Phil Mickelson is one of golf’s modern greats.
But the sport, led by fellow professionals, are turning on the 51-year-old as the breakaway Saudi league saga gets nasty.
Australian golfing legend Greg Norman is behind the rebel Super Golf League operation, which has the $2.9 billion backing of Saudi Arabia.
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They’re attempting to poach the top players from the PGA Tour – the best men’s golf league in the world – and Mickelson was thought to be leading the exodus.
Fellow elite players Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau were this week forced to deny reports they are following Mickelson away from the PGA Tour, lured by the Saudi riches. Australia’s 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott has also been linked to the breakaway tour.
In an interview in the past week, Mickelson – a six-time PGA major winner – shocked the golfing world by claiming he is merely using the Super Golf League scheme as a way to leverage the PGA Tour.
“They execute people over there for being gay,” Mickelson said of Saudi Arabia.
“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.”
In essence, Mickelson wants the PGA Tour to hand media rights back to the players.
“But they would rather throw $25 million here and $40 million there than give back the roughly $20 billion in digital assets they control,” he fumed.
“Or give up access to the $50-plus million they make every year on their own media channel.
“There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest.”
A number of his fellow professionals seem not too keen on Mickelson’s idea of holding the PGA Tour to ransom.
Irish champion Rory McIlroy was the most scathing when asked about Mickelson’s comments and involvement in the breakaway league.
“I don’t want to kick someone while he’s down obviously, but I thought they were naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant,” McIlroy said of Mickelson’s comments.
“(There are) a lot of words to describe that interaction he had. It was just very surprising and disappointing, sad.
“I’m sure he’s sitting at home sort of rethinking his position and where he goes from here.”
The Saudi league reportedly wanted to go public in the coming weeks, only after signing 20 of the Tour’s top players.
But after the events of the last few days, McIlroy believes the rebel organisation is “dead in the water”.
“Who’s left? (Which players are) left to go? I mean, there’s no one,” he said.
“Who else have you got to fill the field?
“I mean, Greg Norman would have to tee it up to fill the field. Like, I mean seriously, who else is going to do it? I don’t think they could get 48 guys.”
Norman is copping it from all sides for his attempt to challenge the PGA Tour.
One-time British Open champion, turned commentator, David Duval took aim at Norman on Twitter, writing, “Looks like the Saudi tour and Greg Norman are slowly going away. Good riddance”.
A Twitter user then asked Duval about Mickelson, to which he replied, “greedy man”.
Whether it eventuates or not, the rebel Saudi league has irrevocably damaged the reputation of Norman… and Mickelson has some groveling to do to get back in golf’s good books.
https://twitter.com/david59duval/status/1495490625910808580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/david59duval/status/1495497890625642498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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