Phil Mickelson took aim at PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan for his mishandling of LIV Golf before agreeing to merge with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Phil Mickelson has been openly critical of the PGA Tour for a while, causing many players to join LIV Golf. He recently criticized tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
When LIV Golf launched, many PGA Tour stars – led by Mickelson – agreed to lucrative deals to join the Saudi-backed setup and have gone on to compete for blockbuster purses while playing a reduced schedule. As soon as the breakaway series arrived to unsettle the professional golf landscape, the players who switched to LIV Golf received a tsunami of criticism.
Several respected members of the PGA Tour criticized those who switched to LIV Golf as lacking moral integrity, however, Monahan faced significant backlash for his decision.
Mickelson and other players accused Monahan of being hypocritical in his handling of the merger, prompting Jon Rahm, the current Masters champion, to join LIV Golf.
In June, there was a surprising agreement between PIF and the PGA Tour to merge in an effort to bridge the gap in golf.
PIF has faced strong opposition for its involvement in sports due to concerns about human rights abuses, but the merger was a surprising move that disappointed many players.
The merger has put the ongoing legal dispute between the tours on hold while they work on operating as one entity.
A new company, which will include the PGA Tour and LIV’s commercial operations and rights, as well as the DP World Tour, is in the process of being formed through a signed agreement.
The merger has not been completed yet.
News of the merger sent shockwaves around the sport in the summer – and Mickelson, who is an outspoken figure against the PGA Tour – certainly made his feelings towards Monahan clear as he reposted a scathing post by Flushing It on X.
The post read: “The latest issue of Australian Golf Digest is a fantastic read. The Premier of South Australia absolutely nails the moral argument about LIV Golf.”
The article in that magazine describes Monahan’s initial “moral high ground” stance as a “temporary self-serving position”. Flushing It added: “As we move nine months on from the original ‘framework argument’, it’s really important to remember what an abhorrent PR campaign Ponte Vedra used to try and discredit LIV and anyone who supported it’s arrival.
“There was never a concern over the source of the money, this fight was always purely about maintaining a monopoly and trying to prevent the power shift at the top of the sport from moving east. Hopefully everyone can see that clearly now.”
Former PGA Tour veteran Chris DiMarco recently became the latest pro to criticise commissioner Monahan’s handling of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf divide. The commissioner’s change in stance did not go down with a number of players, including DiMarco.
“Not to bash Jay Monahan, but I think he handled it terribly,” DiMarco told the Subpar Podcast. “In the beginning have the cut and dry [stance] that he did, I think it was a little too much.
“I believe he should have taken some time to reflect on the situation and see how things would unfold, instead of rushing to make a final decision. He could have handled the situation better, considering the loyalty shown by the players like Rory McIlroy who turned down lucrative offers. It must be frustrating for them to see others benefiting while they have nothing to show for their sacrifices.”