Phil Mickelson

Amid backlash to his controversial comments about the new Saudi Golf League, Phil Mickelson issued an apology on Tuesday. 

In a statement, Mickelson called his comments "reckless" and said he was "deeply sorry for my choice of words."

Phil Mickelson has released a statement surrounding recent comments about Saudi league, PGA Tour: "It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words." pic.twitter.com/oeg7JQPmfu

— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) February 22, 2022

Mickelson also seemed to indicate he would be taking a break from competitive golf. 

"The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level," his statement said. "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 an upcoming unauthorized biography, Mickelson told Alan Shipnuck he wanted to use Saudi Arabia's interest in signing top stars for its own tour to leverage the PGA Tour into giving the players more money despite the country's history of human rights issues:

They’re scary motherf--kers to get involved with. We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse. As nice a guy as [PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] comes across as, unless you have leverage, he won’t do what’s right. And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage. I’m not sure I even want [the SGL] to succeed, but just the idea of it is allowing us to get things done with the [PGA] Tour.

In response to Mickelson's claim in the statement that his comments in the biography were off the record, Shipnuck tweeted that is "completely false" and he will "have more to say on that shortly."

Rory McIlroy, who has been adamant about not supporting the Saudi league, told reporters that Mickelson's comments were "naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant."

Justin Thomas called Mickelson's desire to use Saudi Arabia as leverage on the PGA Tour an "egotistical statement."

Per Joel Beall of Golf Digest, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia has backed LIV Golf Investments in an attempt to start a rival circuit that can challenge the PGA Tour as the world's premier golf league. 

Beall noted the PIF is "essentially the financial arm of the Saudi Arabia government" and has been using its money in an attempt to improve its reputation in other parts of the world by "heavily" investing in sports organizations and events. 

The Human Rights Watch website has detailed several human rights violations by Saudi Arabia in recent years, including authorities failing to hold high-level government officials accountable for their suspected involvement in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

Per a March 2021 report from Grant Liberty (h/t Ruth Michaelson of The Guardian), Saudi Arabia has spent "at least" $1.5 billion on marquee sporting events in an attempt to boost its reputation around the world. 

The Spanish Football Association, WWE and a 2019 boxing match between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua are among the notable events/organizations doing business in Saudi Arabia. 

Mickelson joined the PGA Tour in 1992. The 51-year-old is tied for eighth all-time with 45 wins on the circuit. His six career wins in major tournaments are tied with Lee Trevino for 12th all-time. 

Most recently, Lefty played in the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January. He missed the cut after shooting three over par through the first two rounds.     

Rory McIlroy joined Justin Thomas in criticizing Phil Mickelson's comments on how the Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League might be a tool by which to effect change on the PGA Tour.

Alan Shipnuck, who's writing a biography on Mickelson, shared comments from the six-time major champion on the Super Golf League that quickly gained traction:

They're scary motherf--kers to get involved with. We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. They've been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse.

Mickelson's comments didn't sit well with McIlroy, who described them as "naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant."

"It was just very surprising and disappointing. It was just very surprising and disappointing. Sad," he told reporters. "I'm sure he's sitting at home sort of rethinking his position and where he goes from here."

Thomas echoed a similar sentiment when he said Mickelson made an "egotistical statement":

Justin Thomas says Phil's claim about using the Saudi league as leverage to change the PGA Tour is an "egotistical statement." pic.twitter.com/yPyfNMBD07

— Zephyr Melton (@zephyrmelton) February 17, 2022

There's no question the threat of a breakaway golf tour was the kind of thing that might force the PGA Tour to rethink policies and procedures that may be unpopular among the sport's top stars.

The Player Impact Program, which established a bonus pool for the best and most popular players, was basically a preemptive strike. The FedEx Cup bonus pool increased for this season as well.

It appears the Super Golf League may go the way of the Super League in European soccer, however.

Should the Saudi-backed competition forge ahead, it will do so without a lot of the top players who will inevitably be required to make a new tour viable.

On Sunday, the PGA Tour shared a statement from Dustin Johnson, who made it clear he's not leaving. Bryson DeChambeau, widely viewed as the biggest uncertainty still on the board, recommitted to the PGA Tour for now as well.

