“If Phil had a 15-footer, I’d flash three fingers” – When Gary McCord revealed how Phil Mickelson gambled live during PGA Tour events
Phil Mickelson is infamous for his gambling habits, something the six-time major champion has always been open about in public. Many people, who were associated with him, have also made some interesting revelations about the golfer.
Sometime around May 2022, golfer-turned-commentator Gary McCord spoke in an interview on VSiN and shared how alongside Mickelson, he used to place bets while the golfer used to play in a PGA event. He said:
"When I was in the TV tower, every time Phil got to my hole, Bones [his caddie Jim Mackay] would look up at me and I would flash the odds."
The interview was given sometime around when Mickelson was rumored to join the newly launched Saudi-backed league and skipped the PGA Championship.
Gary McCord revealed that Phil Mickelson used to send him signals, while he used to be in the TV tower and he used to decode them and accordingly ask him.
"If Phil had a 15-footer, I'd flash three fingers, which meant the odds were 3-1. If he was 60 feet, I'd give him 2-1 on a two-putt. Bones would go down and whisper in his ear, and Phil would look up at me and shake his head, yes or no," McCord said.
Gary McCord allegedly claimed that he couldn't exactly say how much he had wadded up with Phil Mickelson. However, he added that once the Tour got to know about this, he had a conversation with CBS and could no longer gamble with the golfer.
"I can't tell you how many wadded-up twenties I threw out of the tower, until the Tour found out about it and I got word through CBS I was no longer allowed to gamble with Phil while up in the tower," he said.
When Phil Mickelson lashed out at all the Ryder Cup betting allegations
In August 2023, one of America's top sports betters Billy Walters announced the release of his book 'Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk'. The book had a chapter entirely based on Walter and Mickelson's relationship as gamblers together. He allegedly claimed that the golfer tried betting in the 2012 Ryder Cup while being part of the US team.
Soon after the allegation went public, Phil Mickelson took to his Twitter handle and cleared that he does enjoy a friendly wager, but, he never degraded the integrity of the game. He wrote:
"I never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.
"I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now."
As per Billy Walters' book excerpt, Phil Mickelson wagered over $1 billion from 2010 to 2014 and lost about $100 million.