Phil Mickelson takes aim at PGA Tour (again): ‘LIV Golf would dominate Ryder Cup event’
By Alex Perry
Ol’ Lefty’s returned to Twitter and he’s back in his best form – including some not-so subtle digs at Tiger Woods and friends
Why am I on Twitter? A question I ask myself – as I’m sure many of you do, too – on an increasingly more regular basis.
But every single time I hover over the ‘delete account’ button, something – or someone – drags me back in, kicking and screaming.
Not for the first time, that someone is Phil Mickelson.
Lefty tends to dip in and out of the social media platform – largely depending on when he’s playing – and he’s back with a vengeance as he’s tweeted more times this week than in the previous five months combined.
In his press conference ahead of the Saudi International, Mickelson did some classic teasing – “I can’t say all the things I want to say yet” – as well as showing off his new slimline look.
But while he was more enigmatic in his interviews, when he’s punching his opinions through his thumbs there is no stopping him.
When popular fan Twitter account ‘Flushing It’ floated the idea of a LIV Golf vs PGA Tour Ryder Cup-style tournament and how it would be “the most-watched golf event in history”, former NFL star turned amateur golfer Danny Woodhead said: “Easily! And I’m here for it.”
To that, Mickelson replied: “It sounds great, but we would dominate them so soundly and it would be over so quick that TV would have to fill an hour of dead time. That’s why it’s not happening at this time.”
Then all hell broke loose.
When one tweeter replied to point out that there are only six LIV golfers in the world’s top 100, Mickelson posted two laughing emojis and said: “That’s a good one.”
He added: “That’s probably because the head of golf’s governing bodies run the OWGR and have colluded to exclude LIV players from getting points.
“I’m not a fake media believer, but if I was this would be the perfect example.”
Sigh. Who wants to tell him (again)?
When another person replied tagging in Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa with the caption, “I think these guys would have something to say about it”, Mickelson simply responded: “They do seem to talk a lot.”
He also said if the event did happen – spoiler alert: it won’t, and it would actually be a bit rubbish – he suggested Woods “could use a cart”, and when someone replied to his original point with, “Like Tiger dominated you?” Mickelson replied with a crass reference to when he beat Woods in the first iteration of The Match: “Thank him for the $9 million when you speak to him.”
It’s hard to get into Mickelson’s head when he’s like this. His posts flit between your strange uncle’s Covid-19 conspiracy theories to someone who is bored in a hotel room in a foreign country and just having a bit of a laugh.
Either way, I’m here for it, and the Twitter account stays.
Would you like to see a LIV Golf vs PGA Tour Ryder Cup-style event? Tweet us and let us know!
Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
