Phil seeks PGA release to play in a Saudi-backed tournament

After all what Phil has said and gone through this year, I am starting to believe he needs money, https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mickelson-seeks-pga-release-saudi-224140792.html

The Saudi tour nonsense is disappointing. I love watching Phil Mickelson golf. From a sports fan perspective/aside from my own life, nothing matches the enjoyment I get from watching him play well/win. This is an awful, awful way to end his career. Winning on that tour against mediocre (at best) competition doesn't add anything to his legacy - it's sad. It's his life and his career; he can obviously do whatever he wants. IMO, as a fan of his, it's a disappointing final chapter.

I just noticed the Saudi-backed tournament in London is on the weekend before the U.S. Open. If Phil was serious about winning the U.S. Open, why would he play that tournament in London?

I hope this is not true, https://news.yahoo.com/tour-chiefs-fear-phil-mickelson-200453192.html

I am opening PHIL is back!

Who knows where the truth lies. Only time will tell. I love watching golf with him playing on the PGA Tour, so I'm hoping that will be the case. If it were a done deal, why would he ask permission to play? None of it makes much sense, other than the fact that his representative said that no final decision had been made positively to play anywhere.
Saddens me if that's his decision, but it's his to make. It's his legacy, and his life.
I was not happy about Davis Love's comments about the future Ryder Cup openings. He seemed smug to me. His comment about Tiger being able to have any position he wants put the icing on the cake. Nobody has dug darker and deeper holes than Tiger, yet it's all pie for him. Doesn't make lots of sense. Not a lot makes sense to me these days. Lots of hypocrisy out there.

gophil36 wrote:Who knows where the truth lies.  Only time will tell. I love watching golf with him playing on the PGA Tour, so I'm hoping that will be the case.  If it were a done deal, why would he ask permission to play?  None of it makes much sense, other than the fact that his representative said that no final decision had been made positively to play anywhere.
Saddens me if that's his decision, but it's his to make.  It's his legacy, and his life.  
I was not happy about Davis Love's comments about the future Ryder Cup openings.  He seemed smug to me. His comment about Tiger being able to have any position he wants put the icing on the cake.  Nobody has dug darker and deeper holes than Tiger, yet it's all pie for him.  Doesn't make lots of sense.  Not a lot makes sense to me these days.  Lots of hypocrisy out there.

Tiger had to deal with it as well - he lost a ton of sponsor dough and was the focal point of negative media attention. Hell, Billy Payne went at him during his opening presser at the 2010 Masters.

The difference between Tiger and Phil is Tiger's problems were off the course while Phil has animosity towards the PGA. Phil just needed to keep his mouth quiet.

This is a really grubby affair and Phil's reputation is getting needlessly trashed. I have a few random thoughts.

1. The tour does not own Phil or anyone else. Their stance of immediate bans for anyone who participates seems unreasonable. I suspect if this ends up going to court, the tour will lose.
2. Golf has given a lot to Phil but he has also given a lot back to the game and the pga tour.
3. Phil most likely has a point regarding the pga tour, its status as a not for profit and how much money its holding. I suspect purses will be going up on the tour now.
4. There's a fair bit of hypocrisy involved with people criticizing Phil as greedy for wanting the "foreign blood money", conveniently ignoring that other tournaments are played out there all the time and no one has a problem with it so long as the pga tour is on board. You can't have it both ways.
5. Phil is (sadly) now in his early 50's, realistically his chances of further success at the very highest level are limited. Threatening him and the other older folks who have been linked to the tour (Westwood, Stenson etc) seems ridiculous. These guys are potentially getting large pay days to play in this thing and they don't compete all the effectively on the main tour anymore anyway. Why is the tour trying to stop uncompetitive players from getting a payday? It just seems dumb. I know it's of course wrapped up in just not wanting this rebel tour to get off the ground or take the best current players, but still, that seems stupid to me.
6. Phil's comments to Shipnuck (where is the puking smiley for that hack when I need it) were dumb, even if said off the record, they were disastrous to him and his reputation.

Where do we go from here?

I presume Phil is/was suspended and has been doing a lot of planning on his future in the last while. Maybe by asking for this exemption he can bring the whole thing to a head and get a resolution and then everyone can move forward.

If we are getting towards the end of Phil as a significant golfer (let's hope we are not), this is a very sad and ugly way to sign off

P.S. I really hope that the rumours that Phil needs the money are wrong. That would be very sad indeed if he's somehow blown that much cash.

I hope PHIL plays the next three majors

I have read that he was given 30 million to play in all of the Saudi Events. It doesn't make sense that he'd do that for that amount of money. It will be interesting to see where he plays when he plays. I like and agree with Blade's random thoughts.

Sergio today said he is happy he only has to play the PGA Tour for 2 more weeks

dortt wrote:Sergio today said he is happy he only has to play the PGA Tour for 2 more weeks

I don't know about you, but when thinking of sound judgement, Sergio Garcia certainly doesn't come to mind immediately as a foremost example.

seeing a twitter rumor that up to 80 players have applied for releases

If so, money talks. Monahan walks

Backed up by this article

https://frontofficesports.com/80-pga-tour-pros-have-requested-releases-to-play-in-liv-golf-invitational/

What is weird is CBS has been promoting the PGA Championship and not one mention of Phil. Is Phil definitely playing in it? If not, we can guess he has been suspended.

CoJack wrote:What is weird is CBS has been promoting the PGA Championship and not one mention of Phil. Is Phil definitely playing in it? If not, we can guess he has been suspended.

PGA of America doesn't seem like they would honor a PGA Tour suspension over this

PGA denies releases, https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/33893686/source-pga-tour-denies-releases-players-looking-compete-inaugural-liv-event-london-next-month

I'll be surprised if Monahan is commish by the US Open. Too many players will defect, leaving the PGA Tour equivalent to the Korn Ferry Tour

dortt wrote:I'll be surprised if Monahan is commish by the US Open. Too many players will defect, leaving the PGA Tour equivalent to the Korn Ferry Tour

This is certainly a take. Monahan's job status notwithstanding, I can't see the Saudi tour impacting the competitive balance in any significant way. Golfers outside the top 50/100 leaving the PGA Tour won't water down the product substantially.

I think it's ridiculous to ask players to request an exemption and then say we're not giving any. Changing the rules in the middle of the game, in a way. Jerking them around.
It will just bring it all to a head early on. I don't think they got it right, but time will tell. Hope to see Phil at the PGA. I liked what Justin Thomas had to say about Phil and his impact on the game.

The top players will not defect to play in the Saudi tour, so it won't have a big impact regarding the PGA tour. If Phil does defect, I wonder if he will ever be allowed to play on the PGA tour, as well as the Senior tour?

Nantz-Goebbles already getting talking points for the PGA telecast

https://nypost.com/2022/05/11/jim-nantz-on-phil-mickelson-controversy-wont-be-forever/

Earlier in the call, Nantz was asked what advice he would give Mickelson. “I’m going to keep that private,” the broadcaster answered. “I’ve actually communicated with him and I don’t feel like that’s something I’m sharing with everyone else, so I’ll leave it at that.”

If Phil contends, the hype machine will be running triple time that of Kiawah

withdrew from PGA

I suspect we see him back at the US Open. This seems like an all in on his part

twitter rumor is Phil was shooing mid to upper 70s on munis.

That is why he withdrew