MIAMI — Phil Mickelson once tweeted that LIV golf was the sixth move in a long game of chess.
“You won’t believe moves 32-37,” he wrote. “That’s when it gets REALLY good.”
The 53-year-old six-time major champion was one of the leading figures in golf’s divide into two competing leagues and one of the most outspoken stars about the changes the PGA Tour needed to make.
So on Wednesday before the start of the LIV tournament at Trump National Doral, Mickelson still seemed like a man who thinks golf’s chaotic situation is part of a bigger plan.
“Right now we’re in the disruption phase,” Mickelson said, “so we’re in the middle of the process, and when it’s all said and done, everything will be a lot better.”
He clarified that he does not know how it will all play out and that he maintains his confidence in PIF President Yasir Al-Rumayyan, but he maintained the message that the sport is evolving towards a “more global game » which will open up more opportunities for players. , course manufacturers and designers.
When asked to elaborate on the “phases” and “moves” he often refers to, Mickelson responded, “So I knew the first couple of years were going to be interesting. »
“I just know that ultimately it will be a more global sport and there will be more opportunities. We already have (54) additional game opportunities for players. That’s 54 additional job opportunities that we didn’t have before, and they’re on a more global scale. We are bringing high-end, world-class professional golf to parts of the world to open up opportunities in those countries and allow young children to see it first-hand.
He compared golf to other sports like the NFL, where fans don’t necessarily still play the sport but still love it. Most golf fans play the sport, but much of Mickelson’s comments focused on “how can we get golf out to people who don’t play golf?” » He said LIV appeals to a younger audience.
“These are areas that are being quietly addressed,” he continued, “that haven’t been discussed yet, but they’re small parts that I think at the end we’ll have some ideas on. “
Unification has been the big debate in golf in recent months as the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (which funds LIV) continue negotiations. Some key figures like PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy have been outspoken, telling Golf Monthly on Tuesday: “There has to be a correction. I think what’s happening is not sustainable right now, so something has to happen to try to bring it all together so that we can all move forward so that we don’t have this division that is sort of ongoing,” McIlroy said.
Not all PGA Tour players feel the same way, with PGA Tour board member Jordan Spieth saying, “I think the short answer is we don’t have to, and the long answer is is that the positive is that there is a unification. » Spieth added that tour members are quite divided on this topic. LIV golfers interviewed about it this week in Miami were more consistent about their desire to unify the sport. Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm has said since joining LIV in December that he hopes to be able to compete in tour events like the Players Championship again.
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