After a four-month break, Phil Mickelson is ready to return to competitive golf, albeit on a “new path” and with a “new start” to the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Mickelson, a six-time Grand Prix winner, was added to the field on Monday for the first LIV Golf event, which is set to begin Thursday at the Centurion Club outside London. In a statement posted to his Twitter account on Monday, Mickelson said he still plans to play in the majors, but did not say whether he will compete in the PGA Tour.
Mickelson, 51, has not played since missing the Farmers Insurance Open in January. He missed the Masters and PGA Championship, an event he won last year. He took time off from golf after his conflicting comments about the “disgusting greed” of the PGA Tour and the Saudi financiers of LIV Golf sparked a fiery storm. Mickelson said he felt healthier and “calmer” after being “engaged and deliberate” in ongoing therapy.
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“I’m ready to go back and play the game I love, but after 32 years this new path is a new beginning, which is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transforming, not only for me, but ideally for play and my peers, “Mickelson wrote.
“I also love the progressive format and I think it will be exciting for the fans. It is equally important that it will provide balance, allowing me to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the court. I am incredibly grateful for what this game and PGA Tour gave me. I would like to think that I did too, but now I am excited about this new opportunity. “
Mickelson joins a field of 48 people in London, which also includes two-time big winners Dustin Johnson and Martin Kimer, as well as four other big winners: Sergio Garcia (Masters 2017), Charles Schwarzel (Masters 2011), Graham McDowell (2010 US Open ) and Louis Oosthuizen (2010 Open Championship).
“Phil Mickelson is unequivocally one of the greatest golfers of this generation,” LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said in a statement. “His contribution to the sport and his relationship with fans around the world cannot be overstated and we are grateful to have him. He is strengthening an exciting field for London, where we are proud to launch a new era of golf.”
Mickelson, one of the most popular players of his generation, has already paid a high price for his controversial comments. Several of his longtime sponsors, including Amstel Light, KPMG and Workday, have ended their relationship with him. Callaway, who signed a contract with Mickelson for the rest of his career, ended his relationship with him.
Mickelson apologized for his remarks to author Alan Shipnook, who was writing an unauthorized biography of the player popularly known as the Left. During a conversation that Shipnuk said took place in November, Mickelson said he was working with two players to hire lawyers to draft operational agreements for the new chain, which is funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. .
“They’re scary mothers to mess with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck. “… They killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Kashogi and have a terrible experience in human rights. They execute people there for being gay. Knowing all this, why even consider it? Because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the way the PGA Tour works. “
Mickelson apologized again for the remarks on Monday.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize again to the many people I offended and hurt with my comments a few months ago,” Mickelson wrote. “I made mistakes in my career in some of the things I said and did. Taking time and self-reflection was very humiliating. I need to start giving priority to the people I love the most and working to be a better version of myself. “
While many stars such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spit have pledged loyalty to the PGA Tour, Mickelson and 13 others are jumping into Norman’s new chain.
On May 11, the PGA Tour refused to release conflicting events to players who asked them to play in London. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told Memorial players’ agents last week in Columbus, Ohio, that players must choose between touring and LIV Golf and cannot play on both tracks. Monahan threatened players competing in London without exemption with discipline, including fines, suspension and / or bans.
On Saturday, longtime PGA Tour member Kevin Na, who also competes in London, withdrew from the tour instead of facing possible discipline or a lawsuit.
LIV Golf offers stunning purses – a total prize money of $ 255 million this year, including $ 25 million for each of the seven regular season tournaments – which are the richest in professional golf. The LIV Series of eight events will include five tournaments played in the United States, including a final for the Trump Doral Championships in Miami from October 28 to 30. The second LIV event is scheduled for July 1-3 at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon.
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