That follows comments from McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa indicating their intention to decline any formal offer from the Super Golf League.

Even if he doesn't ultimately go anywhere, Mickelson is increasingly finding himself on an island by lending the Super Golf League the kind of legitimacy many of his peers have declined to give it.

Justin Thomas called Phil Mickelson's recent comments regarding his reasoning for potentially jumping to the Saudi-backed Super Golf League "egotistical."

Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel relayed Thomas' remarks from the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.

Seems like a bit of a pretty, you know, egotistical statement. It's like he's done a lot of great things for the PGA Tour—it's a big reason it is where it is—but him and others that are very adamant about that, if they're that passionate, go ahead [to the super league]. I don't think anybody's stopping them.

Mickelson made his remarks in a November 2021 interview with Alan Shipnuck for the golf writer's upcoming biography, Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar. Per Hoggard, the comments were recently published ahead of the book's release.

Among other comments, Mickelson explained why he's in talks to join the upstart league. Of note, he acknowledged numerous Saudi human rights atrocities but said he's willing to look past them because of his issues with the PGA Tour:

We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse.

Mickelson also said that "if the Tour doesn’t do the right thing, there is a high likelihood it’s [the Super Golf League] going to happen."

Per Hoggard, Thomas said he hadn't read the Shipnuck article when he was informed of some of Mickelson's remarks.

Thomas wasn't the only golfer who made comments about Mickelson.

“I think Phil speaks for Phil," Joel Dahmen said in part.

"Has he said some brilliant things through the years? Sure. Has he said some not-so-brilliant things? I think that’s true. But Phil doesn’t speak for us and he doesn’t speak for me."

The PGA Tour is currently at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.

Phil Mickelson sees value in the Saudi-backed Super Golf League, even while acknowledging the country's negative record on human rights.

The veteran golfer discussed the situation with biographer Alan Shipnuck, via Fire Pit Collective:

They're scary motherf--kers to get involved with. We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse. As nice a guy as [PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] comes across as, unless you have leverage, he won't do what's right. And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage. I'm not sure I even want [the SGL] to succeed, but just the idea of it is allowing us to get things done with the [PGA] Tour.

The SGL is funded by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which is run by the Saudi government. The U.S. State Department has criticized the country for "significant human rights issues" that include unlawful killings and torture.

Even Mickelson admitted the league is an example of "sportswashing," using propaganda to distract from human rights abuses and political problems.

These issues are significant, but the golfer believes it could create an opportunity to cut into the PGA Tour and help in negotiations.

"The Tour likes to pretend it's a democracy, but it's really a dictatorship," Mickelson said. "They divide and conquer. The concerns of the top players are very different from the guys who are lower down on the money list, but there's a lot more of them. They use the top guys to make their own situation better, but the top guys don't have a say."

The 51-year-old has long been a "top guy" in the sport with almost $95 million in career earnings. He still has a long list of issues with the PGA Tour, including payouts and media rights, the latter preventing potential income from NFTs.

It seems Mickelson is not alone, with Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Adam Scott among those reportedly mulling offers from the SGL, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN. Even the threat of top players leaving could create some change in the PGA Tour.

The governing body has already increased tournament purses while adding $50 million through the Player Impact Program, given to players who engage with fans.

Mickelson hopes PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will continue to make concessions thanks to the SGL's presence.

Phil Mickelson doesn't think a threat to the PGA Tour's supremacy in the sport is necessarily a bad thing.

The golf legend said he and his peers stand to benefit from Saudi Arabia's planned series, which is forcing the tour to keep up.

"I think everybody is looking at it and seeing parts of it that can really help and benefit their situation, their life, their career, and then there's parts of it that they're probably concerned with," Mickelson told reporters. "I'm appreciative of the fact that there is competition, and that leverage has allowed for a much better environment on the PGA Tour."

Last April, the PGA Tour rolled out its new Player Impact Program, which will see the sport's top stars paid from a pool of money in addition to whatever they earn from their results on the course.

The step was widely viewed as a way to keep a competing golf tour at bay.

In November, the PGA Tour also increased the FedEx Cup bonus pool from $60 million to $75 million.

