Did Phil Mickelson do an interview with Alan Shipnuck?
Phil Mickelson is one of the most successful American professional golfers, having won 45 PGA Tour events and six major championships. However, he is no longer associated with the PGA Tour after joining hands with the controversial LIV Golf in June 2022.
Earlier in February, amidst tensions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, former Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine writer Alan Shipnuck published an excerpt from his upcoming unauthorized biography of Phil Mickelson. It made public serious remarks about the Saudi-backed league made by Mickelson during a phone call with Shipnuck last November, in which Phil referred to the Saudis as "scary motherf—-ers to get involved with."
Mickelson also said the following about the Saudis, according to the excerpt.
"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,"
The interview was published a couple of months later, which shook the golf fraternity.
Phil Mickelson denies interview with Alan Shipnuck
Post the release of the interview, Phil Mickelson issued a statement denying the interview, saying that the comments were made "off the record."
Mickelson wrote,
"Although it doesn't look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interests of golf, my peers, sponsors and fans."
A Statement from Phil Mickelson https://t.co/2saaXIxhpu
He further stated that the comments were shared out of context and without his consent. Mickelson apologized for the words he used, but mentioned that it did not reflect his true feelings or intentions.
"It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this."
When asked about his comments on LIV Golf at the LIV Golf press conference at the Royal Green Golf and Country Club 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."
Interesting moment from Phil's LIV presser in Saudi Arabia. Asked about his previous comments about Saudi, he answers:
"So I will reiterate, I never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck." https://t.co/fLIrlkyJe5
In response to his comments on LIV Golf, Phil lost sponsors Amstel Light, KPMG, and maybe more. He also announced a break from golf to spend time with his family, missing two majors, the 2022 Masters and the PGA Championships.
However, on the Firepit podcast, Shipnuck revealed that the interview was never off the record, and Mickelson himself reached out to him to discuss several PGA Tour and other issues in November, quite aware that it would be used in his biography.
"He (Phil Mickelson) just started talking. At that point, it is an on-the-record interview with a biographer. That's not even in question."
More about the LIV Golf league
The LIV Golf league is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment fund and Greg Norman as the CEO. They have attempted to buy the best players, including Tiger Woods, who strongly rejected the offer. However, the league has managed to poach some of the best players with attractive signing fees.
The league is already nearing the conclusion of its inaugural season. Each of its events comes with a $25 million prize money purse with the final Team Championships decorated with a whopping $50 million prize money.
Phil Mickelson believes that he is on the 'winning side' after joining LIV Golf, stating that the league is 'trending upwards' unlike the PGA Tour which is 'trending downwards'. He also added that the inclusion of LIV Golf in the golf ecosystem is necessary for positive changes in the sport of golf.