Phil Mickelson draws comparison between fan experience in LIV Golf and PGA Tour

Phil Mickelson drew comparisons between the fans’ experience at the LIV Golf and the PGA Tour events. The American golfer was one of the earliest to join the Saudi league.

He had a successful career on the PGA Tour, where he won 45 tournaments, the eighth highest of all time. However, in 2022, he signed a deal with the Saudi league.

This week, the LIV Golf's 2025 season is heading for its conclusion with its season-ending team championship, and in a pre-tournament press conference earlier this week, Mickelson talked about the difference in playing on both circuits. He said (via Golf.com):

“I can’t really say from the fans’ point of view other than what I’ve heard because I haven’t been a spectator. It seems that, when fans are leaving [LIV events], they’ve had a good time."

"They’ve left relaxed, enjoying and wanting more, rather than have the day drag on, being tired and run down, and being stressed about not interfering and being quiet and so forth. It seems as though the fans have walked away from the experience having fun and wanting more," he added.

There is a difference in the format of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. The Saudi league has a 54-hole format, while the PGA Tour events take place in a 72-hole stroke format.

Phil Mickelson had a good outing in LIV Golf, but he is still seeking his first win on the circuit. At this week’s Team Championship, his team, HyFlyers, had played against Jon Rahm's Legion XIII in the semifinal but lost the game. The tournament will have its final on Sunday, August 24.

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A look into Phil Mickelson's performance in 2025

This season on the PGA Tour, Phil Mickelson started his outing at the LIV Golf Adelaide event. He carded three rounds of 72, 74, and 68 to settle in a tie for 23rd place. He then recorded a solo third finish in the Hong Kong event, followed by sixth in Miami, and T4 in Virginia.

Here are the results of the tournaments Phil Mickelson played on the LIV Golf in 2025:

• LIV Golf Adelaide: T23 (72, 74, 68) – The Grange Golf Club
• LIV Golf Hong Kong: 3 (67, 65, 64) – Hong Kong Golf Club
• LIV Golf Singapore: T19 (69, 68, 72) – Sentosa Golf Club (Serapong Course)
• LIV Golf Miami: 6 (69, 73, 73) – Trump National Doral (Blue Monster)
• LIV Golf Mexico City: T22 (71, 69, 72) – Club De Golf Chapultepec
• LIV Golf Korea: 50 (75, 70, 78) – Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
• LIV Golf Virginia: T4 (67, 68, 65) – Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
• LIV Golf Dallas: 49 (77, 74, 76) – Maridoe Golf Club
• LIV Golf Andalucía: T23 (72, 72, 71) – Real Club Valderrama
• LIV Golf United Kingdom: T37 (70, 70, 72) – JCB Golf and Country Club
• LIV Golf Chicago: T25 (68, 71, 73) – Bolingbrook Golf Club
• LIV Golf Indianapolis: T40 (67, 72, 68) – The Club at Chatham Hills