Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson's comments in support of a Saudi-financed breakaway golf league have backfired in spectacular fashion, not only shutting the league down ...

“Not once in our texts or when we got on the phone did Mickelson request to go off-the-record and I never consented to it,” he told the Telegraph. “If he had asked, I would have pushed back hard, as this was obviously material I wanted for the book. “At this time we have agreed to pause our partnership and will re-evaluate our ongoing relationship at a later date.” They did not wish him the best, though I suppose they might get back together so there’s no need. Alan Shipnuck, the writer to whom Mickelson made his infamous comments, defended himself against any idea that he misquoted Mickelson or otherwise did the golfer dirty. “We wish him the best,” they said in a brief statement. This is not the end of Mickelson’s list of woes. Phil Mickelson’s comments in support of a Saudi-financed breakaway golf league have backfired in spectacular fashion, not only shutting the league down before it could even be announced but also imperiling Mickelson’s existing, lucrative golf career in the process.

Johnson, two-time major champion, will lead the U.S. in 2023 in Italy, with the goal of the first American Ryder Cup win in Europe in 30 years.

Tommy Fleetwood barely hung on to the 50th spot in the world to earn a spot at the Tour’s flagship tournament. The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill is the second “elevated’’ event in three weeks, an invitational with a $12 million purse for 120 players and no Monday qualifier. As a member of the PGA Tour he had rules to abide by and permissions to obtain. “I always wanted to understand why we were stuck in a box,’’ said Norman, the winner of 20 PGA Tour events and 88 worldwide who was ranked No. 1 in the world for 331 weeks. There are five more PGA Tour events through the Valero Texas Open that provide an opportunity to get in by winning. The Saudi-backed company has the resources to be patient. Despite recent setbacks that have seen a number of high-profile players renounce the new league and pledge allegiance to the PGA Tour, Norman apparently remains undeterred. But when Davis Love III was named to the position – he’s been Ryder Cup captain twice – it suggested that Johnson was needed for the Ryder Cup role. He was also an assistant to Tiger Woods at the 2019 Presidents Cup. And that was part of the plan all along: Groom future captains through assisting other captains. He was a worldwide star, and as it applied to securing fees for his participation at international events back in those days, only Seve Ballesteros might have been his equal. It was a blunt, brutal assessment and dominated the conversation afterward. But Phil did call out a legend in Tom Watson, who was the U.S. captain, and the repercussions are still being felt today.

Our experts discuss Phil Mickelson's long-winded apology, plus what's next for Greg Norman's proposed super league.

He’ll make the decisions a captain makes — which aren’t all that hard — and will have no problem sticking to them. But I don’t need someone to feel obligated to tell me that my yanked 2-footer was a good try or my egregiously missed green in regulation was a good swing. The Ryder Cupper and two-time vice captain will lead the U.S. in Rome in 2023. You can be sure the Saudis and LIV aren’t folding up the tent, and, as Berhow says, there’s too much money on the table for every player to look the other way. He sent a memo to players and agents saying the PGA Tour could not ban them for joining and also sent a note to commissioner Jay Monahan, saying, in short, “This is just the beginning.” If you’re Norman and LIV brass, what’s your next move? And what will ZJ bring to the team as captain that will help the Americans win on European soil for the first time since 1993? A name or two from the list of players who have signed up. In a lengthy six-paragraph message, Mickelson called his comments reckless, apologized for anything he said that was taken out of context, granted his sponsors an opportunity to pause or end a relationship with him and said he plans to take some time away from the Tour. What was your takeaway from Mickelson’s mea culpa? A legal battle might come later, and — at least according to antitrust attorneys I’ve spoken with — Norman and Co. might have a legitimate case. Zak: Part of it is that his apologies in the statement were aimed solely at the people who give him (or would presumably give him) the most money. As for the others, as they said in The Godfather, it’s just business. My point is this: regardless of how these comments got out, the second sentence of a lengthy apology was an excuse.