“Scary motherf******” - Phil Mickelson's controversial Saudi comments almost derailed his LIV Golf move
Phil Mickelson has been an integral part of LIV Golf ever since its inception. However, a few controversial comments about Saudi Arabia almost meant that the move to the new breakaway tour was over even before it even began. Before joining the league in 2022, he cited his reasons for working with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which did not sit well with people.
According to an interview by the Fire Pit Collective, Mickelson opened up about the incident in his autobiography written by Alan Shipnuck. He famously described Saudi Arabia as 'scary motherf******'. He made references to the human rights issue in Saudi Arabia and said:
"They’re scary motherf****** to get involved with. We know they killed 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."
Needless to say, when Phil Mickelson joined the league, he had to issue an apology beforehand. Soon after, several other golfers began to join the breakaway tour as it now enters its third season. The tour has seen its fair share of challenges.
Phil Mickelson's comments almost shut down LIV Golf's run
According to Shipnuck's new book LIV and Let Die', when LIV officials heard about Phil Mickelson's comments via Twitter (now X), the league went into a state of panic.
"It was complete and total panic and chaos. We went from the verge of launching to feeling like, 'Hey, it was a good run, but now its over'," Shipnuck said.
However, LIV stuck to its decision and saw the inaugural event take place just four months later. Initially when LIV Golf took off, they faced immense pressure and backlash from the PGA Tour and its partners.
All golfers who joined LIV Golf were banned from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. However, two years later, both the leagues seemed to have reached a consensus as the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have signed a merger agreement.