Phil Mickelson: Phil Mickelson and Joaquin Niemann appear as opponents for a new video

Phil Mickelson and Joaquin Niemann posed as opponents for a new video. Social media personality Carter Smith, in collaboration with Torque GC, released a snippet of a video on Instagram on Tuesday (May 27).

In the short reel, he suggested LIV Golf team captains Niemann and Mickelson to face off, while he took on fellow content creator Grant Horvat in a humorous contest. He went on to say that Mickelson and Horvat were on a "winning streak" and afraid of losing so they were hiding from them.

Niemann played into the joke as he was heard saying:

"They are scared of losing this. They know we gonna beat them, so"

Smith then asked his followers if they would like to see a Phil Mickelson and Grant Horvat vs Joaquin Niemann and himself face-off.

Social media personalities are slowly becoming a more integral part of golf leagues.

LIV Golf has been leaning on the success of the Duels in Miami going forward this season. The league has introduced more such interesting contests ahead of select tournaments this year. In these events, social media stars and golfers will be seen competing. The next Duels will be held at the Virginia event from June 6th to 8th, 2025 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Even the PGA Tour held it's first ever Creator Classic last year ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship. The exhibition contest received so much love and appreciation that the Tour is holding three such events in the 2025 season.

With two editions already in the books at the Players Championship and Truist Championship, the third and final edition will be held at East Lake before the Tour Championship.

Phil Mickelson will reportedly participate in the Duels events this year

As LIV Golf announced more Duels editions in the coming tournaments, the league promised fans that top stars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson will be taking part in them.

Along with the pro golfers, social media sensations such as Bryan Bros, Fat Perez, Grant Horvat, Luke Kwon, Rick Shiels etc. will also be seen in action. While the Duels Miami event was broadcast exclusively on Horvat's channel, the upcoming edition in Virginia will be aired exclusively from the Bryan Bros' channel.

Here's taking a look at the Duels schedule for the rest of the year:

LIV Golf Virginia (June 6th to 8th, 2025)

Location: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
Event will be broadcast on Bryan Bros' YouTube channel and feature Virginia native creator Nick Stubbe (Fat Perez).

LIV Golf Dallas (June 27th to 29th, 2025)

Location: Maridoe Golf Club

LIV Golf UK (July 25th to 27th, 2025)

Location: JCB Golf and Country Club in Uttoxeter, England

LIV Golf Chicago (August 8th to 10th, 2025)

Location: Bolingbrook Golf Club

About the author

Ira Deokule is a dedicated sports journalist at Sportskeeda, specializing in Golf and other sports such as swimming, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and track and field. With a post-graduate degree in Media and Communication Studies from DMCS, SPPU, Pune, and a specialization in Video Production, she combines her academic background with practical experience as a national-level track and field athlete.

Ira's journalistic journey includes freelancing for FirstSportz during the Tokyo Olympics, where her articles gained significant recognition. She prioritizes accuracy and ethics, relying on verified sources and personal expertise to provide insightful, engaging content. Her unique perspective as an athlete enriches her understanding of sports dynamics, allowing her to write with neutrality and respect for her subjects.

Outside of journalism, Ira enjoys writing creative pieces, reading, dancing, and exploring filmmaking. She draws inspiration from trailblazing female golfers like Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, whose achievements have elevated the visibility of women's golf. Ira aspires to cover iconic events like The Masters and is interested in the evolving landscape of golf, including the impact of LIV Golf.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl