Irish Examiner view: Legacy left in the bunker

Phil Mickelson has left himself exposed to accusations of greed with his comments about Saudi-backed golf tour  

Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship golf tournament Saturday, November 2021, in Phoenix. Picture: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Whatever legacy six-time major winner Phil Mickelson once thought he might leave behind in golf has been left in tatters by an ugly, ill-considered decision by the Californian to join forces with a Saudi-backed alternative to the existing PGA and DP World Tour organisations.

Citing the ‘obnoxious greed’ of the PGA for his decision to back this proposed multi-gazillion Saudi venture, Mickelson has done little but leave himself exposed to accusations of naked money-grabbing on his own behalf.

Astonishingly, given his advocacy of the Greg Norman-led venture, Mickelson recently appeared not only to bite the hand that has fed him so generously heretofore — he has thus far made an estimated $800m from career earnings and endorsements — he then had a crack off the Saudis as well.

By describing the moneyed backers of the scheme as “scary motherf***ers” who “killed Jamal Khashoggi”, have a “horrible record” of human rights and “execute people for being gay”, Mickelson has now also left his teeth marks on the hand that was offering to further line his bulging pockets.

And with the emergence of details that legal advisors for Mickelson and other, as yet unnamed, players paid lawyers to draft the breakaway tour’s operating agreement, he may have slammed one door behind him without being able to open the one in front of him.

Lifetime ban

Even despite his outspoken support for the new tour, that single revelation may yet lead to him finding himself on the wrong side of whatever red line is drawn by PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan marking the point at which involvement with the Super Golf League — as the Saudi venture is called — would earn members a lifetime ban.

Most of his fellow pros have already expressed their lack of interest in any involvement with a breakaway tour and castigated the 50-year-old for his apparent venality, and most of them have reiterated their support for the PGA Tour.

Realisation is dawning on the crown prince’s factotums that their biggest cheerleader is at best ambivalent about the Super League’s success and, at worst, only using them for leverage over the PGA. 

It is also hitting home that the only players willing to sell their conscience and play in their league are crusty veterans, not the game’s current elite.

Mickelson has alienated himself from his peers and — just a year after becoming the oldest player on tour to win a major and all the glory that came with that achievement — his legacy is tarnished by mercenary greed.