Phil Mickelson has registered to play in subsequent month’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Open in June, and his brokers have requested a launch from the PGA Tour to permit the six-time main champion to play within the first occasion of the Saudi Arabian-financed LIV Golf Invitational Sequence in London in June.
In an announcement, Mickelson’s longtime agent, Steve Loy of Sportfive, mentioned he nonetheless hasn’t determined whether or not he’ll play in any of the occasions.
“Phil presently has no concrete plans on when and the place he’ll play,” Loy mentioned. “Any actions taken are on no account a mirrored image of a ultimate determination made, however quite to maintain all choices open.”
Monday was the deadline for gamers to ask for a conflicting occasion launch from the PGA Tour to play within the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational on June September 11.
Mickelson, 51, hasn’t performed in an official tour occasion since lacking the minimize on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines in late January. Mickelson has been embroiled in controversy since creator Alan Shipnuck launched an excerpt from his upcoming unauthorized biography of him, during which Mickelson criticized the PGA Tour and mentioned he was concerned with drawing up the working settlement for a breakaway league being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund. In it, Mickelson described the Saudis as “scary” however mentioned he was trying previous their controversial historical past of human rights violations to realize leverage with the PGA Tour.
Mickelson’s feedback drew widespread criticism, together with from fellow PGA Tour execs, main him to apologize days later.
A number of of his longtime sponsors, together with Amstel Mild, KPMG and Workday, ended their relationships with him. Callaway additionally paused its relationship with him. The American Specific event mentioned he would not function its host and it might not be related together with his basis.
Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, did not play within the event earlier this month for the primary time since 1994. Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership chairman Fred Ridley mentioned Mickelson was certified to play as a former champion, however Mickelson selected to not compete. It could have been his thirtieth begin within the Masters.
Mickelson is the defending PGA Championship winner after unexpectedly changing into the oldest main champion at 50 in Could 2021 together with his victory on the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
The PGA Championship shall be performed at Southern Hills Nation Membership in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Could 19-22. The U.S. Open shall be performed at The Nation Membership in Brookline, Massachusetts, on June 16-19.
The LIV Golf Invitational Sequence, which is being fronted by two-time Open Championship winner Greg Norman, introduced in March that it’s going to stage an eight-event sequence this yr, with seven regular-season tournaments. The sequence will conclude with a group championship match-play finale at Trump Nationwide Doral in Miami, which is owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump, on Oct. 27-30, the sequence introduced on Monday.
Complete prize cash for the eight occasions shall be $255 million, based on LIV Golf Investments, and the seven regular-season tournaments may have whole purses of $25 million, which might be the richest in skilled golf, with $20 million in particular person prizes and $5 million for the highest three groups. The highest three people after the seven regular-season occasions will even share a $30 million bonus.
The season-ending group match-play championship will present one other $50 million in prizes for 12 groups in a knockout-style occasion. The 4 gamers on the successful group will cut up $16 million, adopted by $10 million for second and $8 million for third.
“There couldn’t be a extra good location to host our largest occasion of the yr at a course with such an extended historical past with skilled golfers, and we’re excited so as to add one other piece of historical past to this famed vacation spot,” Norman mentioned in an announcement on Monday. “I’m very a lot trying ahead to October to look at these groups go head-to-head to compete for the most important prize purse in event historical past.”
Because the opening LIV occasion in London conflicts with the RBC Canadian Open in Ontario on June 9-12, PGA Tour gamers must be granted a launch from the tour to compete within the LIV event.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan informed gamers after the PGA Championship final Could that anybody who joined the Saudi-financed league can be suspended and doubtlessly face a lifetime ban from the PGA Tour.
