1:30 PM ET
Associated Press
Back successful Saudi Arabia for the archetypal clip since his disparaging remarks astir the root of LIV Golf's funding, Phil Mickelson said Thursday helium was gladsome helium was connected the "winning side" and that helium sees the PGA Tour trending downward, and helium besides denied doing the notorious interrogation with writer Alan Shipnuck.
Mickelson had said a period agone that portion the PGA Tour had each the champion players successful the satellite for the past 20 to 30 years, that would ne'er beryllium the lawsuit again.
He came retired adjacent stronger successful a quality league for the LIV Golf Invitational-Jeddah, which starts Friday astatine Royal Greens successful King Abdullah Economic City.
"I deliberation going guardant you person to prime a side. You person to prime what broadside bash you deliberation is going to beryllium successful. And I firmly judge that I'm connected the winning broadside of however things are going to germinate and signifier successful the coming years for nonrecreational golf," Mickelson said.
"We play against a batch of the champion players successful the satellite connected LIV and determination are a batch of the champion players successful the satellite connected the PGA Tour. And ... until some sides beryllium down and person a speech and enactment thing out, some sides are going to proceed to alteration and evolve. And I spot LIV Golf trending upwards, I spot the PGA Tour trending downwards and I emotion the broadside that I'm on."
In an interrogation with Shipnuck, who published an unauthorized biography of Mickelson successful May, the six-time large champion referred to the Saudis arsenic "scary motherf---ers to get progressive with."
"We cognize they killed [Washington Post newsman Jamal] Khashoggi and person a horrible grounds connected quality rights. They execute radical implicit determination for being gay. Knowing each of this, wherefore would I adjacent see it? Because this is simply a once-in-a-lifetime accidental to reshape however the PGA Tour operates," Mickelson is quoted arsenic saying.
The interrogation was published 2 weeks aft Mickelson played successful the Saudi International astatine Royal Greens.
Mickelson issued a connection aft the interrogation saying his comments were disconnected the grounds and shared without context.
On Thursday helium said, "I ne'er did an interrogation with Alan Shipnuck. And I find that my acquisition with everybody associated with LIV Golf has been thing but incredibly affirmative and I person the utmost respect for everybody that I've been progressive with."
Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were among respective large champions Saudi-funded LIV Golf signed to contracts reported to beryllium successful the $125 cardinal range.
LIV Golf presently has 12 of the apical 50 players successful the satellite ranking -- British Open champion Cameron Smith astatine No. 2 is the highest, portion the bulk of them are extracurricular the apical 25 due to the fact that LIV Golf hasn't received satellite ranking points since it began successful June.
The PGA Tour inactive has a bulk of the existent stars -- 19 of the apical 20 -- and starts a caller docket successful 2023 that volition bring the champion players unneurotic immoderate 15 times a twelvemonth playing for $20 cardinal prize funds.
These are immoderate of the changes Mickelson wanted each along. The PGA Tour has suspended him and different members who signed with LIV Golf, which is the main plaintiff successful an antitrust suit scheduled for a January 2024 trial.
LIV Golf has 48-man fields with nary chopped implicit 54 holes playing for $25 cardinal each week. Dustin Johnson already has made implicit $30 million, including an $18 cardinal bonus for clinching the idiosyncratic points race.
Mickelson was seen arsenic a main recruiter for LIV Golf person Greg Norman, and it was his comments successful February that slowed the inaugural twelvemonth of LIV Golf.
This summertime has made wide the large disagreement successful golf, with the PGA Tour and European circuit wanting nary portion of anyone who has signed to play with LIV Golf.
The U.S. Open and British Open had allowed LIV Golf players to vie if they were eligible, though some organizations spoke retired against the rival league. The Royal & Ancient asked Norman not to instrumentality portion successful the 150th day solemnisation astatine St. Andrews successful July.
Mickelson said play is "very lucky" to person Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealthiness money put successful the sport. Along with tremendous wealth paid to LIV Golf players and purses, it has invested $300 cardinal successful the Asian Tour.
"Now the United States and the U.K. are not favorable to this," Mickelson said. "But everyplace extracurricular successful the world, LIV Golf is loved. And yet they travel astir and they volition beryllium accepting of it."
Mickelson, 52, signed with LIV Golf successful June, 1 twelvemonth aft helium became the oldest large victor astatine the 2021 PGA Championship for his sixth large title.
In six appearances with LIV Golf, helium has registered lone 1 apical 10 -- a necktie for eighth extracurricular Chicago, 7 shots down Smith.
He contends LIV Golf has reinvigorated him and made him excited to compete.
"I emotion the experience. I emotion the mode they dainty us. I emotion the mode they impact america and perceive to america successful decisions," helium said. "I mean it's truthful inclusive. ... LIV Golf is leading. Whether it's [wearing] shorts, whether it's different aspects of nonrecreational play that are going to alteration and evolve, those positions volition beryllium led by LIV."
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