Considering the sums of money the Saudi-backed series seems to be willing to throw around, though, the PGA Tour could face a difficult challenge. The Telegraph's James Corrigan reported Ian Poulter was offered £22 million to join, so it's easy to envision what might be on the table for a bigger name such as Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson or Jon Rahm.

Mickelson declined to confirm whether representatives from the splinter tour have reached out to him but did say, "I think every player has been contacted."

Considering what the PGA Tour has done already in response to the mere threat of competition, imagine what it might do if a handful of stars actually defect.

The fifth edition of Capital One's The Match could reasonably be called The Grudge Match. When Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka face off Friday, it will mark the most intimate chapter of one of golf's most heated rivalries.

The back-and-forth between these two has gone on since 2019, and while DeChambeau and Koepka engaged in a post-match hug following Team USA's win at the Ryder Cup, their feud is very much alive and well.

"There wasn't an apology or anything like that," DeChambeau said, per Christopher Powers of Golf Digest. "Until I get an apology for what he's said and what not, nothing will change. This is all real on my end."

According to DeChambeau, The Match will provide the perfect venue to settle things—if perhaps not for once and for all.

"With all that's gone on the last two years, eventually it was going to come to this," Koepka said, per Powers. "That way, somebody will have the bragging rights at the end of this, and somebody won't. ... Now it just comes down to playing golf, because obviously no one will [pair] us together. So we've got to do it on our own."

Fans will get to watch these two go head-to-head in a fun-filled and likely tense charity game Friday. The Match 5 will be televised on TNT, TBS, TruTV and HLN, with live-streaming available on TNTDrama.com and the Bleacher Report app.

                             

The Match 5

Who: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Brooks Koepka

Where: Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas

When: Friday, November 26 at 4 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: TNT, TBS, TruTV, HLN, B/R app and TNTDrama.com

       

It’ll be settled on November 26th. #thematch #capitalonesthematch pic.twitter.com/PM3tsRThgd

— Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondech) November 7, 2021

Rules Information and Preview

Fans familiar with previous iterations of The Match should have a good idea of how things will work. While other editions have featured doubles play, the original battle between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was one-on-one.

It will be the same Friday, when Koepka and DeChambeau will compete to shoot the lowest score on each hole. The winner of each hole will receive a point, and the two will split the point in the event of a tie. Whoever has the most points after 12 holes will be declared the winner.

Why 12 holes instead of 18? According to Kevin Cunningham of Golf.com, Koepka is rumored to have requested the abridged format. Whether or not that's accurate, he seems happy about the shorter competition.

"Playing 12 holes is nice. I mean it's better than playing 18 holes with Bryson," Koepka recently said in an interview with Mickelson. "Anything to spend less time with him I'm happy to do."

There is no cash prize on the line for the two rivals as there was when Mickelson took on Woods. Instead, the even will be used to raise money for charity, as a Warner Media press release detailed:

"Donations made as part of the Nov. 26 event will benefit APGA Tour (Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour) and Feeding America ®, in addition to DeChambeau contributing to Shriner's Hospital and Koepka donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. WarnerMedia and the golfers will tee things off with a charitable donation of 3.75 million meals to Feeding America."

DeChambeau and Koepka will have the opportunity to further aid their charities of choice via individual-hole challenges that will be featured on Holes 3, 6, 7, 9 and 11. There are also $2 million donations in play for hole-in-one shots on Holes 3, 9 and 11. A full list of hole challenges can be found here.

While this is first and foremost a charity event, don't expect the pair to shy away from the trash talk. Both will be mic'd up during the event, giving fans an inside look at their rivalry.

There should be some quality golf too, as DeChambeau and Koepka are two of the best in the business. Both men are ranked inside the top 16 of the Official World Golf Rankings, and they have a combined five majors on their collective resume.

There should be a little something for every fan during the broadcast, which will feature Mickelson and The Match 3 competitor Charles Barkley. Play-by-play will be provided by Brian Anderson, while Amanda Balionis will serve as the on-course reporter.

Capital One's The Match 5 will pit PGA rivals Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka against one another in what can realistically be called a grudge match.

