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Phil Mickelson jumped ship and joined the inaugural season of the LIV Golf series in June. The 2021 PGA Tour champion reportedly received around $200 million to play in the series. However, the move became controversial as the PGA Tour suspended the golfer from participating on the American circuit.
Mickelson has been the center of attention in the golf world for some time now. By now, people have accepted that Mickelson might not compete on the PGA Tour anymore. However, the former PGA Tour champion is not done and continues to slam the PGA amid the raging PGA Tour-LIV Golf debate.
Most recently, Phil Mickelson praised the LIV Golf series while addressing the sudden structural changes announced by the PGA Tour. During the latest LIV Golf Invitational series event in Boston, Mickelson said that LIV Golf players were like martyrs for professional golf. He ridiculed the PGA Tour for its structural changes and said that the LIV Golf series laid the path for the same.
Speaking to the media in Boston, Phil Mickelson said:
“I think the fans are getting a lot of benefit out of this, and all golfers, all professional golfers are getting a lot of benefit. The guys on the Tour are playing for a lot more money. It’s great that they magically found a couple hundred million; that’s awesome. Everybody is I think in a better position now than they were a year ago.”
Further praising the LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson said:
“Now [players are] being heard and things are changing. Things have gotten better for everybody in professional golf and I believe for the fans, too, because they’re seeing golf in a different environment with LIV. They’re seeing on the Tour, the Tour is bringing their best players together more often. LIV is moving professional golf throughout the world.”
Phil Mickelson credits LIV Golf for PGA Tour's changes
The 52-year-old’s comments came a week after the PGA Tour announced a series of structural changes driven by LIV’s growth. The US-based Tour has announced a new series of "elevated" events, higher compensation for players, and a new short-format tournament for young players. It is pertinent to note that the changes came to light after a series of top players defected to LIV Golf. The PGA Tour had no plans laid out until LIV began to take shape.
While backing the Saudi-backed league, Mickelson also said that he was happy that his fellow players’ requests were now being heard by the PGA.
He added:
“I didn’t say I felt vindicated, I said I felt happy for the guys, that they have a voice and they’re being valued and they’re being heard, and changes are being implemented to show that appreciation. Because that hasn’t been the case, and it hasn’t had to be the case because there was no other option and no leverage.”
Phil Mickelson spoke about the PGA Tour’s new changes in a good sense. However, he likely won’t ever bear its fruit as he remains suspended till 2024 as of now. It is worth noting that it was Mickelson’s old sparring partners, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who rallied their support for the PGA Tour and made the changes possible. The duo held a rare players-only meeting last month, which eventually led to PGA Tour changes.
