Phil Mickelson was cheered on to the first tee at Centurion, and he smiled. Maybe his smile betrayed some relief at a reputation seemingly intact among fans despite a damaging few months. Maybe there was some pleasure too, at finally returning to competitive golf after a self-imposed hiatus. Or perhaps it was just the smile of a man who had pocketed $200m for turning up.
Whatever it was, Mickelson was the star attraction as the richest tournament in golf got underway with an aerial show of vintage aircraft and trumpeters with bearskin hats, while players were transported to their tees in London cabs. This may be Saudi Arabia’s latest controversial foray into the world of sport, but the product was sold with an odd splattering of British culture in the Hertfordshire countryside.
