Phil Mickelson shares his honest take on LIV Golf's team matchplay format

Phil Mickelson recently praised LIV Golf's team match play format, saying it brought out the fun element in the game and that the head-to-head aspect introduced a different dynamic, feel, and energy.

Phil Mickelson and other LIV Golf pros will be in action in the Team Championship this week. The final event of LIV's season will be played from Friday, September 20, to Sunday, September 22, at Maridoe Golf Club.

On Thursday, September 19, the six-time major champion spoke at the press conference ahead of the LIV Golf Team Championship, where he shared his views on the match play format.

"It's really a lot of fun," he said. "You mentioned it earlier in your comment about how much laughter and how much fun we're having, and I think this format really brings that out. The match play, the head-to-head aspect of it is bringing a different dynamic, a different feel, a different energy."

"I think the great thing about LIV Golf is the ability to pivot and change and do things a little bit more fluid than other tours, and maybe this is something we look at in the future having more team events throughout the year rather than just the season-ending. This is a lot of fun. We're all enjoying it. There's more interest. You notice there's a lot more laughter, a lot more interesting matchups," he added.

Mickelson further stated that the week was going to be exciting, and he felt the matchplay format resonated more with fans. He expressed hope that this format would be used more often.

Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers GC to take on Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC at LIV Golf Team Championship

Phil Mickelson-led HyFlyers GC will face Joaquin Niemann's Torque GC in the opening round of the Team Championship. This will be the second match of the day.

HyFlyers GC features Phil Mickelson, Andy Ogletree, Brendan Steele, and Cameron Tringale. Niemann's team comprises Mito Pereira, Sebastián Muñoz, and Carlos Ortiz.

Ten teams will be in action on the first day of the Team Championship. The five winners will join Crushers GC, Legion XIII, and Ripper GC in the semifinals on Saturday.

Here's a look at all the matches of the LIV Golf Team Championship:

Match 1: Smash GC (4) vs. Iron Heads GC (13)

First Single: Brooks Koepka (captain) vs. Kevin Na (captain)
Second Single: Talor Gooch vs. Danny Lee
Foursomes: Jason Kokrak/Graeme McDowell vs. Jinichiro Kozuma/Scott Vincent

Match 2: Torque GC (5) vs. HyFlyers GC (12)

First Single: Joaquin Niemann (captain) vs. Andy Ogletree
Second Single: Sebastian Muñoz vs. Cameron Tringale
Foursomes: Mito Pereira/Carlos Ortiz vs. Phil Mickelson (captain)/Brendan Steele

Match 3: Fireballs GC (6) vs. Majesticks GC (11)

First Single: Eugenio Chacarra vs. Henrik Stenson (co-captain)
Second Single: David Puig vs. Ian Poulter (co-captain)
Foursomes: Sergio Garcia (captain)/Abraham Ancer vs. Lee Westwood (co-captain)/Sam Horsfield

Match 4: Stinger GC (7) vs. Cleeks GC (8)

First Single: Branden Grace vs. Adrian Meronk
Second Single: Dean Burmester vs. Kalle Samooja
Foursomes: Louis Oosthuizen (captain)/Charl Schwartzel vs. Martin Kaymer (captain)/Richard Bland

Match 5: RangeGoats GC (9) vs. 4Aces GC (10)

First Single: Peter Uihlein vs. Dustin Johnson (captain)
Second Single: Thomas Pieters vs. Patrick Reed
Foursomes: Bubba Watson (captain)/Matthew Wolff vs. Harold Varner III/Pat Perez