Phil Mickelson ‘didn’t say a word’ at Masters Champions Dinner
By Matt Chivers
The highly anticipated Masters Champions Dinner turned out to be nothing from the ordinary as Scottie Scheffler was honoured as the newest member of the illustrious major-winning club.
According to Golfweek, the topic of LIV Golf wasn’t mentioned by any of the attendees on Tuesday night – and certainly not the breakaway league’s chief mouthpiece Phil Mickelson, who kept himself to himself for the majority of the evening.
“We’re just 33 past champions in a room, all trying to get along,” 1979 winner Fuzzy Zoeller said. “Nobody said a word about it. Phil sat near the end of the table and kept to himself. He didn’t speak at all.”
Tommy Aaron, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his unlikely win, added: “I wished him good luck, but I couldn’t believe how quiet he was. Phil took a very low profile. He didn’t say a word.”
Mickelson, a three-time Green Jacket holder didn’t play in the Georgia showpiece last year as he took a sustained period away from the game following his controversial comments.
Mickelson is firmly in the LIV Golf camp, and now tensions have died down and golf fans have got their heads around the rebel league, the 52-year-old has returned to public life, so to speak.
Ahead of the dinner, Mickelson said it would be a “fun night” and it was “an honour to be a part of” such a historic tradition.
1992 champion Fred Couples allegedly described Mickelson as a “nutbag” at the Hoag Classic on the Champions Tour. This could have proven to be a flashpoint at the dinner, but it wasn’t to be. “Couples spoke a lot but didn’t mention LIV at all,” Aaron added.
Ben Crenshaw, the MC for the evening, read a letter from 1954 written by the legendary Ben Hogan to Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts, the co-founders of the Masters.
He also toasted Scheffler who decided on a menu of cheeseburger sliders, firecracker shrimp, tortilla soup, Texas ribeye or blackened redfish, and a chocolate chip skillet cookie with milk and cookies ice cream for dessert.
Sir Nick Faldo later tweeted: “I’m sure you’re all wondering about the temperature in the room, it was all calm and cool. Only the tortilla soup was spicy hot!”
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
