Phil Mickelson ‘is at peace’ with never playing on the PGA Tour or at the Ryder Cup again as he claims the majors are the tournaments ‘that leave a mark’ – and LIV Golf’s chief rebel believes he can win ‘one or two’ more!
Chief LIV Golf defector Phil Mickelson claimed he is ‘at peace’ with never playing on the PGA Tour again after jumping ship to the Saudi-backed series last year.
The 52-year-old rapidly went from hero to zero last year as he called out the PGA Tour for its ‘obnoxious greed’ and called the Saudis ‘scary motherf*******’ before defecting to LIV Golf less than a year after his sixth major win at the PGA Championship.
If he hadn’t already burned enough bridges with the PGA Tour, he was indefinitely cut off when commissioner Jay Monahan suspended LIV rebels the minute they teed off at the series’ inaugural event last June.
LIV rebel Phil Mickelson claimed he is ‘at peace’ with never playing on the PGA Tour again
However, the lefty, who played on the PGA Tour for 30 years, claimed he was ‘at peace’ with the outcome as the majors are the tournaments he’s targeting.
‘If I were never to play another PGA Tour event, I’m totally at peace with it,’ he said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. ‘But I believe by next year I’ll have the opportunity if I want [due to the pending litigation].
‘The tournaments where you are going to leave a mark are the majors. That creates a life memory. If I win another Tour event, who cares?’
The six-time major winner also claimed he can add another one or two to his silverware by replicating his triumph at Kiawah Island which saw him clinch the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50.
The six-time major winner also claimed he can add another one or two to his silverware
‘I’m in every major for the next three years and I think I have a chance to win one or two more and create these accomplishments that haven’t been done at this stage,’ he added. ‘I feel like I can duplicate Kiawah.’
Despite insisting he believes by next year he will have the chance to tee it up on the PGA Tour again, the 45-time tour winner claimed he may not want to.
He said between playing 14 events on LIV’s rebel circuit and the four major tournaments he ‘won’t have the time’ to also play on the PGA Tour and insisted he would rather ‘scale down’ the number of events he is playing.
The 52-year-old claimed even if he can play on the PGA Tour again he may not have time
Mickelson, who represented Team USA 12 times at the Ryder Cup and was vice captain once in 2021, also claimed he was ‘totally comfortable’ with no longer being part of the biennial clash against Europe.
The Americans have already ruled that no defectors from the PGA Tour will be eligible ahead of this year’s event at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside of Rome.
However, the picture on the European side, which is looking to bounce back from a 19-9 thrashing at Whistling Straits, is not yet clear.
But Mickelson, who was locked in to be a future US captain, insisted he was also ‘at peace’ with not being part of the event ever again as he’s had ‘more great experiences than probably anybody.’
The lefty has represented Team USA 12 times at the Ryder Cup and was Vice Captain once
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