Phil Mickelson’s latest claim about LIV Golf players and the major championships was his most preposterous yet, writes Ben Smith.
Throughout his remarkable career, Phil Mickelson has been known to make some extraordinary statements.
One such instance was when he confidently proclaimed that he had achieved an impressive 47 holes in one throughout his lifetime.
This implies that he has, on average, hit one ace per year since the age of six.
And ever since he defected to LIV Golf in 2022, he has been consistently making bold statements at a concerning frequency.
But his latest was undoubtedly the most preposterous yet.
And it got the backlash it rightly deserved.
Mickelson’s curiosity was sparked by the highly demanding subject of LIV players’ challenges in securing entry into the four major championships.
Mickelson is an avid follower of the X account Flushing It.
The aforementioned account emphasized the utmost importance for the breakaway tour to prioritize enabling their players to participate in the majors, especially considering that LIV Golf has officially retracted their application for world ranking points.
Without this focus, LIV’s ambitious plans for the future will hold no significance.
Mickelson posted the following:
“What if NONE of the LIV players played? Would they be missed? What about next year, or the year after? At some point they will care and will have to answer to sponsors and television. FAAFO.”
If you were not previously aware, ‘FAAFO’ is an acronym that stands for ‘f–ck around and find out’.
Mickelson made it abundantly clear that LIV players might consider boycotting the majors if there are no significant changes.
Just let that sink in for a second.
The suggestion is utterly absurd and completely ridiculous, bringing to mind the instance when the LIV executive mentioned creating his own majors if their players were excluded.
Just picture Mickelson instructing Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and others to boycott Augusta National!
I would be willing to spend a significant amount of money to witness Koepka and Rahmbo protesting outside Magnolia Lane
Mickelson eventually removed his post, which came as no surprise to anyone, but not before facing criticism from several X users.
“Phil is, as he often is, delusional,” one wrote.
Another added: “More divisiveness from Phil and LIV. What else is new?”
Seven invitations have been extended to LIV, allowing a total of 15 golfers to represent the organization at the upcoming PGA Championship. This gesture comes shortly after Mickelson made an unusual claim, but it is noteworthy that the PGA of America has taken a bold step that even the green jackets at Augusta National wouldn’t dare to take.
At the 2024 Masters, the number of players has increased to 14, which is higher than the previous year. However, out of these players, only Joaquin Niemann was given a special invitation to participate in this prestigious event.
The rest of the players earned their spot in the tournament based on their world ranking, previous championship wins, or major victories within the last five years.
It was advantageous for the Chilean player that he had emerged victorious in the Australian Open earlier in the year and had previously attained the title of Latin America Amateur champion.
Equally noteworthy is the inclusion of Talor Gooch in the US PGA, despite his exclusive dedication to playing on the LIV tour since its establishment.
It’s worth noting that this is the first instance where a prominent governing body has acknowledged a player’s achievements on LIV.
Gooch, the 2023 individual champion of LIV, has been complaining about his situation for the past year and a half.
He was made fully aware that by becoming a member of LIV, he was putting his chances of major championship starts at risk.
Gooch, who had supported the Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party, tearfully exclaimed, “I never imagined that leopards would devour MY face!”
Okay, he didn’t say that, but you get the picture.
Prior to competing in Singapore last week, Mickelson acknowledged that his career is approaching its end.
Perhaps he should also reconsider his extravagant statements.
His ongoing provocation is far from beneficial during this crucial moment.
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