Is Phil Mickelson playing the 2022 PGA Championship?
Fans have been hoping that Phil Mickelson would end his golf exile after those Saudi league controversial comments in time to defend his PGA Championship title this year. Surely the PGA major would be the perfect stage for his comeback?
If you had told us that one year after Phil Mickelson became the oldest golfer to win a major at age 50, with his astounding win at Kiawah Island for his second PGA Championship, he would be mired in controversy so career-damaging that many would wonder if heāll ever return to the game, Iwe would have told you to āshut up.ā
After watching him march up to the 18th hole on the Ocean Course among throngs of adoring fans cheering him on, and even more sports fans looking up his fasting secrets and googling his special brand of coffee afterward, it seemed as if āLeftyā was laying down the foundation for the perfect final act in a superbly celebrated career.
But instead of defending his Wanamaker Trophy, here we are.
This weekendās PGA tournament will be the second major Mickelsonās skipped this year after his divisive comments about Saudi Arabians, coming on the heels of his fight with the PGA over the LIV golf league. The six-time major -winner described his rationale for joining the Saudis in the development of their new league as one where he discussed some of the human rights incidents he had a problem with, but that his rift with the PGA was so bad, that he needed to deal with the Saudis in order to leverage some power over the PGA. The entire exchange with journalist Alan Shipnuckāwho leaked the comments from a book heās writing on the golfing legendācame across as evidence of the calculating manipulator that some claim Mickelson really is, while simultaneously angering both sides of the golfing war.
Othersāand plenty of his fansāfeel that Philās been made into a scapegoat for the cancel culture and the PGAās wrath for disloyalty.
Itās probably a bit of both.
Phil Mickelsonās certainly faced controversy beforeāsuch as his gambling debts, the money laundering incident in 2015, and his complaints about PGA tour policy and rules, including wanting to exit the PGA due to their āobnoxious greed.ā But throughout it all, Mickelsonās fans have defended their guy as the Teflon king has managed to shrug these irritations off.
But the LIV golf league-Saudi comments have stuck. The damage has been so draining that his seemingly infallible endorsement foundation has crumbled underneath him, losing Amstel Light, Workday and KPMG in swift succession, with Callaway hitting the pause button on their lifetime contract with the 51-year-old.
āSome of his views on how the Tour could be run, should be run, [thereās] been a lot of disagreement there,ā Tiger Woods said, via the New York Post. āButā¦as a professional, we miss him being out here. I mean, heās a big draw for the game of golf. Heās just taking his time and we all wish him the best when he comes back. Obviously, weāre going to have differences of opinions, how he sees the Tour, and weāll go from there.ā
Itās a shocking twist of fate for the only other five-plus major-winner on tour not named Tiger Woods. Surely, after being a hero in the game for decades and maintaining a mostly-sterling reputation, Phil Mickelsonās legacy cannot end on this note?
āWeāre in a cancel culture right now,ā said Webb Simpson, who is good friends with Mickelson, according to ESPN. āIf you say one thing, or somebody digs up something in your past, they cancel you. There have been many situations out here, and in sports, where a player might have done something wrong, sure we can all agree, but I would rather be in an environment where itās a forgiveness culture, not a cancel culture.ā
The reigning PGA champion has been on hiatus since February when he issued a statement of apology about his offensive comments, but also a desire to take a break from golf to reassess. And it doesnāt look like things will become any easier for the famous golfer, with another unflattering book coming out on him, by gambler Billy Walters and co-written by Armen Keteyian.
āI hope he does come back, and Iām ready for him to come back,ā said Harris English, who, as the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, worked with Mickelson, who served as vice-captain. āGolf needs him back. I hope heās very gracious in his return. Iām sure heās missed it as well. Heās one of the most competitive guys and loves playing golf tournaments and loves trying to win golf tournaments.ā
Phil Mickelsonās certainly earned plenty of detractors since the PGA falloutāincluding Rory McIlroyābut he still retains plenty of fans and supportive peers within the game, such as Web Simpson and Charlie Hoffman.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1526580645262241793
āObviously, there were some things he said that people didnāt like,ā said fellow golfer and Mickelson friend, Hoffman. āIt is what it is. You canāt take that back. Heās a leader in this game, and unfortunately, he stuck his neck out and it got chopped off. Hopefully, he learned from it, and everybody respects him and cheers him on.ā
Surely this isnāt the end of Phil Mickelsonās storied legacy? Thereās no question it will remain tarnished, but will this be how his career ends? Thereās no doubt that his absence is heavily felt in the game.
Only Lefty can determine his final act. It would be depressing to end on this note. The golfing world is waiting to see how Mickelson will choose to define his swan song.
In the meantime, the PGA Championship starts on Thursday, May 19.