Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickleson don't see eye to eye (Image: (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images))
Phil Mickelson has been a vocal supporter of LIV Golf since its inception, but his playing days on the breakaway tour could be over just 18 months after it launched
Phil Mickelson’s warning to Rory McIlroy may have backfired as his future with LIV Golf hangs in the balance. Mickelson’s playing career with LIV Golf could be over just 18 months after he warned McIlroy that the breakaway series is ‘a force in the game that’s not going away’, which McIlroy wasn’t buying.
When LIV Golf first appeared as a potential rival to the PGA Tour with ‘mouth-watering finances’, Mickelson was one of the first players to leave and pledged his loyalty to the Saudi-backed league before its first event in June 2022. Since then, the six-time major winner has been a regular on the controversial circuit – but it seems his playing days might soon be over.
According to Alan Shipnuck, who wrote a biography on Mickelson, the 53 year old’s next contract with LIV Golf could see him become a non-playing captain. Each team captain was given a four-year deal by LIV commissioner Greg Norman, and players are expected to start negotiations with LIV again towards the end of 2025.
If Phil Mickelson stops playing at the end of his contract, it means he had a profitable, but short, time with LIV Golf. He has been a strong defender of the series against people like McIlroy; the Northern Irishman has been perhaps the biggest critic of LIV Golf, while Mickelson has been vocal in his criticism of the PGA Tour.
Back in October 2022, Mickelson talked about how LIV Golf is growing strong. He said: “If I’m just looking at LIV Golf and where we are today to where we were six months ago and people are saying this is dead in the water. We’re past that, and here we are today, a force in the game that’s not going away. It’s pretty remarkable how far LIV Golf has come in the last six, seven months. I don’t think anybody can disagree with that.”
Even though McIlroy didn’t like LIV Golf at first, he’s seemingly starting to change his mind after hearing about a possible merger. Jon Rahm was the latest big golfer to join LIV Golf, which is making lots of news.
Rahm surprised everyone when he joined LIV Golf, especially after they said they might join up with the PGA Tour in June. Now it looks like McIlroy is okay with LIV Golf too. Mickelson was right about LIV Golf staying around for a while, but he hasn’t been as successful as he thought he would be.
Phil Mickelson hasn’t won much in the 20 events he played with LIV Golf, even though he used to win a lot in the PGA Tour.
Phil Mickelson is just one win away from getting all the big trophies in golf, but he hasn’t won the U.S. Open yet. In February 2022, he talked about when he might stop playing. He said to Golf Digest: “If I win the US Open, I will retire.”
“That would be my last tournament. I will have achieved the career Grand Slam and I won’t have anything more to prove.”
