Phil Mickelson, LIV Golfers interviewed in connection with PGA Tour probe: Reports

The United States Department of Justice authorities have interrogated Phil Mickelson and a few other players regarding its antitrust investigation of the PGA Tour.

As per the report published in New York Times, Mickelson along with his LIV Golf mates Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia were interviewed for the investigation. The Justice Department had meetings with the PGA Tour attorneys earlier this week in Washington, D.C., but the timeline for the review remains unclear.

It was reported last July that the Department of Justice was probing if PGA Tour tried to manipulate the sports market against the Saudi-backed circuit. The department also looked into the conspiracy angle in Original World Golf Rankings and close ties between PGA Tour authorities and the officials at the Masters, US Open, and PGA Championship.

The New York Times stated:

"Investigators have shown interest in the possibility that the tour’s punitive approach threatened the integrity of golf’s labor market, which now includes a LIV faction that vocally argues that players are independent contractors who should be free to compete on tours as they choose."

The Greg Norman-led LIV Golf has often come under criticism that the motive of this league was to whitewash all the human rights crimes the Saudi government had done. Currently, 16 of the LIV-associated professionals are at Oak Hill for the 2023 PGA Championship.

LIV Golf became a party in the antitrust lawsuit filed by 11 golfers from the breakaway league last year. However one by one, all of them had pulled out of the lawsuit with Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Jones being the last name to remove their names last week.

DeChambeau's manager Brett Falkoff told Golfweek:

"Bryson has made the decision to remove himself from the ongoing litigation between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. Bryson wants to solely focus on competing at the highest level week in and week out. He will continue to support the growth of golf and its expansion on a global scale, contributing both on and off the course as a positive influence on the game."

PGA Tour has also countersued both the PIF and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

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When will Phil Mickelson tee off at the 2023 PGA Championship?

Phil Mickelson celebrates after 18 th hole on the final day of the 2021 PGA Championship

Phil Mickelson will tee off at 8:33 am on Thursday, May 18, on the 10th hole and is paired alongside Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester.

Mickelson has twice been successful to lift the Wanamaker trophy. His first PGA Championship win came in 2005, the second major win of his career, when he beat Thomas Bjørn and Steve Elkington by two strokes.

Mickelson's second triumph at PGA Championship came in 2021. At the age of 50 years and 11 months, he became the oldest winner in the tournament history.

The 52-year-old veteran played brilliantly in the first major of the season, The Masters. On the fourth day, he carded 65, equalling his lowest score at Augusta National.