“He put 9 million on it to lose” – John Daly on Phil Mickelson’s gambling
John Daly and Phil Mickelson are two of the elder statesmen in the game of golf, though the latter has since defected from the PGA Tour and joined LIV Golf.
Daly went pro in 1989 and is miraculously yet to retire, though he's also not a full-time competitor. Mickelson, meanwhile, turned pro in 1992 and is still competing at LIV events.
The two of them have another similarity, though: gambling. Daly recently opened up about his past as a gambler and how it affected him. He was once a very avid gambler on the green. Daly said he used to gamble on matches between himself and players and would routinely try to play with rich people and win their money.
The same could be said of Mickelson, who admitted that he had a gambling addiction.
On the "Full Send" podcast, Daly was asked about all this. He mentioned Mickelson's gambling and even said he was surprised at one of the latter's major financial losses.
Daly said:
"When he did The Match, what was it? Tiger [Woods]-Phil. He put $9 million to lose, so that he can make money? I actually haven't talked to Phil about it because the senator, he just kicks everybody's a** right now."
The Match is a charity event that pits golfers or celebrities against each other, sometimes even pairing a golfer with a celebrity. The latest iteration saw Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy take on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Woods and McIlroy ultimately fell to a defeat.
There was once a solo matchup between Mickelson and Woods, which is what Daly referred to. Woods won and took the $9 million that Mickelson lost.
Gambling is a big part of the world of golf. Many golfers partake and, according to Daly, even have constant wagers on everything from practice rounds to official tournaments.
Daly admitted that he had never gambled against Mickelson as the latter had never asked him to play, but that he would if given the chance. Who knows how much money would be on the line for that matchup?
Are Phil Mickelson and John Daly ranked?
Phil Mickelson might have defected to the LIV Golf league, but that theoretically doesn't mean he can't be ranked on the Official World Golf Rankings. For example, Cameron Smith plays for LIV but is the third-ranked golfer.
The OWGR doesn't count LIV events, but if someone was on their list, they will stay there until they were surpassed. Mickelson, however, is currently not ranked.
John Daly, meanwhile, is still a member of the PGA Tour and competes at times. However, it's not enough as he is also not ranked. He, much like Tiger Woods, doesn't compete often or well enough to earn a spot.
Back in 2005, John Daly earned his highest-ever ranking with a spot at 23rd on the list.
Mickelson, meanwhile, has routinely been on the leaderboard. His highest, however, was not first place. He topped out in the second spot on the leaderboard in 2011 and has not achieved that level since.