Mickelson continues to pay a heavy price for chasing Saudi payday

Having withdrawn from the US PGA Championship, the reigning champion seems painfully aware of his pariah status

Not the flavour of the month: Phil Mickelson will not defend his US PGA title in Southern Hills. 

In his newly published and excellent book Tiger and Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry, Bob Harig describes the scene in the scoring tent at the conclusion of the 2002 US PGA Championship. That Rich Beem makes no worse than a bogey at the 72nd hole ensures a surprise one-stoke victory over Tiger Woods. Fred Funk looks on, bemused, as Woods bellows: “Yes.” Prompted to clarify his obscure move, Woods says: “That’s Rich Beem one, Phil Mickelson zero.” Lefty remained without a major title. The scale of antipathy between Mickelson and Woods was illustrated by the latter’s strange display of emotion.

The intervening years have seen relations soften between the most high-profile player and the individual who for so long was in his shadow. Yet Woods and Mickelson now sit on the opposite sides of the ongoing battle for hearts and minds. Woods, who has created much of his legacy via the PGA Tour, sits in firm endorsement of existing ecosystem. Mickelson remains far too embroiled in all matters Saudi Arabia. Tiger v Phil, just like old times, but on a basis nobody could have anticipated.