Phil Mickelson has expressed his thoughts for the first time since the PGA Tour revealed its collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), following his initial brief tweet. It was indeed a remarkable day.
Mickelson stated on Wednesday, “That becomes a more significant declaration when considering the actions of LIV and our own actions. I believe that actions carry more weight than words. Moving forward, we are all extremely hopeful about the direction in which professional golf is progressing.”
Mickelson also enjoys participating in the LIV Tour.
Mickelson stated, “The player encounter at this place is extraordinary. I simply can’t imagine a superior situation for myself as a player than participating on LIV.”
The six-time champion made these remarks prior to LIV Golf’s Valderrama tournament in Southern Spain.
The victorious leader was the renowned Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, who was an idol to Mickelson. The 1997 Ryder Cup, triumphed by the Europeans, was held at Valderrama Golf Club, known as the “Augusta of Europe.”
Mickelson is back at Valderrama this week, feeling more confident than ever about the state of professional golf, and he participated in that event as a member of Team USA.
Mickelson observed, “It only took eighteen months–six months faster than I anticipated. We had the impression that it would take approximately two years before we reached [a consensus].”
Over the past couple of years, we have been told by [Norman] Greg [CEO] that everything happening has a lot of confidence in us, and it has come to fruition on LIV, which is why we have been saying everything they have been saying.
Essentially a “preliminary agreement,” it does not include any specific details regarding the future appearance of men’s professional golf, the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the PIF. However, as Mickelson pointed out.
The agreement Plus needs to receive approval from the Congressional Hearings and the Department of Justice, in order to reinstate all player sponsorships and future investments.
Regarding Mickelson, he is content with his current situation and the way his schedule for 2023 unfolded.
Mickelson, who is 53 years old, acknowledged that there has been a lot of golf this year. He played in Saudi Arabia earlier this year and participated in 14 events, including the four majors. In total, he has played in 19 events this year. I am excited to get back out here because there have been enough breaks and it has been fun.
This year, the Open Championship is taking place at Royal Liverpool, giving certain players the opportunity to get ready for it during the break that comes after LIV Golf’s visit to London, following Valderrama.
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Mickelson emerged victorious in the 2013 edition of the Claret Jug.
Perhaps playing in LIV will bring another major moment for Mickelson, who became the oldest champion in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in 2021.
After all, he tied for second at the 2023 Masters–the first time he played at Augusta National following his commitment to LIV.
Either way, Lefty feels assured about what lies ahead.