SI

Phil Mickelson's Exile Now Includes the PGA, Where a Year Ago He was Golf's Hero

Instead of reliving last year's glory in winning a major at age 50, Phil withdrew from the PGA without a word. The wait continues for him to emerge.

Bob Harig

Phil Mickelson's Exile Now Includes the PGA, Where a Year Ago He was Golf's Hero
Phil Mickelson's Exile Now Includes the PGA, Where a Year Ago He was Golf's Hero /

TULSA, Okla. – What was inching toward inevitability became reality. Despite signs of movement in recent weeks, Phil Mickelson withdrew from the PGA Championship, saying nothing, leaving it for the organization that runs the tournament to make the announcement.

Mickelson’s likeness will be at Southern Hills as a two-time past champion, but the man who a year ago captured a sixth major championship and became the oldest player at age 50 to win one of golf’s most revered titles, will not.

Just four players in the last 60-plus years were unable to attempt defense of a major championship title, but Mickelson is truly a different case. The PGA of America said it was his choice, and not only did he decline, Mickelson gave no update, his exile continuing.

Consider this: a year ago, Mickelson had odds that ranged from to 200- to 250-1 to win the PGA. What could you have got then to say he’d not only go on to win such an unlikely title, but he’d be embroiled in this controversy now to the level that it has kept him from playing for three months?

The reasons we got here have been well-chronicled: his harsh words about the “greed” of the PGA Tour; the shocking interview he gave to author Alan Shipnuck (Mickelson said in a statement he believed it was off the record; Shipnuck said he never agreed to any terms) in which he acknowledged working with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments to put together their plan for a rival tour.

Then the subsequent loss of sponsorships, an apology, a leave from the game.

That Mickelson skipped the Masters, where he won three times, was stunning enough. Now he’s not going to defend what might have been his greatest achievement?

“We would have welcomed him to participate,’’ the PGA of America said in a statement.

The fact it has gotten to this point remains sad, no matter the path here. Mickelson should be living off the glory of that win. He should be basking in a week-long victory lap. He should be heading into his later years with the knowledge that he capped a career with one of the game’s great victories.

Instead, he’s a pariah.

This is not to excuse Mickelson’s actions or question those who have called him out. It is a complicated, nuanced situation that has elicited all manner of opinions, all with merit.

For one, the PGA Tour has conflicts in other parts of the world. It set up a developmental tour and co-sanctions a World Golf Championship event – both on hold due to COVID-19 – in China, which has its own human rights issues. It plays two events in Mexico, where three journalists have been murdered this year.

That is not to suggest it is OK to align with another regime in Saudi Arabia that has policies that go against our norms. It simply is a way to offer perspective. There simply is more grey here than some want to admit.

But when news of rival tours and Saudi backing circulated a few years ago, the issue of the country’s human rights record was bound to surface. In 2019, the Saudi government staged its first big golf tournament, the Saudi International – then co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

The now-DP World Tour came under heavy criticism for agreeing to schedule under its banner there. The various tours go to other places that have poor human rights records, but the Saudi event came under intense scrutiny after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a United States resident, in October 2018.

The Washington Post writer had been critical of Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and the CIA concluded that the crown prince personally ordered his murder. (MBS denies ordering the murder but said he takes “full responsibility’’ for the killing itself.)

Still, the Saudi event attracted numerous top-ranked players., including winner Dustin Johnson. A year later, Mickelson was on board and he was announced in late 2019 as one of the participants who would be receiving hefty appearance fees. Mickelson felt the wrath of considerable social media backlash, and even pushed back on some of it.

In January 2020, I had a chance to ask him about the controversial nature of his participation. “I knew that was going to be the case,’’ Mickelson said of the criticism. “I weighed that in my decision. But I still want to go.’’

He did, and contended. Interestingly, when Tiger Woods was asked about the Saudi event in late 2019 – he acknowledged that he twice turned down offers to go – he said: “I understand the politics behind it. But also the game of golf can help heal a lot of that too. It can help grow it. And also a lot of top players are going to be playing there that particular week.

“It’s traditionally not a golf hotbed, the Middle East. But it has grown quite a bit. I remember going to Dubai (where he won twice) for my very first time and seeing maybe two or three buildings in the skyline. Now there is a New York City skyline. Again, golf has grown. There were only a few courses when I went to Dubai and now they’re everywhere. Same with Abu Dhabi, and maybe eventually in Saudi Arabia.’’

