Phil Mickelson’s latest LIV Golf admission suggests retirement decision is made.

Phil Mickelson hasn’t had much luck in LIV Golf since jumping ship from the PGA Tour in 2022 and the six-time major winner has dropped a fresh hint over his retirement plans.

LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson has hinted that he has already started planning for life after retiring from playing, as the 54-year-old mulls stepping aside amid poor form.

The six-time major winner has just one top-20 finish on the LIV Golf circuit this season – but made the cut at two of the four majors in 2024. Mickelson, who was the first big name to jump ship from the PGA Tour to the Saudi rebels in 2022 when he signed a reported $200 million contract, says he is ready to step aside once he feels he can no longer compete at a level acceptable to him.

“I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” Mickelson, captain of the HyFlyers team, said.

I’m in every major on the regular tour next year, and I’ll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those, and I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.

“How I do that, whether it’s internally as a player and so forth, or whether it’s strictly from the outside, I’m going to be intricately involved with the HyFlyers going forward probably the rest of my life, and then my playing career I’ll be realistic where I’m at, too.”

This isn’t the first time Mickelson has discussed retiring from playing on the LIV tour, as he stated back in March: “I’m 53 now and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful it’s toward its end. Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfilment that the game of golf has provided me.”

Mickelson is eligible to play in the Masters and PGA Championship for life, and will be able to compete at the The Open until the 2031 tournament, when he’ll be 61 years-old. However, his eligibility for the US Open will expire after next year’s tournament.

As a result, the iconic leftie knows he doesn’t have much time left at the top level of the sport. Should he decide to retire from playing, he will continue to be a part-owner of the HighFlyers team, and will likely take up a backroom position within the team or, quite possibly, with LIV.

Negotiations for a merger between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the European Tour are ongoing. Mickelson claims he has no inside knowledge of these talks or the potential scheduling arrangement after an agreement is reached.

“I am not involved in those discussions. Being 54 years old, my schedule and priorities are likely different from other players,” Mickelson stated. “Therefore, it is important to consider what is best for the players on the PGA Tour Champions and for all players in golf in general.

We should not just focus on someone who is 54 years old, as my personal desires may not be very relevant in this discussion.” Mickelson decided to depart from the PGA Tour after experiencing years of disappointment.

He stated that he gave his full effort in attempting to assist the Tour in prospering. “For over 30 years, I dedicated my efforts towards enhancing the PGA Tour brand.

I was often called upon to assist in finalizing deals with various CEOs such as Bob Diamond from Barclays, Rick Waddell from Northern Trust, and the individuals from Shell, including Marvin Odom,” he stated. I would consistently make seven to 10 attempts to finalize the deal in order to support the growth of the PGA Tour. I am no longer involved with the Tour.