The PGA Tour's reshape has earned the ire of some golf fans for acquiescing in light of LIV Golf's emergence, tinkering with certain top events to resemble the format seen on the Saudi-backed series.
The more lucrative line-up of 'Designated Events' is precisely the kind of change Phil Mickelson was pushing for before he became the face of the LIV rebellion last year. Mickelson, 52, has even said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan turned away a $1billion sponsor 'Lefty' had brought to table, but there's no resentment following the break-up.
“I think that it's really a good thing. I'm happy to see it. I'm happy to see it for the Tour,” Mickelson told reporters. “I think there will always be a need and a want for traditional golf. And there's always an opportunity to innovate and to allow LIV to be additive and create something new and different.
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“I also think the changes bring the best players about more often. I think that's what fans want and what the sponsors want. They want to know what they are buying, and those are all things that LIV have provided for their sponsors and television and so forth. I think it's a good model to follow, and I'm glad that they are.”
There's little doubt it was the pressure applied from LIV's birth last year that inspired the PGA Tour to embrace change. The 17 'Designated' tournaments will feature bigger prize pots with smaller fields of only the top-ranked players and no cuts, features that are similar in nature to the LIV format.
“Then I'm thankful it didn't happen a year ago,” he replied when it was suggested he might still be part of the PGA had those alterations been adopted at the time. “I'm really happy with the way LIV has brought about new change to the game.
"Because this team aspect is something that we really never saw as a possibility in golf until LIV came along. It brought about a new energy for me and a new dynamic, and my teammates and myself are helping each other be our best."
Mickelson went on to say he's 'glad' things worked out as they have, despite losing many of his former fans. The veteran earned a little less than £1.5m from tournament winnings during his first year in LIV (40th in the field overall), though it was reported ahead of the inaugural campaign that he was paid $200m to make the switch.
That's enough to make most people glad, one would imagine, with Dustin Johnson ($125m) and Brooks Koepka ($100m) also reportedly bagging nine-figure sums for their allegiances. That would go some way to explaining why the rival series made 'virtually zero profit' in its first year, not that Mickelson will have any complaints.