That is what the critics would describe as sportswashing, a way of using sports to divert from the harsh realities of what occurs in such a place.

The Saudi International is but one event, and it’s why the PGA Tour has granted releases for it over the past four years. The backing of a potential rival has brought heightened angst, a considerable amount toward Mickelson, who now has not played in more than three months.

He’s withdrawn from public life as the controversy continues. Greg Norman is trying to launch his rival entity with a series of eight tournaments this year, and Mickelson’s name remains linked to the enterprise. Nobody would be surprised to see him show up in England next month to play in the first $25 million tournament.

If not, it makes you wonder when he will show up at all.

“He will be back,’’ said Jim Nantz, CBS’s lead golf announcer, during a conference call last week. “Sometimes, we get caught up in the cyclone of the story, and we think it’s forever. It won’t be forever. He’ll be back, he’ll play, he’s got a ton of fans out there. This is a forgiving nation, and there’s a million examples of people finding their way back to being on top again, and I fully expect he will one day.’’

Remember the final-hole scene at Kiawah last year? He was engulfed by the masses trying to play the 18th hole and got caught up in the crowd, the champion being celebrated as he emerged to walk to the green. “It’s a moment I’ll always cherish,’’ he said.

Now we are simply left to wait and wonder.

Southern Hills Scouting Report

The weather won’t be near as hot as it was the last time the PGA Championship was played at Southern Hills in 2007. Tiger Woods won playing in oppressive heat that topped 100 degrees all four tournament rounds. The event was then played in August.

Now in May, temperatures will still be warm – upper 80s with the possibility for low 90s early in the week and 70s by the weekend. So far, the forecast starting Monday calls for no rain, which even with a good bit of precipitation in previous weeks should mean tournament officials ought to be able to get the layout to play firm and fast.

Last week, Jordan Spieth made a visit along with Justin Thomas, and came away impressed.

“I thought the golf course was fantastic,’’ Spieth said at the AT&T Byron Nelson. “I loved it. I think the green complexes are perfectly fitting to the holes. The greens maybe play three-quarters of the size that they actually are. There’s a lot more runoffs than I remember into Bermuda chipping areas and into runoff areas that are mowed. So you can be left with a lot of really delicate little shots.

“And then they have that hydronic system that a lot of courses have adapted now where they can cool it off and make it firmer, make the firmness whatever firmness they want. So they have the ability to essentially control exactly what almost score to par that they want, obviously weather dependent.

“But I think it’s going to be a really firm and fast PGA, and I think it’s going to be one of the higher scoring PGAs that we have seen.’’

The course’s listed yardage is 7,556 yards, with just two par 5s, both measuring more than 630 yards. But a good bit has changed since Woods won his 13th major championship. Architect Gil Hanse was part of a restoration that saw numerous trees removed. The fairways are wider and there is not expected to be as much rough.

But the runoffs around the greens will be tricky, and to Spieth’s point, if the course is firm and fast, then scoring will be on the higher side.

Brooks and Bryson

Remember when Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were golf’s biggest controversy? Things have been quiet with them this year, mostly due to inaction or lack of results. And neither player is certain for the PGA Championship.

DeChambeau has dealt with hip and hand injuries, the latter requiring surgery a little more than a month ago. His last start was a missed cut at the Masters and he had struggled in all of his previous events this year. Koepka also missed the cut at the Masters, and apparently was dealing with his own hip issue, causing him to withdraw from last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson.

Both remain in the field this week at Southern Hills. DeChambeau posted video on Saturday of him practicing, despite the short recovery time. Koepka’s status is unclear, but remember he was coming off a knee issue at the PGA last year and finished tied for second.

Perhaps when we least expect it, their rivalry can resume.

Fore! Things

1. The last two PGA Championship winners not to attempt to defend their title prior to Phil Mickelson: Tiger Woods at the 2008 PGA (he won in 2007 at Southern Hills and was out due to knee surgery); and Ben Hogan at the 1949 PGA (he won in 1948 at Norwood Hills in St. Louis, 8 & 7 when the tournament was match play, and missed due to the serious car crash he was in earlier in 1949).

2. John Daly was disqualified after the second round of the Regions Tradition tournament on the PGA Tour Champions for failing to sign his scorecard. No reason was given for Daly failing to do so, and while he had a rough final nine holes, he was tied for 16th at the time. The 1991 PGA champion is in the field this week and will be permitted use of a golf cart.

