Golfers took to social media to react as Phil Mickelson sensationally claimed he was never interviewed by Alan Shipnuck, the journalist whose unauthorised biography of the American featured dramatic and controversial quotes about the Saudi regime.
Shipnuck’s unauthorised biography on Mickelson was released during the PGA Championship earlier this year in May. Mickelson exiled himself away from golf after his alleged comments on the Saudi regime came to light before he publicly joined LIV Golf.
The 52-year-old dismissed the country’s human rights record - including the death of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi - as he declared he wanted leverage from the PGA Tour. The six-time major champion also labelled the Saudis ’scary mother*******’ and has since apologised for his comments.
Mickelson also skipped the Masters for the first time since 1994. Fellow golf star Max Homa - who is fully committed to the PGA Tour - took to Twitter to reveal his glee at the remarkable claims made by Mickelson ahead of LIV Golf Jeddah.
Homa appeared to come up with a brand new name for the Saudi-backed circuit led by CEO Greg Norman. He tweeted: “L.I.V. Tour? More like the LIT Tour cuz these interview news dump days are straight [ fire emojis].”
It was not just Homa that was amazed by Mickelson's press conference as DP World Tour pro Eddie Pepperell also joined the conversation on social media. Pepperell tweeted: “I don’t even know what’s real anymore. Truly.”
The lucrative LIV Golf series is funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and it has divided golf, leaving the PGA and DP World Tours fractured after the new series poached some of the sport's biggest names. Several of the world’s most prominent players have decided to switch to LIV Golf, including the likes of Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson, captain of the Hy Flyers GC team on the breakaway tour, was asked whether or not he had changed his opinion of Saudi Arabia following his controversial comments made to biographer Shipbuck earlier this year. The six-time major champion said: “So I will reiterate, I never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck.
“I find that my experience with everybody associated with LIV Golf has been nothing but incredibly positive and I have the utmost respect for everybody that I've been involved with.”
Do you think Phil Mickelson will win the LIV Golf event in Jeddah? Let us know in the comments section.
Mickelson also took aim at the PGA Tour in his Thursday press conference. He added: “I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and 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.”
Players who have joined the LIV Golf series - bankrolled by a Saudi Arabian regime renowned for their human rights abuses - were handed immediate and indefinite bans from the PGA Tour. The DP World Tour have implied they will fine the rebels and suspend them from future events but they haven’t issued a ban just yet.
