Phil Mickelson had a busy year off the pitch: Golfer’s 2022 explored
This year has arguably been one of the most controversial and disputed years of Phil Mickelson's long career.
The 52-year-old was involved in a couple of controversies that shadowed his performance on the course. From his comments on LIV Golf to his own participation in LIV Golf, it's been a rollercoaster ride for him.
Thank you to my fellow players, fans, teammates, and especially everyone at @LIVGolfInv - I’m so proud and happy to be a part of this evolution in professional golf. My passion for the game has been renewed and I can’t wait for LIV Golf Season 2. https://t.co/adNyz25dnR
In mid-February, Alan Shipnuck revealed the comments passed by Phil Mickelson on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf published in an excerpt of his forthcoming biography.
He called Saudi Arabia a 'scary motherf***er' to get involved with. Despite supporting the series as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape the PGA Tour, he said the country has killed reporter Jamal Khashoggi, executed people for being gay, and has a horrible record on human rights.
In response to his comments, Mickelson lost several sponsors and was rebuked by many players. However, within a few days, Mickelson posted an apology on social media.
Phil Mickelson wrote:
“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interests of golf, my peers, my sponsors, and fans.”
He added:
“It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”
A Statement from Phil Mickelson https://t.co/2saaXIxhpu
Mickelson announced that he would take a break from professional golf to spend time with his family and would miss out on the 2022 Masters. That was not all. In May, he decided to withdraw from the PGA Championship, which he won in 2021.
That same month, Alan Shipuck disclosed another interesting chapter of Mickelson's life. The excerpt revealed that Mickelson's gambling losses were as high as $40 million between 2011 and 2014.
During this time, Mickelson was on a break with no engagement on any platform and no appearance on the golf course.
Phil Mickelson joins LIV Golf and gets suspended from the PGA Tour
Taking everyone by surprise, Phil Mickelson finally made a comeback this time in London at the LIV Golf Invitational Series. As per reports, he had been paid $200 million to join the Saudi-backed series.
Immediately, on the first day of the LIV Golf Invitational Series in London, the PGA Tour suspended Mickelson along with 16 other players.
Phil was next seen at the US Open, where he missed the cut. His next appearance was at the Old Course for the Open Championship, where he shot a 5 over on Friday, failing to make the cut into the weekend.
Phil Mickelson wrapped up the first season of the LIV Golf Invitational Series with $102 million in on-course earnings. After the end of the LIV Golf series, he shared his future plans.
Phil Mickelson said:
“I think there’s a lot of possibilities and I’m not sure how it’ll play out. I just know that in the next, over the course of the next year, a lot of stuff is going to happen, and things will kind of iron themselves out.”
A few months later, LIV Golf players were barred from playing in The Masters. For the first time in over three decades, he is not ranked in the OWGR top 200 list.
Phil Mickelson missed the U.S. Open and the Open Championship and never finished higher than 30th in a LIV event, and as a result, he currently ranks 213 in the world.
It could be difficult for him to bridge the gap now, considering his age and performance status.