saudi-financed, controversy-trailed LIV Golf series held its first event in June. But what is it? Who is playing it? What’s all the hubbub, and how can you watch it? Here’s what to know:
As of now, however, Mickelson and the others are ineligible for PGA Tour events, including the Ryder Cup. Justin Thomas, who won the P.G.A. Championship in May, said on Monday that he grew up wanting to compete in such tournaments and was concerned how the events might be impacted by the LIV series.
“The fact that things like that could potentially get hurt because of some of the people that are leaving, and if more go, it’s just sad,” Thomas said. “There’s really no other way to say it. It just makes me sad.” He added: “I lost a lot of sleep last week thinking about what could happen.”
On Sunday, Monahan, who declined an interview request through a spokesman, spoke to Jim Nantz during the CBS broadcast of the Canadian Open. “You have to ask yourself the question, why is this group spending so much money, billions of dollars, recruiting players and chasing a concept with no possibility of a return?” Monahan said, later adding, “I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
The U.S. Open, which Mickelson is playing for the 31st time, is the only major tournament he has not won, and he has had more than his share of heartbreak, finishing as runner-up six times. He played the course Sunday and said, “it’s going to be a brutal test of golf. That’s what this championship is all about.”
Wearing his trademark black outfit but without the familiar sponsorship patches of Callaway, Heineken, KPMG and Workday, Mickelson acknowledged the obvious — his decision to join LIV Golf did not come without repercussions. His sponsors dropped him after incendiary comments made to the journalist Alan Shipnuck became public.
Mickelson then retreated from the public stage, calling his self-enforced hiatus “a necessary time and an opportunity for me to step away a little bit and put a little bit of thought and reflection into going forward and how to best prioritize things.” He has done that, he said.
“It’s nice to be back,” he said. “Golf is fortunate to be back, and I’m excited to be back here and participate in this incredible championship that has eluded me for my whole career.”
Source: Golf - nytimes.com
