Phil Mickelson has struggled for form on LIV Golf this season and the six-time major champion has hinted that his playing career could soon be coming to an end, but the move has been highly lucrative

Phil Mickelson’s move to LIV Golf has been hugely lucrative

As a challenging season for Phil Mickelson draws to a close, the LIV Golf star has hinted that his playing stint on the breakaway tour could be nearing its end.

Mickelson, who has only managed one top-10 finish this season and is languishing at the lower end of the standings, is under no illusions about his career trajectory. At 54 years old, the six-time major champion acknowledges that his best days are behind him.

“I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” the HyFlyers team captain said ahead of next week’s event at The Greenbrier – the penultimate individual event of the campaign.

“I’m in every major on the regular tour next year, and I’ll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those, and I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.

“How I do that, whether it’s internally as a player and so forth, or whether it’s strictly from the outside, I’m going to be intricately involved with the HyFlyers going forward probably the rest of my life, and then my playing career I’ll be realistic where I’m at, too.”

Mickelson’s equity stake in the HyFlyers is sure to be worth a significant sum (

Image:

Getty)

“Lefty” might not have hit top form in his 33 starts on LIV Golf, but he’s certainly cashed in. Joining the controversial Saudi-backed LIV series as a founding member in 2022, he pocketed a cool £150million signing bonus.

Success has eluded him, but Mickelson has banked $7,041,933 in individual prize money from LIV outings. It is a far cry from the staggering $55 million pocketed by Dustin Johnson and Talor Gooch, the winners of the 2022 and 2023 Individual Championship respectively, yet still an significant haul considering Mickelson’s dip in form.

Away from the course, Mickelson also has huge earning potential with LIV. As captain of the HyFlyers, he holds equity, which means he could either continue earning off-course team revenue without swinging a club or sell his slice of the pie for another payday.