‘I’m on the winning side’

Golf’s tour wars are nonetheless raging, however LIV Golf commit Phil Mickelson believes a winner has already been determined — and he’s on the triumphant aspect.

In a full of life press convention on Thursday at LIV Golf’s occasion in Saudi Arabia, Phil Mickelson defended his new house tour’s house turf with a protracted victory lap from the lectern.

“I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf,” Mickelson mentioned. “I love the way they involve us and listen to us in decisions. I mean it’s so inclusive, it’s so fluid that things, LIV Golf is leading. Whether it’s shorts, whether it’s other aspects of professional golf that are going to change and evolve, those positions will be led by LIV.”

Mickelson’s feedback come as the Saudi-backed upstart league closes in on the house stretch of the nine-event LIV Invitational Series, a sort-of beta take a look at for the forthcoming full-time league, which is anticipated to start in earnest in 2023. This week’s occasion in Jeddah is the ultimate pure stroke-play occasion of the season, with a ultimate “team championship” scheduled for Miami in the ultimate week of October.

Mickelson himself has struggled on the course in his first season with LIV, posting solely a single top-10 end in seven begins in the 48-man, no-cut competitions. But private accolades have little to do with long-term success, Mickelson mentioned, significantly not given the present tide as he sees it in skilled golf.

“I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards,” he mentioned. “I love the side that I’m on. And I love how I feel. I love how I’m reinvigorated and excited to play golf and compete. I love the experience. I love the way they treat us.”

That’s an entire lotta love for Phil, who, it will probably’t be questioned, has had no drawback voicing his displeasure along with his former employer. Back in January, it was Mickelson who first ignited the feud between upstart and institution when he accused the PGA Tour of exploiting gamers by shielding billions of {dollars} in digital belongings from them, amongst different perceived offenses.

Mickelson has since been suspended indefinitely by the PGA Tour, the place he as soon as held a lifetime membership.

“There were a lot of opportunities that were left open for somebody to come in and do this,” Mickelson mentioned. “I think that, as I said earlier, for a long, long time, my 30 years on the PGA Tour, pretty much all the best players played on the PGA Tour, at least for the last 20 years. That will never be the case again. I think going forward you have to pick a side. You have to pick what side do you think is going to be successful.”

Earlier this summer season, Mickelson joined a bunch of LIV Golf gamers suing the PGA Tour to take care of their membership. He has since dropped the swimsuit, and has in latest weeks expressed assist for the two sides to hitch collectively to work out a path ahead. But if Thursday’s press convention is any indication, it’s clear which aspect Mickelson thinks holds the chips.

“We play against a lot of the best players in the world on LIV and there are a lot of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour,” he mentioned. “Until both sides sit down and have a conversation and work something out, both sides are going to continue to change and evolve.”

James Colgan

Golf.com Editor

James Colgan is an assistant editor at GOLF, contributing tales for the web site and journal. He writes the Hot Mic, GOLF’s weekly media column, and makes use of his broadcast expertise throughout the model’s social media and video platforms. A 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, James — and evidently, his golf sport — remains to be defrosting from 4 years in the snow. Prior to becoming a member of GOLF, James was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, the place he’s from. He will be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.