Phil Mickelson has issued a statement in response to allegations in an an upcoming book by professional gambler Billy Walters.
In an excerpt published on The Fire Pit Collective, Walters says he struck a partnership with Mickelson involving placing huge bets on sports over a number of years.
During the partnership, which Walters says ended in 2014, the author claims Mickelson called him while he was on the US Ryder Cup team at Medinah in 2012, asking Walters to place a $400,000 on the team to win.
The excerpt reads: "I could not believe what I was hearing. ‘Have you lost your f****** mind?’ I told him. ‘Don’t you remember what happened to Pete Rose?’ The former Cincinnati Reds manager was banned from baseball for betting on his own team. ‘You’re seen as a modern-day Arnold Palmer,’ I added. ‘You’d risk all that for this? I want no part of it.’
‘Alright, alright,’ he replied.”
Walters goes onto say in the excerpt that he refused to do so and he had “no idea whether Phil placed the bet elsewhere.”
That allegation has prompted Mickelson to respond. In a statement, the 53-year-old LIV Golf player wrote: “I have never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.
“I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now.”
I never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have…August 10, 2023
Mickelson’s gambling habits have been widely reported. Last year, Alan Shipnuck released a biography of Mickelson, Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar, which claimed he had gambling losses of $40m.
Then, later in 2022, Mickelson opened up on what he described as his “reckless" and "embarrassing" gambling addiction. He said at the time: “My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it. And I’ve been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I’m at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time.”
