Phil Mickelson has been handed an olive branch by Wyndham Clark in his potential return to the PGA Tour as part of the ‘merger’ with the LIV Golf League, but remains unlikely to take it up
Phil Mickelson seems to be showing no signs of a PGA Tour comeback even though he received a warm gesture from major champion Wyndham Clark.
Mickelson was at the forefront of high-profile departures to the rival league in 2022, severing connections with the PGA Tour after over 30 years in the American professional golfing scene. However, a potential return became evident last June when the PGA Tour and LIV supporters, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, announced that they were working towards an agreement.
Despite more than 16 months since the initial announcement, negotiations are still ongoing and no deal has been struck. Yet, if an agreement is reached, the sanctions against Mickelson and his peers are expected to be retracted.
Clark, who chose to stay with the Tour despite a lucrative offer from LIV, shared his thoughts on the prospect of certain LIV players returning to the PGA Tour during the No Laying Up Podcast. He expressed that while not all LIV golfers should have this pathway back, for some, like Mickelson, it’s merited.
Mickelson was at the forefront of high-profile departures to the rival league in 2022 (Image: (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images))
“I think it depends on who it is,” he said about the possible reinstatement of Saudi-league players, reports the Mirror. “I think guys that have had the career where they should be lifelong PGA Tour players, I think they deserve the right to come play the PGA Tour.
“If Dustin Johnson wants to come back and Phil Mickelson and guys that have won, Brooks [Koepka], who have won majors and are most likely hall of famer. They deserve to play wherever the hell they want, because they’re so good.”
Despite the peace offering, it seems Mickelson is quite settled on the new tour. Reflecting on last year’s chatter about a ‘merger’, the seasoned golfer acknowledged that he and his LIV colleagues have no desire to return to the PGA Tour.
“Not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour,” Mickelson declared on X in July. “It would require a public apology and restitution to LIV players for paying millions to Clout media to disparage all of us. A better topic is future sanctions for the many players who now come to LIV.”
Mickelson’s remarks reaffirmed his position on the merger idea, having previously conceded that he sees no better option than sticking with the LIV schedule. “Rather than saying yes or no,” he said.
“I know that from a player experience, all of the difficulties and challenges and things that take a lot of excessive energy and output throughout the week have been fixed at LIV.”
“The player experience here is incredible. I just can’t envision a better scenario for me as a player than playing out here on LIV.”
During his tenure on the PGA Tour, only his arch-nemesis Tiger Woods has surpassed him in earnings, raking in an eye-watering £74 million ($96,685,635). Mickelson also shares eighth place in the all-time winners list on the Tour, with 45 victories under his belt.
