Phil Mickelson says he ‘makes rules up’ as he plays, LIV Golf teammates agree
Phil Mickelson is preparing for the much-awaited Pros vs Schmos showdown set for Chicago, a competition governed by ‘Phil's Book of Rules’. The ace golfer brought interest to the event by challenging LIV Golf rival Ian Poulter in May. Ahead of this, the 54-year-old revealed that he likes to make up some rules.
Mickelson was speaking in a press conference ahead of LIV Golf Greenbrier, when he talked about the ‘huge discrepancy in skill level’ between Pros and Schmos. Following this, the golfer was asked about the ‘most important rule’ in ‘Phil's Book of Rules’. Interestingly, the six-time Major winner jokingly said he can make them up as he plays.
The golfer, famous for publicly admitting to having a gambling addiction in the past, stated that there are ‘a lot of blank pages’ when it comes to golf rules.
Phil Mickelson said on Thursday (August 15) while speaking alongside his HyFlyers GC teammates, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
“(The most important rule) Is that I can make them up as we golf, so there's like a lot of blank pages that we just kind of fill in as we go.”
Notably, his teammates quickly agreed. While Cameron Tringale said it is “most definitely true,” Brendan Steele added that it is “always good to be Phil's partner when Phil's book comes out.” Mickelson played along and dubbed Steele’s point to be true.
While the competition has been announced, there are only mentions of the rulebook in question. It is pertinent to note that the Pros vs Schmos showdown comes months after the ace golfer reiterated the need to explore new formats and possibilities of golf to bring younger generations into the sport.
Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf season so far
Phil Mickelson has been a stalwart for LIV Golf ever since its inception. However, the star golfer has continually struggled to get results on the breakaway tour and this season has been no different.
As the 2024 schedule nears its end, Mickelson’s best result so far has been a sixth-place finish in Jeddah in March. Notably, Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC finished on the team podium in Adelaide in April. However, the veteran only managed a solo 38th-place finish at the event.
Listed below is the complete breakdown of Phil Mickelson’s 2024 LIV season (Event, finish, score):
- LIV Mayakoba - 51st - +11 – Team finish - 10th
- LIV Las Vegas - 30th - -2 – Team finish - 13th
- LIV Jeddah - 6th - -10 – Team finish - 8th
- LIV Hong Kong - 52nd - +8 – Team finish - 12th
- LIV Miami - 47th - +8 – Team finish - 13th
- LIV Adelaide - 38th - -7 – Team finish - 3rd
- LIV Singapore - 22nd - -6 – Team finish - 9th
- LIV Houston - 37th - -2 – Team finish - 9th
- LIV Nashville - 40th - -2 – Team finish - 10th
- LIV Andalucía - 27th - +6 – Team finish - 11th
- LIV United Kingdom - 34th - E – Team finish - 8th
Needless to say, Phil Mickelson will be eyeing a strong comeback at Greenbrier this weekend.