3. Despite all of the time away in 2021, Tiger Woods was the highest-paid golfer according to Sportico. He was also the 10th-highest paid athlete. He was reported to have earned $73.5 million, including just more than $65 million in endorsements. He also added $8 million by leading the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program.

4. Sebastian Munoz became the first player in PGA Tour history with multiple rounds of 60 in the same season. Munoz, who shot 60 in the opening round of the Byron Nelson – going 10 under par for his last 10 holes – also shot 60 in the opening round of the RSM Classic.

A Tough Week for Norman

Greg Norman and the LIV Golf Invitational Series probably welcome this week’s PGA Championship. It was unlikely they would make news or talk much about their new series during the week of a major championship. And now they probably feel fortunate the attention will shift elsewhere. Because Norman did himself no favors last week.

The idea was to unveil plans for the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event outside of London, give a glimpse into all the bells and whistles, hint at what might be coming with the field, announce a $2 billion commitment for when the LIV league launches in 2024 and generally move the process along.

But Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf Investments and commissioner of the forthcoming league, first had to deal with the blow of finding out that the PGA Tour (nor DP World Tour) will not grant releases to its members to play in his first event.

And then there was his choice of words concerning the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia, specifically his “learn from those mistakes’’ comments about the death of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. That led to considerable criticism.

Norman faced numerous queries on the matter at a media day Wednesday. And while he has answered questions previously about the murder and typically decried what happened, he stepped in a mess with his words this time.

“Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how can correct them going forward,’’ Norman said. It was part of a longer answer, but it didn’t matter. Those words seemed dismissive of an incredible tragedy.

Amnesty International, the world’s leading human rights organization, criticized Norman during an interview with the Guardian, calling them “wrong and seriously misguided.’’

It caused LIV Golf to have to put out fires rather than stoke excitement. Representatives eventually released a statement trying to walk back Norman’s comments.

“The killing of Jamal Khashoggi was reprehensible,’’ the statement said. “Everyone agrees about that, including Greg and he has said as such previously on many occasions. Greg also knows that golf is a force for good around the world and can help make inroads toward positive change. That is why he is so excited about LIV and that was the point he was making.’’

Last week, LIV officials said some 170 players had sought to enter the first tournament, June 9-11. How many go through with it remains to be seen. A deadline to decide was issued for the weekend, but there is not expected to be any announcement about the field until next week.

PGA Championship Countdown

The PGA Championship begins Thursday at Southern Hills Country Club and the tournament again has attracted one of the strongest fields of the year, with the goal to have all from the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking competing – although the number was down to 97 of the top 100 on Sunday due to withdrawals, including those of Phil Mickelson and Harris English, who is recovering from hip surgery.

Aside from the 20 PGA of America club professionals who qualified via the PGA Professional Championship, the tournament has a PGA Tour money list of 70 players from the time prior to last year’s PGA Championship through the Wells Fargo Championship. Although not explicitly laid out, the PGA of America fills its field by inviting those among the top 100 in the world and beyond.

Past major champions for five years as well as PGA champions for life are also invited.

Last week, the PGA of America released the field to date with 155 players qualified, pending the outcome of the AT&T Byron Nelson, where the winner would earn a spot if not already in the field. Tiger Woods won the 2007 PGA at Southern Hills for his 13th major championship. If anyone withdraws, the PGA of America keeps an alternate list that goes mostly off the world rankings.

Social Matters

 > Bryson DeChambeau gave some hope Saturday that he will return this week.

 > Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth made a visit to Southern Hills last week prior to the Byron Nelson.

> The winning Ryder Cup captain in 2018 will attempt to help the European cause again in 2023 as an assistant to Henrik Stenson.

> While LIV Golf Invitational Series continues to make news, the Premier Golf League keeps going about its business as well, now seeking input from players for its proposal to have its vision come under the umbrella of the PGA Tour.

> The Genesis Scottish Open, now a co-sanctioned event for the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, is lining up a strong field that could see a majority of the top 10 in the world entered the week prior to The Open at St Andrews. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler joined the list.

Next (Major) Up

The time until the next major championship, the U.S. Open, will go quickly once the PGA Championship is completed. The dates for the 122nd U.S. Open are June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Local qualifying has been ongoing, but two key qualification dates via the OWGR are looming.

The top 60 in the world as of next Monday (May 23) and June 13 will be exempt for the U.S. Open. Final qualifying will also start next Monday, with a 36-hole qualifier in Japan and another near Dallas. The bulk of the 36-hole qualifiers will take place on June 6.

Published
Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.

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