"It's going to open up more opportunities" - Phil Mickelson expresses confidence in golf's future amid the game’s 'transitional state'
Phil Mickelson is confident that the controversy between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will be resolved positively, not just for professional players but for golf in general.
The six-time Major champion spoke about the current state of men's professional golf during his press conference before the LIV Golf Miami event that is set to be played at Trump National Doral in Miami between April 5-7.
Here is part of what Phil Mickelson had to say (via ESPN):
"I don't know how it's going to end out, exactly, or what it's going to look like. I'm putting my trust in Yasir and where the game is headed more globally. But at some point, when it gets ironed out, I think it's going to be in a much better place where we bring the best players from the world, and it's going to open up more opportunities for manufacturing, course design, for players in different parts of the world to be inspired and enter the game. I think it's going to be in a much better place."
"But right now, we are in the disruption phase, so we are in the middle of the process. And when it's all said and done, it's going to be a lot brighter. But while we go through it, it's challenging. But we'll get there."
Just this week, Rory McIlroy made similar statements. In an interview with Golf Monthly, the Northern Irishman stated that the current state of men's professional golf is unsustainable.
How is the 2024 season going for Phil Mickelson?
Phil Mickelson is one of the 13 LIV Golf players who will participate in the Masters 2024. Mickelson has won the event three times (2004, 2006, 2010) which gives him a spot in the field at the event for life.
Mickelson will arrive at the Masters having played in five LIV Golf events, including LIV Golf Miami, which begins on April 5. In the 4 previous tournaments, 'Lefty' has finished in the top 10 once.
At LIV Golf Mayakoba, the opening tournament of the season, Phil Mickelson finished 53rd with a score of 11 over. He then played in Las Vegas where he finished 31st with a score of 2 under.
In the third tournament of the year (Jeddah), Mickelson finished 9th with a score of 10 under. This is his best result on the circuit since an eighth-place finish in the Chicago event in 2022. Subsequently, 'Lefty' placed 53rd in Hong Kong, with a score of 8 over.
As for the HyFlyers GC team, captained by Mickelson, they are in last place in the league (13th). Their best result was eighth place in Jeddah, while they finished 10th in Mayakoba, 13th in Las Vegas and 12th in Hong Kong.