While DeChambeau and Koepka were recently teammates at the Ryder Cup—and even engaged in a post-victory hug—they insist their public rivalry is very real and intact.

"It definitely felt forced; there wasn't an apology or anything like that," DeChambeau said, per Christopher Powers of Golf Digest. "Until I get an apology for what he's said and what not, nothing will change. This is all real on my end."

"I've said it like 10 different times," Koepka said, per Powers. "I've never really liked him."

The intensity of the rivalry will add to what is first and foremost a charity entertainment event. Wynn Golf Course in Las Vegas will host the event, which will be televised on TNT, TBS, TruTV and HLN—with live-streaming available on TNTDrama.com.

       

The Match 5

Who: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Brooks Koepka

Where: Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas

When: Friday, November 26 at 4 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: TNT, TBS, TruTV, HLN, B/R app and TNTDrama.com

     

Match Odds

Bryson DeChambeau -125 ($125 bet to win $100)

Brooks Koepka +105 ($100 bet to win $105)

      

Notable Prop Bets

First to go two points up: DeChambeau -130, Koepka -105

To lead first: Dechambeau -135, Koepka -110

Player to make a hole in one: DeChambeau +6500, Koepka +6500

Either Player to make a hole in one: +3500

Most Par 3 winners: DeChambeau -120, Koepka -110

Most Par 4 winners: DeChambeau -120, Koepka -110

Most Par 5 winners: Dechambeau -125, Koepka -105

    

It’ll be settled on November 26th. #thematch #capitalonesthematch pic.twitter.com/PM3tsRThgd

— Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondech) November 7, 2021

Prize Details

This is a charity event, and while DeChambeau and Koepka will be looking to one-up the other, they'll also be playing for some good causes.

From a Warner Media press release:

"Donations made as part of the Nov. 26 event will benefit APGA Tour (Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour) and Feeding America ®, in addition to DeChambeau contributing to Shriner's Hospital and Koepka donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. WarnerMedia and the golfers will tee things off with a charitable donation of 3.75 million meals to Feeding America."

Additionally, the two golfers will compete in individual-hole challenges that will lead to more charity dollars. For example, on Hole 6, the golfer who lands his tee shot closest to the pin will help donate 500,000 meals to Feeding America. If the shot is within five feet of the cup an additional 1.5 million meals will be donated, and a 20 million meal donation will be made for a hole in one.

Challenges will be featured on Holes 3, 6, 7, 9 and 11, with $2 million donations in play for hole-in-one shots on Holes 3, 9 and 11. A full list of hole challenges can be found here.

     

Format and Preview

While recent editions of The Match have featured a pro-am style of match play—in July, Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady took on DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers—it will be back to one-on-one this Friday.

DeChambeau and Koepka will compete to shoot the lowest score on each hole individually. The winner of each hole will receive a point. The two golfers will split the point in the event of a tie. Whoever has the most points after 12 holes will be declared the winner.

This is a traditional version of match play and should be familiar to fans who have followed the Ryder Cup.

Fans can expect a non-traditional amount of trash talk during the event, as DeChambeau and Koepka are not shy about their dislike for one another. Their feud began in early 2019 when Koepka publicly criticized DeChambeau's slow style of play, which the 2020 U.S. Open winner took personally.

"With all that's gone on the last two years, eventually it was going to come to this," Koepka said, per Powers. "That way, somebody will have the bragging rights at the end of this and somebody won't. ... Now it just comes down to playing golf, because obviously no one will [pair] us together. So we've got to do it on our own."

Friday's match isn't likely to end the feud between these two entirely, but it's going to be a lot of fun for a national audience. Play-by-Play will be provided by Brian Anderson, while Amanda Balionis will serve as the on-course reporter. Charles Barkley and Mickelson will also be in the broadcast booth.

        

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

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21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Capital One's The Match has become a semi-regular event enjoyed by die-hard and casual golf fans alike. The first iteration came in late 2018 and featured a one-on-one duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Subsequent editions have featured a doubles pro-am-style format.

This Friday, The Match is back to a one-versus-one format with a very big twist. Capitalizing on one of the PGA's hottest rivalries, The Match 5 will be a battle between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

The feud apparently began in early 2019 when Koepka publicly criticized DeChambeau's slow style of play. Unsurprisingly, the Californian took it personally.

