Phil Mickelson sticks to his script and showed restraint when he was placed in difficult places at the US Open, a big change for him. Except on Monday, he used words instead of his golf clubs.
There is still the main one, known as the most difficult test in golf, the only one that prevents him from joining the most elite group of golf with the Grand Slam in his career. And this figure is far different from all the others Mickelson has encountered.
The six-time grand champion is competing on American soil for the first time in more than four months, and is now the face of a Saudi-funded league that aims to disrupt the PGA Tour.
At risk is his popularity, which has accumulated over 30 years due to his equally memorable victories and losses.
“As for whether the fans will leave or not, I respect and understand their opinion and I understand that they have strong feelings and strong emotions about this choice,” said Mickelson. “I respect that, too.”
He did not add any of his comments last week outside London, where Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and 15 others opposed the rules of the PGA Tour, competing in Greg Norman’s new LIV Golf series, which paid Lefty $ 200 million for registration.
Mickelson said that while the players on the tour were removed – some of them gave up before the first hit last week – he did not rule out playing the PGA Tour again. He said Monday that this should be his decision.
“I worked hard to win a lifetime membership,” said Mickelson, whose six majors are part of his 45 career tour victories. “I worked hard to bring back the PGA Tour and golf in my 30 years or more of professional golf, and I won this lifetime membership, so I believe it should be my choice.”
Facing the media
He was wearing a black shirt with his personal logo, an image of him jumping on the 18th green at Augusta National with his hands up from the 2004 Masters victory for his first major. He still has that skinny beard without a hat and has been answering questions for 25 minutes.
WATCH l The Saudi-funded golf league draws top talent from the PGA tour:
Saudi Arabia-funded golf league draws top talent from PGA tour
The Saudi-funded LIV Golf League has caught some of the world’s best golfers, including Dustin Johnson, leaving the PGA Tour.
But sometimes he paused in his speech, often looking down at his feet before answering, the words not as easy as usual. He was irritated when he felt that reporters were asking more than one question.
One was about the importance of the legacy and whether its legacy would change now that it is funded by the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund.
“I don’t like it when you keep asking a lot of questions,” he replied.
As for his legacy, he said he appreciated what the PGA Tour did for him and “I’m excited about the opportunity LIV Golf gives me.”
“I think he has an obvious incredible financial commitment,” he said.
Otherwise, he took the right path.
For a legion of fans who are angry that he took money from Saudi Arabia to play in a rival golf league, he understands that emotions are mounting and respects their opinions.
The oldest player to win a major
He expressed deep sympathy for the families of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks – all but four of the 19 hijackers – are deeply sympathetic, even as the victim group urges Mickelson and others to leave the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.
Everything related to his future in the PGA Tour, according to him, will be speculation. He did not have to say any changes to the US Open criteria in public.
Mickelson won a five-year exemption from winning the PGA Championship last year at the age of 50, becoming the oldest major player to win.
There are a lot of things over the years that the PGA Tour has done that I agree with and … a lot of things that I don’t agree with. ”Phil Mickelson
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan spoke publicly on Sunday for the first time since players switched to LIV Golf. Among his arguments about the source of funding, Monahan said, “I would ask any player who has left, or any player who would ever consider leaving, ‘Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?’
Mickelson said he had not spoken to Monahan since October.
Asked if he thought he should apologize for being part of the Saudi-backed chain, Mickelson declined to catch the bait.
“There are a lot of things over the years that the PGA Tour has done that I agree with, and there are a lot of things that I don’t agree with, but I still supported them anyway,” he said.
7-digit appearance fee
Other opinions he had about the tour or other governing body, he said, would be kept secret, “because that was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made, to express all these little things.”
That’s what started it all.
Mickelson was quoted by Golf Digest in February as referring to the “disgusting greed” of the PGA Tour while in Saudi Arabia, receiving a seven-figure entry fee.
Golf writer Alan Shipnook then published an excerpt from his biography of Mickelson, quoting him calling the Saudis behind the new league “scary mother (obscene words)” and saying he was ready to get involved so he could get leverage. to make changes to the PGA tour.
Meanwhile, the championship, which dates back to 1895, begins Thursday at The Country Club, immersed in heritage as one of the five founding clubs of the USGA.
Saudi talks were so widespread that the US Open became a belated thought.
“You can’t go anywhere without someone picking it up,” said Justin Thomas. “This is the US Open and it’s an amazing place, a place with so much history, so much field, so many storylines, and yet that seems to be the reason for all the questions.
“It’s not right for the US Open. It’s not right for us players,” he said. “But that’s where we are, unfortunately, right now.”
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