Phil Mickelson has recently sparked discussions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf with a social media post. One of the key issues facing the Saudi-backed LIV tour is the lack of world ranking accreditation for its tournaments. Despite filing with the Official World Golf Ranking board in July 2022, LIV's bid was rejected in October, prompting CEO Greg Norman to question the credibility of the OWGR rankings system.
As the first major of the year has already taken place, concerns about LIV Golf's presence on the major stages of golf have surfaced ahead of the upcoming PGA Championship.
In response to a post highlighting LIV players earning more from prize purses but not receiving world ranking points, Mickelson raised questions about the future of golf if no LIV players were able to compete at majors. He emphasized the potential impact on sponsors and television, ending his post with the acronym 'FAAFO.'
Although the post was later deleted, it had already circulated on social media platforms. The PGA of America recently unveiled the official field for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, which includes 16 LIV golfers, seven of whom rank among the top 100 players in the world.