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Phil Mickelson has not been the most beloved person in golf for a while now. His public departure from the PGA Tour resulted in a self-imposed exile, which didn't help reform his public perception. This made him public enemy number one for a while.
At this time, stories started to come forward about his interactions, and one particular story caught the eye of the golf world in a good way for once.
Tour hopeful Mark Baldwin had reached out to Mickelson asking for help with his short game. Putting was a woeful experience for him, and he wanted the guidance of someone who had been excellent at it for years.
Ultimately, Mickelson, just be kind to Baldwin, agreed to help. The two began training, and it appears to have paid off, at least according to the pair. They've also struck up a bit of a friendship as well.
Baldwin shared a clip showcasing a young golfer struggling to get his ball out of the bunker. It was pretty hilarious, and Mickelson couldn't help but crack a joke at Baldwin's expense.
The LIV Golf star joked:
"Reminds me of you 3 months ago (Not anymore though)."
It was a playful tease, one that certainly wouldn't be shared if the two didn't have a strong relationship. Baldwin is a much stronger putter now thanks to Mickelson, who is slowly, but surely redeeming himself in the public eye.
Phil Mickelson only cares about golf
Phil Mickelson has long been LIV Golf's proudest supporter. He was one of the game's biggest (and most expensive) signings, and it's paid dividends in how he's been able to influence others to come aboard.
However, this has often held him at odds with the PGA Tour. He wasn't shy about his desire to change the sport and that he had issues with how the Tour operated.
Now that things are changing, he's saying that he has always only cared about the future of the sport. He said:
"With change, there's going to be disruption. This is my life's work, I love golf and I've been playing my whole life. I dreamt as a kid about playing professional golf, so this is my passion, what I love the most. I care about where the game is going."
He believes LIV is instrumental in preserving the future of the sport and making it a better game all around. Despite all the controversy, Mickelson maintains that he's always been about fixing and improving the sport he loves so dearly.
The 53-year-old star may not be around much longer to see those changes come to fruition, but he's more worried about the next generation's game.
