Phil Mickelson calls out PGA Tour for alleged 'violation of contract law', backs players wanting to compete for $25,000

Phil Mickelson has slammed the PGA Tour for barring players from competing in a new par-3 league where they could make $25,000 per match. He argued that it violated independent contract law and was illegal.

On Thursday, December 5, Monday Q Info reported on X that the Grass League hosted its first event at the par-3 Grass Clippings course in Scottsdale, Arizona. The league features several LPGA players, YouTubers, and stars from different fields. Several PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and Americas Tour players were also supposed to participate before the PGA Tour restricted them.

Mickelson wasn't pleased by the PGA Tour's actions and expressed his anger in replies.

"This is a clear violation of independent contract law. I’m so sorry these professionals are continuing to be blackmailed by the Tour. It’s not right and is in fact illegal," he wrote.

As per Monday Q Info, the inaugural Grass League will feature 11 eight-person teams, divided into four two-person teams. The field includes notable LPGA players Lauren Coughlin and Alison Lee, former tennis star Mardy Fish, Major League pitcher Mark Mulder, and YouTube stars from GoodGood. The event will be streamed on Peacock.

What's next for Phil Mickelson?

Phil Mickelson will return to action in February next year with the fourth season of LIV Golf. The inaugural event of the new LIV season will take place from February 6 to 8 in Riyadh.

For Phil Mickelson, 2024 was a challenging season as he managed just one top-10 finish. He tied for sixth in Jeddah, his best result of the season. He finished 46th in the LIV Golf individual standings and narrowly avoided the Drop Zone.

Speaking of majors, Mickelson missed the cut at both the PGA Championship and the US Open and finished T43 at the Masters Tournament, his best result in the majors this season. The six-time major champion has indicated that he might step down from his team, HyFlyers GC, if he fails to improve his performance in the new season.

Here's a look at Phil Mickelson's results:

PGA Tour

LIV Golf Mayakoba: T51
LIV Golf Las Vegas: T30
LIV Golf Jeddah: T6
LIV Golf Hong Kong: T52
LIV Golf Miami: 47
LIV Golf Adelaide: T38
LIV Golf Singapore: T22
LIV Golf Houston: T37
LIV Golf Nashville: T40
LIV Golf Andalucía: T27
LIV Golf United Kingdom: T34
LIV Golf Greenbrier: 50
LIV Golf Chicago: T23
LIV Golf Dallas - Stroke Play: T48

PGA Tour:

Masters Tournament: T43
PGA Championship: Missed Cut
US Open: Missed Cut
The Open: T60

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti