Phil Mickelson would be the defending champion at the PGA Championship but the embattled 51-year-old won’t be teeing it up anymore at Southern Hills.
Just under a year ago, Phil Mickelson was defying the odds. The then-50-year-old reeled off a performance for the ages at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island to capture the major championship crown for the second time in his career and give him six majors to his credit. It was a storybook moment.
But after the final page of that story, things have taken a turn that would’ve been near impossible to see coming.
Mickelson has been completely out of the public eye for months after comments he made regarding the upcoming and controversial Saudi golf league, now officially known as LIV Golf, and the atrocities committed by the Saudi government, which has provided substantial financial backing for the league.
With the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills upcoming, however, Mickelson was listed in the field and seemed primed to resurface. At least, that was the case until Friday afternoon when the PGA of America announced in a statement that, while the defending champion would’ve been welcome, he has withdrawn from the event and won’t defend his title.
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 13, 2022
Phil Mickelson withdraws from PGA Championship: Golf Twitter reactions
Particularly with the recent notes that he was included in the field list at Southern Hills (alongside Tiger Woods), golf Twitter was both shocked by the news and many were also saddened that the situation that led to the six-time major champion and defending PGA Champion withdrawing has gone this far.
Adios, Phil. Probably afraid he might get booed for once. https://t.co/pFUzX63n55
— Brian Stultz (@brianjstultz) May 13, 2022
Bummed but also relieved in a weird way with the Phil announcement.
— Jeremie Poplin (@jeremiepoplin) May 13, 2022
It is amazing to think that we have now reached a point where the events of the last four months surrounding Phil Mickelson are more surprising than the four days he strung together at Kiawah.
— Will Gray (@WillGrayGolfbet) May 13, 2022
Phil returning to golf (and the media) in the friendly confines of the first LIV event instead of the circus that would be the PGA presser does make sense.
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) May 13, 2022
But holy shit is that sad.
https://twitter.com/Cam_Jourdan/status/1525226189866024960
I still can’t believe it got to this point for Phil. https://t.co/T0JBpfevMZ
— Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) May 13, 2022
Interesting. Figured Phil would return for this one. https://t.co/5UGmtvKLQP
— Bennett Conlin (@BennettConlin) May 13, 2022
Was waiting to see if Mickelson would defend his title, alas he will not.
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) May 13, 2022
Phil out next week at Southern Hills. https://t.co/FOiWxqjLhJ
Regarding Phil, attention now turns to the first LIV event. It starts June 9. If he has received money upfront, as has been reported, it’d be a logical reentry point.
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) May 13, 2022
Wow. Phil Mickelson withdraws from the PGA Championship https://t.co/OKMRWzAZoC
— Brendan Robertson (@BrendanWJBF) May 13, 2022
We don’t have any information other than what is presented to us: Phil Mickelson won’t play next week in the second major of the year.
However, it’s difficult to not speculate that this decision is largely in line with Lefty’s decision to stay away from golf over the past few months since his explosive comments regarding LIV Golf and the Saudi financial backing of that start-up league. This would’ve been a media firestorm at the PGA Championship with him both as the defending champ and being in the public eye really for the first time since the controversy.
So when will we see Mickelson next? In all honesty, it likely won’t be until the first LIV Golf event the week of June 9. With the protection the new tour will likely provide him in that setting, it seems almost too easy to expect that to be the next time he pops up.
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