Phil Mickelson's tee time for PGA Championship 2023 Day 1 explored

Phil Mickelson is set to tee off later today as round one of the PGA Championship is poised to get underway. Several golfers have taken their first swings, but Mickelson won't until almost 2:00 PM EST.

At Oak Hill Country Club at 1:58, the group involving Lefty will tee off on tee number one. Joining him will be Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler.

All eyes will be on Mickelson this weekend. The former PGA Tour star left the tour and joined LIV Golf, but is still participating in most of the majors through various qualification methods. For the Masters and the PGA Championship, he's a past champion, meaning he has a lifetime invitation.

He did so well at the Masters, proving everyone wrong and finishing T2. His placement, along with fellow T2 and LIV star Brooks Koepka's, helped prove the legitimacy of LIV, but everyone will want to watch him this time around for a couple of reasons.

First, it will be interesting to see whether or not he can recapture the magic he displayed at the Masters. It's no secret that he is past his prime, but he turned back the clock then. Can he do it again?

Secondly, he and all LIV golfers will have the spotlight on them.

Whenever LIV and PGA mix, there's always heightened tension, and many will be wondering if the Masters was a fluke and if LIV stars will fade away like some expect them to.

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Trevor Immelman discusses Phil Mickelson's major coverage

Was Phil Mickelson covered unfairly at the Masters?

Television commentator Trevor Immelman heard about the controversy over Phil Mickelson's coverage at the Masters. Many fans and spectators believe he was unfairly cast off by the broadcast.

Immelman disputed that (via Sports Illustrated):

"I don’t believe that was accurate. Phil Mickelson was shown for a number of shots, a lot of shots, starting from the 6th hole in the final round and pretty much every shot that he hit from the 12th onwards was shown. So my interpretation was that we did a great job covering the Masters and all the storylines during that final round."

He continued, discussing the coverage of LIV members at large:

"As far as LIV golfers, we’re not in the business of deciding who to cover. We are partners with Augusta National at the Masters and with the PGA of America at the PGA Championship to cover these great events and every single player that has qualified. Our focus is telling the story of the golf course, telling the history of the course, and then all of the players—all of them."

It will be very interesting to see whether or not the CBS coverage of Mickelson (and other LIV golfers) remains questionable or if they'll push them into the limelight a little bit.