Phil Mickelson ‘toxic’ to face music over Saudi Arabia fiasco with calls for him to be suspended from PGA tour after extraordinary interview
- Phil Mickelson looks set to face calls to be suspended from PGA Tour
- He admitted to actively working against the PGA Tour, where he earned an estimated £300million during his illustrious career.
- World number 6 Justin Thomas says he won’t shed tears if Mickelson is suspended
Phil Mickelson will almost certainly face calls to be suspended from the PGA Tour in what is likely to be a busy players’ meeting at the Honda Classic in Florida on Tuesday.
Feelings are still running high in the locker room after the extraordinary interview he gave for a new biography, in which he admitted to actively working against the PGA Tour, where he earned an estimated £300m during his tenure. illustrious career, in favor of a Saudi golf project. revolution.
“I don’t know what else to say other than I hope God doesn’t draw me to play alongside him anytime soon,” said a furious member of the PGA Tour Players’ Advisory Council. ‘What’s wrong with him? He should be suspended after that, right?
Phil Mickelson will almost certainly face calls to be suspended from the PGA Tour
A PGA Tour spokesperson said ‘we do not anticipate any comment’ on such a move, but it seems a prima facie case after Mickelson admitted in the interview to teaming up with three other players, which he declined. to appoint, and their lawyers to work out the structure of the proposed Saudi Golf League.
Mickelson has been offered a rumored £70million to be one of the key figures, with an expected start date this year for a circuit comprising 14 events.
Mickelson had already alienated most players in an earlier Golf Digest interview, in which he accused PGA Tour officials of “abhorrent greed” in a media rights dispute.
He then put the tin lid on things biting off the other hand that feeds him, calling Saudis ‘crazy ***** mothers to get involved with’ in the book interview and saying he was only dealing with them as leverage to secure better terms on the PGA Tour.
“Whether you’re interested in what the Saudis have to offer or you side with the status quo, who wants to be associated with Phil after this?” said a PGA Tour figurehead. “He’s totally toxic.”
Mickelson has stayed away from the tour since paying a massive appearance fee to play at the Saudi Invitational a fortnight ago. He is a two-time winner of the Genesis Invitational taking place here a few hours from his home in San Diego, but did not participate despite his high status on the PGA Tour and his first prize of $2.1 million. He also does not participate in the Honda event, although he has been a regular in previous editions.
What a sad situation this all represents, considering what happened last May when Mickelson may have reached the pinnacle of his popularity after becoming the first 50-year-old to win a major at the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island.
Justin Thomas said he wouldn’t shed tears if Mickelson played his final PGA Tour event
World No. 6 Justin Thomas called his comments “selfish” and made it clear he wouldn’t shed tears if Mickelson played his last PGA Tour event. “He’s done a lot of great things for this tour, but if he and others are that passionate about the Saudis, go for their Super Golf League,” he said. “Nobody stops them.”
Even his buddies on tour turned against him. “I know Phil has a lot of stress in his life but I don’t know what he’s doing because he’s not talking to me,” Pat Perez said. “It’s okay because I don’t really care what he has to say about anything.”
The Genesis event? Halfway through, Chilean Joaquin Niemann held a two-stroke lead over American Cameron Young after smashing the 36-hole record with two rounds of 63 for a 16-under par total.
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