After playing only twenty rounds, the World #1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, has managed to grab his second green jacket at the prestigious first major of the season. As the golf realm was focused on the Augusta showdown happening on the greens, other things were taking place off the greens as well!
Phil Mickelson found himself feeling somewhat out of place! Why you may ask? Well, despite being a three-time Green Jacket winner, the 54-year-old was overlooked at the Champions dinner, a repetition of what happened in 2023 as well! One could suffice that Lefty’s defection worth $200 million is not turning out to be as fruitful as he would have wanted to be!
Phil Mickelson finds himself left out of the Masters.
The incident involving Phil Mickelson goes beyond just the Masters tournament; it actually dates back to 2022 when he decided to join Greg Norman’s LIV golf league.
This move initially surprised people, but further details about Mickelson’s contract added to the unexpected nature of the situation.
Mickelson emerged as the top golfer in the Saudi-backed league and aimed to become a leading figure, similar to how Tiger Woods is in the PGA Tour. He has since been appointed as Vice Chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises.
Lefty was a committed fan of LIV Golf, often expressing praise for the league and making provocative statements. “He continually demonstrated his backing for his fellow LIV golfers and the league. Furthermore, the 54-year-old shared his opinions on the blending of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour on numerous occasions, most recently concuring with Rory McIlroy’s comment that it was “not viable.” Mickelson’s dreams started to fall apart following a chain of events, eventually leading to his exclusion from important discussions like the merger.
Recently, Lefty discussed the PGA Tour’s conversation with Yasir al-Rumayyan at the Masters tournament held last month.
The professional golfer from LIV stated that others are managing the situation and he is not involved in it.
In contrast, when questioned about the merger, the 15-time champion expressed uncertainty about the progress but acknowledged a positive trajectory.
This differs from Lefty’s perspective, highlighting the lack of recognition for his experience and legacy on the PGA Tour in LIV Golf compared to Woods.
The statement showed that the individual was being excluded from the situation at that time.
A similar event occurred at the Champions dinner in Augusta National.
What happened at the championship dinner?
Prior to the Masters tournament, the three-time Masters Champion sat quietly in a room full of professional golfers, next to Nick Faldo. Faldo mentioned to Sky Sports that Phil was unusually quiet on Tuesday and did not say a word. He stood beside me silently, which was out of character. I am interested to find out the reason behind his silence.
Furthermore, Lefty was omitted from the roster of 14 players set to attend the three-day Masters media event.
“During the same event, Tiger Woods was given a 90-minute time slot, which caused criticism from Mickelson fans who considered it a “total embarrassment.” Phil Mickelson aims to be the main figure in LIV golf, but his hopes are fading as Woods now has a major role in the $3 billion merger.”
Do you think there will be opportunities for the Lefty in the future, or could this signify the end of Mickelson’s era?