Oisin Keniry
By Joel Beall
Phil Mickelson has jumped to LIV Golf and will play in this week’s London event, ending the 51-year-old’s three-month sabbatical from golf.
The news is not necessarily surprising; Mickelson has been among the most prominent names connected to the LIV Golf operations and he noted in a February interview with Golf Digest that the PGA Tour’s “obnoxious greed” had him looking elsewhere to play professionally. Moreover, Mickelson’s agent, Steve Loy, acknowledged in April that Mickelson had requested a release from the PGA Tour to play in LIV Golf’s inaugural competition at the Centurion Club.
However, Mickelson has remained out of the public eye since late February when the Fire Pit Collective published an interview in which Mickelson claimed he was using the Saudi-backed golf circuit as leverage against the PGA Tour and claimed he had paid lawyers to draw up the league’s operating charter. The story caused backlash, with Mickelson issuing an apology for his “reckless” comments and stating he would be taking time away from the sport.
“The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level,” Mickelson said in a Feb. 22 statement. “I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”
In the fallout Mickelson’s primary sponsors Callaway, Workday, KPMG and Heineken/Amstel distanced themselves from Mickelson, all ending or pausing their business relationships with him. Mickelson skipped the Masters—a tournament he’s won three times—for the first time since 1994, and three weeks ago dropped out of the PGA Championship, a tournament where he was the defending champ. Mickelson’s last appearance was at the Saudi International in February. He has not played in the United States since the Farmers Insurance Open in his hometown of San Diego in January.
RELATED: LIV Golf announces $100 million global corporate social responsibility platform
In a statement Tuesday Mickelson again apologized for his comments but expressed that he is “thrilled” to join LIV Golf.
“I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start,” Mickelson said, “one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative, not just for myself, but ideally for the game and my peers.”
View this post on Instagram
Mickelson said he still intends to play in the majors, including next week’s U.S. Open.
Mickelson joins Dustin Johnson as headliners for the LIV Golf series. Other notable names signed up for this week’s London event include Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Talor Gooch, Martin Kaymer, Kevin Na and Ian Poulter.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has promised that any tour member who competes in an event on the rival league would face suspension from the PGA Tour and possibly a lifetime ban. The tour denied conflicting-event releases to all tour members who requested to compete in the London event.
You might also like:
Analyzing the 42 players who have signed up for LIV Golf
Your top players to watch at LIV Golf Invitational
DJ to headline LIV Golf Invitational
Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf players should not be punished harshly
PGA players defend jump to LIV Golf Invitational
Looking back at the Dubai Golf trophy with captains and players
Bland to play LIV Golf, even if it means ban
Rickie Fowler considers LIV Golf options
Shiv Kapur hails Asian Tour opportunities thanks to LIV Golf and Saudi Golf
The Gulf Club: The latest golf news from around the UAE
Meet Malak, the first Arab to play at US Women’s Open
In the mix: Olivia Jackson
Impossible pin position causes havoc at high school event