Was standing on the putting green with Koepka's caddie earlier when an irritated Bryson DeChambeau walked up & told him to tell his boss to make any comment about slow play "to my face". Brooks arrived soon after, got the message & ambled over for a chat with the scientist.

— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) August 11, 2019

A public back-and-forth has existed between the two ever since, though the comments have never felt malicious and have oftentimes been quite humorous. The rivalry even made an appearance in The Match 4, where DeChambeau was paired with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

@BKoepka It’s nice to be living rent free in your head!

— Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondech) May 26, 2021

The feud appeared to reach a conclusion at the 2021 Ryder Cup in late September, when the two hugged it out following Team USA's victory.

However, DeChambeau suggested that was staged and the rivalry is still on.

"It was definitely a little forced," he said, per Christopher Powers of Golf Digest. "The team wanted us to do it, and to be honest I was surprised he did it. ...But it definitely felt forced, there wasn't an apology or anything like that. Until I get an apology for what he's said and what not, nothing will change."

There will likely be no apologies on Friday and while The Match may not settle this feud once and for all, it should provide plenty of entertainment for those watching at home.

         

The Match 5

Who: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Brooks Koepka

Where: Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas

When: Friday, November 26 at 4 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: TNT, TBS, TruTV, HLN and TNTDrama.com

Odds: DeChambeau -125, Koepka +105

                  

Format and Other Info

This edition of The Match will feature a 12-hole match-play format. DeChambeau and Koepka will compete to shoot the lowest score on each hole individually. The winner of each hole will receive a point.

The two men will split the point in the event of a tie. Whoever has the most points after 12 holes will be declared the winner. This is similar to the Ryder Cup's match-play format.

While the two will be looking to beat one another, DeChambeau and Koepka will also be competing for charity, per a Warner Media press release:

"Donations made as part of the Nov. 26 event will benefit APGA Tour (Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour) and Feeding America ®, in addition to DeChambeau contributing to Shriner's Hospital and Koepka donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. WarnerMedia and the golfers will tee things off with a charitable donation of 3.75 million meals to Feeding America."

Additionally, The Match will feature several in-play challenges. For example, on the third hole, a $50,000 charitable donation will be made in the name of the player who lands his tee shot closest to the hole.

Challenges will be featured on Holes 3, 6, 7, 9 and 11.

Play-by-Play will be provided by Brian Anderson, and Amanda Balionis will serve as the on-course reporter. Charles Barkley and Mickelson will also be in the broadcast booth.

             

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

On Sunday, Tiger Woods posted video of himself swinging a golf club, an encouraging sign for his recovery from leg injuries following a car crash in February.

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

Later on Sunday, Phil Mickelson said he was happy to see Woods getting some swings in again:

As I’m hanging in Montana, it’s great to see Tiger swinging a golf club again. I know he can’t stand me holding a single record so I’m guessing HE wants to be the oldest to ever win a major. I’ll just say this. BRING IT!

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) November 21, 2021

The 45-year-old Woods hasn't played since November 2020 at the Masters.

It's been unclear whether Woods would retire after his car crash or attempt a comeback, though Justin Thomas said earlier in November it would be the latter.

"I know that he's going to try," Thomas said during the No Laying Up podcast. "I don't see him ever playing if he can't play well. He doesn't strike me as a guy who's played at home and he's shooting a bunch of 75s and 76s and he's like, 'OK, I'm gonna give Augusta a try this year.' That's not really gonna be him, at least from my understanding, what I know of him."

Tying Jack Nicklaus in anything is quite the accomplishment, even for one of the best golfers in PGA history.

Phil Mickelson pulled even with the Golden Bear as the only players to win four of their first six starts on the 50-and-over tour when he captured the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday, per John Marshall of the Associated Press.

Lefty shot a six-under 65 at Phoenix Country Club in the final round to clinch another PGA Tour Champions trophy.

He wasn't the only one who impressed, as Bernhard Langer won the PGA Tour Champions season points title for the sixth time in his career.

Yet it was Mickelson who stole the show in the final round and added another line on his illustrious resume that includes six major titles and 45 PGA Tour victories.