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US golfer Phil Mickelson is one of the biggest names in golf with 45 PGA Tour wins and six major championship titles to his name. In 2021, he became the oldest player to win the PGA Championship at 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days of age.
However, in 2022, he defected from the PGA Tour to join the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour. His departure from the traditional tournament came only months after biographer Alan Shipnuck published his criticism of the PGA Tour.
Lefty was the biggest player to join LIV Golf. Hence, he was naturally the highest-paid out of the talented names that chose to leave the PGA Tour. Reportedly, Phil Mickelson was paid $200 million to make his debut in the Saudi-backed league.
Golf Channel's Brentley Romine revealed that Mickelson was reportedly paid almost half of the total amount upfront for his participation. This price excludes the $25 million cash prize that one can win.
Although the PGA Tour has suspended all the players who joined LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson, the suspension hasn't made much difference to the golfer's income. With the exbortitant cheque he has received from LIV Golf, he is the highest-paid golfer of the year.
Interestingly, seven of the ten highest-paid golfers of the year have been signed to LIV Golf. Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy, and Justin Spieth are the only PGA Tour players to make the cut.
Lefty's contract length with LIV Golf is at least three years.
By switching to LIV Golf, Mickelson has joined the list of some prolific golfers with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Na, Brooks Koepka, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed, amongst others.
What did Phil Mickelson have to say about LIV Golf?
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf has introduced an experimental and new format and was established as a rival to the PGA Tour. It also has a whopping prize pool for the winners.
However, Phil Mickelson has cited two different reasons for the switch.
"The reason why I’m so high on LIV Golf is it addresses the two areas that for the 30 years I’ve played the Tour, they have tried and struggled. I think that’s a really big thing as we try to grow the game of golf throughout the world…globally I think that’s going to be a big impact."
Another reason that Mickelson gave was that LIV Golf was targeting a younger audience with its new formats and schedules. According to him, the new shotgun format has given viewers a "four-and-a-half-hour window" between games as opposed to the PGA Tour, where one has to watch the event all day long. He added that without commercials, viewers will be able to enjoy an entertaining game break-free.
Apart from being criticized by golf purists for moving away from traditional golf, the LIV Golf series has been on the receiving end of intense media and public backlash for human rights violations by Saudi Arabia.
The league is financially backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. His involvement in various cases, including the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamad Khashoggi, is one of the main reasons for the outcry. The league has also been considered Saudi Arabia's attempt to cleanse its global image.
Phil Mickelson had previously defended LIV Golf but questioned Saudi Arabia's human rights record. He was criticized for choosing a golf opportunity over human rights. He later apologized for any offense caused and claimed the statements were taken "out of context".
During the press conference of the Invitational series, several reporters constantly broached the topic of Khashoggi's assassination by the Saudi government in 2018 and the idea that the players were sportswashing the Saudi government's image. When asked about the same, Phil Mickelson said:
"There are a lot of things that I regret and I am sorry for the hurt that it's caused a lot of people. I don't condone human rights violations at all. Nobody here does ... throughout the world. And I'm certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi and I think it's terrible."
When asked about being seen as a "tool of sportswashing", he answered:
"I said earlier, I don't condone human rights violations...I don't know how else I can be any more clear. Again, I love this game of golf, I've seen the good that it's done and I see the opportunity for LIV Golf to do a lot of good for the world and I'm excited to be a part of this opportunity."
Phil Mickelson was later asked if the "good of the game" could "make up" for Khashoggi's assassination. He said:
"Nobody here condones human rights violations and nobody's trying to make up for anything."
Prominent players like Tiger Woods, Rory Mcllroy, and Justin Spieth, among others, have remained loyal to the PGA Tour. Woods reportedly turned down a paycheck of $1 billion to join LIV Golf.
