“That's not Phil Mickelson. It's Mickelson Phil” – Fans react to Phil Mickelson claiming his ‘scary mother****ers’ comment was off the record

Phil Mickelson sparked outrage earlier this year after a report claimed he made disparaging comments about the Saudi Arabian administration. As per the report published by his biographer Alan Shipnuck, the American golfer called the Saudis "scary mother****ers" while making some harsh statements. However, Mickelson on Thursday, October 13, denied giving the interview where he made the controversial remarks.

The LIV golfer claimed that he "never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck" and that the comments were taken out of context. He also stated that the comments were made "off the record" during a conversation with the publisher of an unauthorized biography of him.

The golfer, who returned to Saudi Arabia for the first time after the event, said that he had “utmost respect” for people involved with him and the series.

Speaking at a press conference in Jeddah, Mickelson said:

“I never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck. And I find that my experience with everybody associated with LIV Golf has been nothing but incredibly positive and I have the utmost respect for everybody that I've been involved with."

Netizens were quick to dissect the statement and react to it. Many golf fans even made jokes about the situation. While some made memes about Mickelson's denial, a fan stated that it was the golfer's alternate personality making the statements.

They said,

"That's not Phil Mickelson. It's Mickelson Phil. 2 totally different people. Now, Mickelson Phil has never done an interview with Shipnuck."

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Social media reacts to Phil Mickelson’s comments

Golf fans were quick to react as Phil Mickelson tried to disassociate himself from his involvement in the issue. The public took to social media to mock the golfer and further criticize him over the same. While many accused him of lying, a few others stated that he was scared of the Saudi Arabian administration that funds LIV Golf.

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What was Phil Mickelson's comments on the Saudis?

The controversy began in February when Alan Shipnuck published a report claiming Phil Mickelson had spoken out against the Saudi regime. According to Shipnuck, the ace golfer referred to the Saudis as "scary mother****ers to get involved with." The report, published only two weeks after Mickelson was at the Saudi International at Royal Greens, landed him in trouble.

As per the report, Mickelson was quoted as saying:

"We know they killed [Washington Post reporter 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."

He added:

“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 viral statements blew up. It stirred major controversy, leading to Phil Mickelson getting attacked by fans as well as many from the golfing community. Players including Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel also slammed the golfer. This led to the golfer issuing a public apology on Twitter. He mentioned the statements as a "mistake" and said that he never intended to "hurt" anyone.

He wrote:

“I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public. My intent was never to hurt anyone and I’m so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted.”

Months after making the public apology, Mickelson has now come out to deny giving such an interview. This has brought attention to the controversy once more.