Around this time last year, Phil Mickelson was still a fan favorite on the PGA Tour, basking in the afterglow of his historic 2021 PGA Championship win.
He then called out the PGA Tour for its “obnoxious greed” and called the people behind LIV Golf “scary (expletive) to join” before leaving the tour for the Saudi-backed league led by Greg Norman.
A lot happens in a year.
Mickelson, 52, was recently interviewed for a Q&A with Sports Illustrated and touched on everything from changes he’s made during the offseason to his belief that he can “duplicate Kiawah” and win a few more majors.
“I just put last year out of my mind and quit. A lot of things have happened, and I’m focused on today and the start of the year,” said Mickelson, who will perform at the PIF Saudi International in the Kingdom later this week. “I’ll be in every major for the next three years and I think I have a chance to win one or two more and create these achievements that haven’t been done at this stage.”
While the majors are still ahead for Mickelson, the southpaw said he is “peaceful” with never playing in a PGA Tour event or being part of the Ryder Cup again.
“I was thrilled to be part of the Ryder Cup 12 times as a player and once as vice-captain. I’ve had more great experiences than anyone else,” Mickelson said. “If I am not part of it, I am also at peace with that. And I am proud of the part I played in it. And its role in creating change and integrating player input and involvement. Have more continuity from year to year. I like seeing us play our best golf in the Ryder Cup, even if I’m never part of it again.”
Earlier this year, Jon Rahm joked that the Masters Champions Dinner could have some tension with the mix of LIV and PGA Tour players. Mickelson doesn’t foresee any discomfort, at least not with him. He even said that players have thanked him for the role he played in helping LIV get off the ground, which led to changes on the PGA Tour.
“I have had a number of guys thank me profusely. I have the same closeness to the players I’ve played with around here as I have in the past. The relationships that will be affected were not really close and were more acquaintances. Their views will be changed by public perception or whatever. The friends are still close,” Mickelson explained. “And I’m thankful for the number of players who thanked me for however big or small it was to make some of these changes that happened (on the PGA Tour). It’s quite a bunch of guys; I don’t want to name boys and who they are. But it has been a good learning experience.”
Mickelson has previously been open about using LIV as leverage to force the Tour to adapt, and he sees LIV’s new TV deal with the CW in the same light.
“I think it’s beneficial. It is very difficult to be in a relationship with a network that is committed to other sports and priorities,” Mickelson said of the network. “CW has a chance to beat all 14 of our events, putting us in first place. They have a younger demographic, which is what we want. They wanted to play sports and now they have a shot at live golf. It’s a two-year deal. The first deal will not be a blockbuster. It’s short enough to prove ourselves and then get a much stronger and more lucrative deal. If it was a longer deal, maybe it would be better for them to invest in our product. But when we get to two years, we’re ready for a bigger deal.
With a TV deal secured, the next step for LIV is to collect Official World Golf Ranking points for its events. The six-time major champ speculated that a new ranking system would be created to include all golfers, going so far as to say that the OWGR has “lost all credibility”.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if tournaments stopped using it as a qualifying criterion. I think in the end it hurts the tournaments more than it hurts the players,” said Mickelson. the tournament more. That’s why you might see tournaments get rid of it as qualifying criteria. Or have a new ranking system.”
Always the optimist, Mickelson expects us to look back on the controversial past year in five to ten years as a minor bump in the road.
“It’s a short-term disruption to long-term gains,” said Mickelson. “That’s all.”
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek
